Cardiff and Vale College

What Cardiff and Vale College does

Cardiff and Vale College (CAVC) is one of the largest further education college groups in the UK, operating as a public-funded educational institution serving the Capital Region of Wales. Established in 2011, CAVC delivers vocational and academic programmes to more than 30,000 learners annually across college courses, university-level qualifications, and full-time and part-time apprenticeship programmes, supported by over 1,000 subject specialists and industry professionals. The college serves a diversified learner base including school leavers (16-18), adult continuing-education learners, apprentices, junior apprentices aged 14-16, higher education students, international students, and business clients, with bilingual Welsh/English provision compliant with Welsh Language Standards.

CAVC operates a multi-campus infrastructure that includes the £45m Cardiff City Centre Campus (opposite Cardiff Central Station), Cardiff International Sports Campus, Eastern Community Campus, Barry Campus, and specialist centres such as ICAT (National Centre for Aerospace Training), motor vehicle workshops, and construction facilities. A £119m capital programme funded by Aviva under the Welsh Government's Sustainable Communities for Learning mutual investment model is currently delivering two additional net-zero campuses — Barry Waterfront (900 students) and an Advanced Technology Centre at Cardiff Airport (2,000 learners) — with completion expected in summer 2027. The college also monetises several publicly accessible commercial training facilities including The Classroom restaurant, urbasba salon and spa, Glamorgan Suite, Bae Coffi, and the Michael Sheen Theatre.

The business model combines government-funded core delivery (Welsh Government for Welsh learners, Education and Skills Funding Agency for English learners) with employer-funded workforce development via the CAVC for Business portal, Higher Education tuition at sub-university price points, free part-time adult courses, and commercial facility revenue. Technology is limited to a WCAG-compliant HTML5 website with BrowseAloud accessibility tooling, student and colleague portals, and standard digital learning platforms — there is no disclosed AI/ML capability. The college is governed by a board of governors and operates three wholly-owned subsidiaries (CF10 Retail Limited, ICAT Limited, and South East Wales City Region ATA Limited).

Name

Cardiff and Vale College

Legal name

Cardiff and Vale College

Website

https://cavc.ac.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Cardiff and Vale College is one of the largest UK further education college groups, delivering vocational, academic, apprenticeship, and higher education programmes to over 30,000 learners annually across multi-campus facilities in the Welsh Capital Region, funded primarily by Welsh Government and UK government agencies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Further and Higher Education

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Junior Colleges (61121), Other Technical and Trade Schools (611519), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Workforce Development & Continuing Education Divisions (Noncredit) (EDAHADAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Career & Technical Education (CTE) Centers & Programs (EDAJAAAJ), Project, Process & Quality Certification Prep (PMP, PRINCE2, Lean Six Sigma, ITIL) (EDANAIAE)

Keywords

• Further education college
• Vocational training programmes
• Apprenticeship programmes
• Higher education courses
• Workforce development training

Headquarters

HQ city

Cardiff

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government-funded Further Education: Core revenue from Welsh Government funding for Welsh-based learners, based on enrolment and delivery of funded programmes. Funding is also received through the Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme for capital projects.
2. UK Government-funded Education (English learners): Funding from the Education and Skills Funding Agency and Department for Education for English-based learners.
3. Employer-funded Workforce Development: Bespoke training delivered to employers, funded by employers directly as part of workforce development programmes and contracts.
4. Commercial Facilities Revenue: Revenue from publicly accessible commercial facilities including The Classroom restaurant, Glamorgan Suite, urbasba salon and spa, and Bae Coffi artisan coffee shop.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Cardiff and Vale College is a publicly funded further and higher education college delivering academic, vocational, apprenticeship, and adult learning programmes to over 30,000 learners per year across the Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan region. Core offerings include A Levels and vocational courses for school leavers (16-18), part-time professional and basic skills training for adults, apprenticeships co-delivered with employers, university-level Higher Education programmes, business-facing workforce development through CAVC for Business, and a junior apprenticeship pathway for 14-16 year olds.

Product overview

Cardiff and Vale College (CAVC) is one of the largest college groups in the UK, providing education and training services in the Capital Region of Wales. The institution operates as a unified further and higher education provider offering a diverse portfolio of products and services including: vocational and academic programmes for 16-18 year olds, adult education courses, higher education qualifications, apprenticeships, and junior apprenticeship programmes for 14-16 year olds. The college operates multiple campuses across Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan including the £45m Cardiff City Centre Campus, Cardiff International Sports Campus, Eastern Community Campus, and Barry Campus, along with specialist centres for aerospace training (ICAT), motor vehicle, and construction. CAVC also operates commercial training facilities including The Classroom restaurant, urbasba salon and spa, Glamorgan Suite dining venue, Bae Coffi artisan coffee shop, and Michael Sheen Theatre. Business-facing services include workforce development partnerships through CAVC for Business, international student services, and venue hire. The institution trains over 30,000 learners annually and works with over 1,000 subject specialists and industry experts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CF10 Retail Limited: Subsidiary company of Cardiff and Vale College
• ICAT Limited
• South East Wales City Region ATA Limited
• The Classroom (Y Dosbarth)
• urbasba
• Glamorgan Suite (Ystafell Morgannwg)
• Theatr Michael Sheen
• Bae Coffi
• ICAT
• CAVC Sport Academies

