The Education and Training Foundation

What The Education and Training Foundation does

The Education and Training Foundation (ETF) is the designated professional body for the further education (FE) and skills sector in England, established as a registered charity (Charity number 1153859) and headquartered at 157-197 Buckingham Palace Road, London. The organisation operates with 101-250 employees and serves a community of over 22,500 members across FE colleges, independent training providers, adult learning organisations, individual educators, and governance bodies. Its statutory designation is backed by the UK Department for Education, which underwrites core offerings such as Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills (QTLS), Advanced Teacher Status (ATS), and specialist statuses including SSSEND and SSESD that carry statutory protection for practitioners.

ETF's core product is the MyETF Dashboard, launched in 2025 as a unified single-login platform integrating learning, membership, communities, events, bookings and account settings, supplemented by an ePortfolio system for QTLS/ATS programme participants and a Professional Standards Self-Assessment Tool. The product portfolio extends across a CPD course catalogue (covering T Levels, digital skills, English/maths/ESOL, safeguarding, SEND, apprenticeships and leadership), the T Level Professional Development (TLPD) programme running since 2019, an award-winning Leadership Development Pathway for CEOs and managers, the ETF Partnership programme for organisational subscribers, and the InTuition member journal. Commercial operations are partly run through wholly-owned subsidiary ETF Services Ltd, which operates the ePortfolio platform.

ETF operates a diversified revenue model spanning individual membership subscriptions, recurring ETF Partnership agreements with colleges and training providers, professional development course fees, and government contracts. Material contract activity includes a £11.76 million Universal SEND Services contract, a £12 million Level 3 Early Years SENCO contract, and a UK Department for Education announcement of £200 million in SEND training investment for the current parliament. Distribution combines self-serve digital access through MyETF, direct enterprise partnerships for organisational clients, and dedicated phone/email support channels, making ETF the principal system-wide professional infrastructure for England's FE and skills workforce.

Name

The Education and Training Foundation

Legal name

The Education Training Foundation

Website

https://et-foundation.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Education and Training Foundation (ETF) is the designated professional body for England's further education and skills sector. It delivers professional standards, recognised statuses (QTLS and ATS), CPD courses, SEND training, and leadership development through its MyETF Dashboard platform to 22,500+ members and partner organisations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Further Education Professional Body Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171), Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Systems & Skills Technical Assistance (BPADAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Assessment, Certification & Qualifications Frameworks (BPADAKAL), Continuing Education (CE/CPD) & Provider Accreditation Bodies (EDADACAF), In-Service Professional Development (Workshops/Institutes/Short Courses) (EDACAIAB)

Keywords

• Further education training
• Professional development services
• Vocational teacher standards
• Education sector membership
• Workforce upskilling programmes

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Annual membership fees from individual educators in the FE and skills sector. Membership provides access to professional standards, recognized status, resources, and community benefits.
2. ETF Partnership (Organisational): Corporate partnership agreements with colleges, training providers, and adult learning organisations for workforce development, leadership programmes, and professional development services.
3. Professional Development Courses: Courses and training programmes for individuals and organisations covering topics including T Levels, digital skills, English/maths/ESOL, safeguarding, SEND, apprenticeships, and leadership.
4. Government Contracts: Government-funded contracts for specific programmes including Universal SEND Services (£11.76 million) and Level 3 Early Years SENCO course (£12 million), plus £200 million SEND training investment announced for the parliament period.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Education and Training Foundation (ETF) is the designated professional body for the further education (FE) and skills sector in England, providing individual membership, recognised professional statuses (QTLS, ATS, specialist statuses), continuing professional development courses, leadership development programmes, and an organisational ETF Partnership service delivered through the MyETF Dashboard. Revenue is generated from individual and organisational membership subscriptions, course fees, and government-funded contracts for programmes such as SEND training.

Product overview

The Education and Training Foundation (ETF) operates as a membership organisation and professional body for the further education and skills sector in England. The core offering is a platform-plus-services architecture centred on ETF Membership and the MyETF Dashboard, which provides unified access to professional development, recognised statuses (QTLS, ATS, Specialist Statuses), and resources. The product portfolio includes professional standards self-assessment tools, CPD courses across topics like T Levels, leadership, SEND, and digital skills, leadership development programmes, and the ETF Partnership service for organisational development. Key products include the TLPD (T Level Professional Development) programme, professional standards frameworks, and membership grades that reflect career stages from student teachers through to senior leaders.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MyETF: Online dashboard bringing learning, communities, and professional support together with a single login for ETF members.
• QTLS
• ATS
• InTuition