Products and services

• Academic Programmes for School Leavers (16-18) A Levels and career-focused vocational courses for students aged 16-18 who have completed secondary education, providing progression routes to university, apprenticeships, or employment.
• Adult Education Courses Part-time professional qualifications, vocational training, Adult Basic Skills, and free courses for adults seeking to re-skill, change direction, or progress in their careers.
• Higher Education Courses University-level qualifications with expert tuition, dedicated HE study centres, generous bursaries, and lower fees than traditional universities.
• Apprenticeships Fully funded full-time and part-time apprenticeship programmes across multiple sectors, combining workplace learning with college-based study.
• Junior Apprenticeships Vocational learning pathway and work experience placements for 14-16 year-olds seeking an alternative to traditional schooling.
• CAVC for Business Partnership programmes with organisations delivering innovative learning approaches, workforce development, apprenticeship recruitment, and bespoke training.
• CAVC International Dedicated team providing educational opportunities and support to international students across the full CAVC curriculum.
• CAVC Sport Academies Sports academies run by professional sports workers, including Rugby and Football academies, allowing learners to train alongside their academic studies at world-class facilities.
• The Classroom (Y Dosbarth) A restaurant dining facility with views across the city, doubling as a commercial training venue for hospitality students and serving the public.
• urbasba Salon and Spa A city-centre salon, spa and training facility (including Academi urbasba) offering hair, beauty, and complementary therapies services to the public.
• Glamorgan Suite (Ystafell Morgannwg) A dining and events venue in the Vale of Glamorgan area, available for hire and used as a commercial training environment for hospitality learners.
• Bae Coffi An artisan coffee shop at the main entrance of Cardiff City Centre Campus offering barista coffee, teas, and food prepared by college bakery students, available for event hire.
• Theatr Michael Sheen A 100-seat theatre in the city centre used for performances and events and available for hire, supporting performing arts training.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 30,000 learners trained annually across all programmes
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, minor and core.

• Cardiff UniversityflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 June 2026Cardiff University and Cardiff and Vale College signed a Memorandum of Understanding to develop a Digital Technology Academy for South Wales. This landmark agreement marks a significant step forward in their joint ambition to develop talent for the industries of the future.
• For CardiffminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 June 2026CAVC and For Cardiff collaborated on a city centre art project showcased in Cardiff High Street Arcades, featuring creative learners' work.
• Bouygues UKcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 20 February 2026Bouygues UK is the main contractor for the construction of two new campuses: Barry Waterfront Campus for 900 students and the Advanced Technology Centre at Cardiff Airport for 2,000 learners. Both campuses are net zero designed and funded by Aviva through the Welsh Government's mutual investment model. Construction began in February 2026 with completion expected summer 2027.
• Rubicon DanceminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 September 2018Cardiff and Vale College established a partnership with Rubicon Dance, one of the oldest and most experienced community dance organisations in the UK, providing dance education opportunities.
• Royal Air Force (RAF)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 September 2018CAVC partnered with the RAF to deliver high-quality human resources training for serving RAF personnel, both regulars and reservists, through a new learning initiative.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Coleg y Cymoedd: A large further education college serving multiple campuses in the South Wales Valleys (Caerphilly, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Merthyr, Blaenau Gwent). Directly comparable to CAVC as a Welsh FE college delivering vocational, apprenticeship, and HE programmes from publicly funded sources.
• Gower College Swansea: A further education college in South West Wales operating multiple campuses and delivering a similar mix of academic, vocational, apprenticeship, and HE programmes to CAVC. Comparable scale, funding model, and learner demographic.
• NPTC Group of Colleges: A Welsh further education college group operating campuses across Neath Port Talbot, including specialist vocational provision. Direct peer in scale, funding structure (Welsh Government grants), and apprenticeship/apprenticeship-employer focus.
• Bridgend College: A South Wales FE college with vocational, HE, and apprenticeship provision. Comparable institution type and learner segments, with overlapping employer relationships in the Cardiff Capital Region.
• The Manchester College: One of the largest further education colleges in the UK (part of LTE Group), delivering vocational, academic, and apprenticeship programmes at scale. Closest UK-wide peer in size and breadth of provision to CAVC's 30,000+ learner base.
• Leeds City College: A large FE college within the Luminate Education Group, providing vocational, apprenticeship, and HE programmes across multiple campuses. Comparable scale and multi-campus operating model to CAVC.
• Newcastle College: Part of NCG, one of the UK's largest FE college groups, delivering vocational, apprenticeship, and HE programmes with similar multi-campus structure and scale of provision to CAVC.
• BMet (Birmingham Metropolitan College): A large further education college in the West Midlands offering a similar mix of vocational, apprenticeship, and HE programmes. Comparable scale of operation, government funding model, and employer engagement approach to CAVC.

Regional players

• City of Glasgow College: One of Scotland's largest FE colleges, with extensive vocational, apprenticeship, and HE provision. Comparable in scale and breadth to CAVC, but operating under the Scottish funding regime and competing in a different national labour market.

Broad incumbents

• University of South Wales: A larger established higher education institution operating across South Wales (including the Cardiff Capital Region). Overlaps with CAVC on HE provision and serves the same regional learner base, but with a broader portfolio including research and full degree programmes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/CAVC
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CAVCeducation
• Facebookfacebook.com/cardiffandvalecollege
• Instagraminstagram.com/cavcinsta
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cardiff-and-vale-college

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries3 records

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 Cardiff and Vale College