Products and services

• ETF Membership Professional membership for further education and skills practitioners, with grades reflecting career stage from student teacher through to advanced practitioner, providing access to resources, community, professional standards, and status application routes.
• MyETF Dashboard Single-login online portal providing ETF members with access to learning modules, membership account, communities, events, bookings, and professional support resources.
• QTLS (Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills) Status Statutory professional status for teachers and trainers in the FE and skills sector, providing recognised standing equivalent to QTS for school teachers, with ePortfolio-based assessment.
• ATS (Advanced Teacher Status) Professional status for experienced FE and skills practitioners demonstrating advanced teaching practice and a sustained commitment to professional development.
• SSSEND (Specialist Status in SEND) Specialist professional status recognising expertise in supporting learners with special educational needs and disabilities across FE and skills settings.
• SSESD (Specialist Status in Education for Sustainable Development) Specialist professional status recognising expertise in education for sustainable development for FE and skills practitioners.
• Professional Standards Self-Assessment Tool Online self-assessment tool that allows teaching staff to evaluate engagement with ETF's Professional Standards and identify development priorities across career stages.
• Professional Development Courses Continuing professional development courses for individuals and organisations covering apprenticeships, digital skills, English, maths and ESOL, safeguarding, SEND, T Levels, and leadership.
• T Level Professional Development (TLPD) Specialised CPD programme supporting teachers, trainers, leaders and organisations delivering T Levels, including an in-house delivery offer for colleges and training providers.
• Leadership Development Pathway Award-winning leadership development programmes for FE and skills CEOs, executives, senior and middle leaders, aspiring leaders, and governance professionals, delivered with world-class partners.
• ETF Partnership Annual organisational partnership programme for FE colleges, training providers, and adult learning organisations, providing workforce strategy support, leadership development, and teaching excellence resources.
• ETF Resource Library Digital library of learning resources, materials, and tools supporting professional development across the further education and skills sector.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 22,500 members in the professional community
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• New City CollegecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNew City College is an ETF Partner, implementing sustained CPD as an everyday part of their organisational culture. Gerry McDonald CBE, Group Principal and CEO, provides testimonial praising ETF's role in challenging the college to raise professional standards.
• FE News (Bridging the SEND Transition Collective)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership on 'Beyond the label' report - a SEND reform report developed by ETF and FE News Bridging the SEND Transition Collective. Offers practical recommendations for policymakers and providers on anticipatory systems, universal design principles, and continuing professional development culture.
• World-class Partners and System LeaderscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeadership development portfolio is designed and delivered with world-class partners and system leaders, combining academic insights, deep sector understanding, and focus on public good.
• ETF Services LtdOthersETF Services Ltd (Company No. 9511877, VAT: 212116665) is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Education Training Foundation, operating the ePortfolio platform and related services.
• UK Department for EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment department providing statutory backing for ETF's professional body role. Sources contracts including £200 million SEND training investment, £11.76 million Universal SEND Services, and £12 million Level 3 Early Years SENCO course.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Chartered College of Teaching: Chartered professional body for the teaching profession in the UK. Highly comparable to ETF as a membership-based organisation offering professional standards, chartered status recognition and CPD resources for educators.
• NCFE: National awarding organisation and educational charity offering vocational qualifications and CPD across the FE and skills sector. Comparable to ETF as a mission-driven education body delivering qualifications, training and professional development to FE practitioners and learners.

Broad incumbents

• Association of Colleges (AoC): The national membership body for FE and sixth-form colleges in England. Comparable to ETF as it serves the same FE institutional customer base with workforce, leadership and policy support, though focused on college representation rather than individual teacher professional status.
• City & Guilds: One of the UK's largest vocational qualification awarding bodies, providing certification, training and CPD across technical and FE subjects. Comparable to ETF through overlapping content areas (T Levels, apprenticeships, ESOL, leadership) and a similar institutional customer base.
• Pearson (Education division): Global education company delivering vocational qualifications, T Levels, apprenticeships and CPD resources. Comparable to ETF in its coverage of FE teaching, leadership development and curriculum reform support, though as a much larger commercial incumbent.

Emerging players

• Jisc: UK digital, data and technology body for higher education and FE. Comparable to ETF as a sector-supporting organisation providing digital infrastructure, content and guidance to FE institutions, increasingly overlapping with ETF's professional development and standards work.
• SFJ Awards: UK awarding organisation focused on policing, security, fire and FE workforce qualifications. Comparable to ETF as a sector-focused awarding and certification body delivering CPD-adjacent programmes and status recognition for practitioner workforces.

Others

• Gatsby Foundation: Charitable foundation supporting technical education, FE and skills reform in the UK. Comparable to ETF through its influence on FE policy, funding of FE sector initiatives and active programmes to strengthen FE teaching and pathways.
• University and College Union (UCU): Trade union representing staff in FE, HE and adult learning across the UK. Comparable to ETF as a sector-membership organisation engaging FE educators on professional standards, working conditions and policy advocacy.

Regional players

• Skills Development Scotland: National skills body for Scotland delivering workforce development, training and FE-related policy. Comparable to ETF in role and mission but operates in a separate devolved territory, limiting direct competition while mirroring ETF's professional body concept.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/e_t_foundation
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@EducationTFoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-education-and-training-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/E_T_Foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Education and Training Foundation