EPM
EPM is a UK private limited company providing integrated HR, payroll, pensions, finance, DBS/safer recruitment, training, and leadership development services to over 2,500 schools and 200+ multi-academy trusts across the United Kingdom, supported by its EPM Connect workforce analytics platform.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1990
- HeadquartersHuntingdon, United Kingdom
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What EPM does
EPM (operating as EPM Limited) is a UK private limited company providing integrated human resources, payroll, pensions, finance, DBS/safer recruitment, training, and leadership development services exclusively to the education sector. Founded in 1990 and headquartered in Huntingdon, the company serves over 2,500 schools and 200+ multi-academy trusts (MATs) across the United Kingdom, targeting headteachers, business managers, MAT central teams, local authorities, and faith-based education settings. Customer relationships are long-tenured, with named clients including Our Lady of Grace Catholic Academy Trust, Westminster Academy, Harris Federation, and Shaw Primary Academy.
The company's product portfolio spans HR Services (HR Essentials, HR Advisory, HR Partner, HR Consultancy, HR Investigations & Casework, Strategic HR Support & Restructuring, HR Audits/Training/Compliance), managed Payroll & Pensions administration, MAT Development (education strategy, leadership & governance support, growth planning), DBS & Safer Recruitment (DBS processing, safer recruitment training and audits), Training/CPD & Events (eLearning and live training), Finance Services (strategic finance leadership, operational finance management, project support), and Onboarding & Support. Underpinning these services are three proprietary digital platforms: EPM Connect (workforce analytics covering absence, turnover, and staffing capacity), the EPM Portal (HR/payroll/pensions data and self-service), and the ePayslips Portal (electronic payslip distribution). EPM also operates nEdEx (Network for Education Excellence), a free networking sub-brand hosting conferences and roundtables for education leaders.
EPM monetises through a mix of recurring annual service packages, pay-as-you-go advisory, consultancy engagements, and unit-priced training (e.g., £220+VAT per attendee for live training). Distribution combines direct enterprise sales targeting MATs and schools with approved-supplier status on at least seven UK public sector procurement frameworks (Bloom, Crescent Purchasing Consortium, Everything ICT, CST, Everything FM, 2buy2, Church Marketplace), which are critical routes to market for public sector education buyers. The company is privately held with no disclosed institutional investors, parent company, subsidiaries, acquisitions, or funding rounds.
EPM firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- EPM
- Legal name
- EPM Limited
- Website
- https://epm.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1990
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- EPM is a UK private limited company providing integrated HR, payroll, pensions, finance, DBS/safer recruitment, training, and leadership development services to over 2,500 schools and 200+ multi-academy trusts across the United Kingdom, supported by its EPM Connect workforce analytics platform.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
EPM industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Education Support Services
- NAICS
- Professional Employer Organizations (56133), Business Support Services (5614)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Professional Employer Organization (PEO) / Co-Employment Services (BPACAHAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Education ERP (Student Information, Finance, HR) (HDAEAEAI), Onboarding, Offboarding & Employee Lifecycle Administration (BPACAHAL)
Keywords
Where EPM is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Huntingdon
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
EPM business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- HR Services: Comprehensive human resources services including HR Essentials, HR Advisory Support, HR Partner, HR Consultancy, and HR Connect. Revenue generated through subscription packages, per-engagement consultancy fees, and retainer arrangements.
- Payroll & Pensions: Managed payroll processing and pensions administration services for schools and trusts. Charged as recurring service fees, typically as part of annual service agreements.
- Finance Services: Strategic finance leadership, operational finance management, and project-based financial support. Revenue from consultancy engagements and retainer arrangements.
- Training & Events: eLearning courses, live training sessions, and events including nEdEx conferences. Some content free for clients, paid training at £220+VAT per attendee.
- DBS & Safer Recruitment: DBS application processing and safer recruitment compliance services for education sector.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | eLearning Courses - flexible pay-per-course model |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Live Training - per person pricing |
| Freemium | Monthly | EPM Education Updates - free for clients |
| Subscription | Annual | Annual Service Packages |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
EPM product offering
Product offeringCore offering
EPM provides outsourced HR, payroll, pensions, finance, DBS, and safer recruitment services to UK schools, academies, Multi Academy Trusts, and Local Authorities. The company combines expert human advisors with the proprietary EPM Connect workforce data and analytics platform and an ePayslips Portal to deliver integrated education-sector support. Complementary offerings include leadership development, MAT growth planning, training/CPD, and the free nEdEx networking branch for education leaders.
Product overview
EPM (Education Protocol Management) is an education support services company offering a comprehensive suite of integrated services for schools, academies, Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs), and local authorities. The portfolio centers on EPM Connect, an integrated workforce data and analytics platform, alongside the EPM Portal and EPM ePayslips Portal for online service delivery. Service offerings include HR Services (covering HR Essentials, HR Advisory, HR Partner, HR Consultancy, and HR Connect), Payroll & Pensions administration, Multi Academy Trust Development, Training/CPD & Events (including eLearning courses and live training), DBS & Safer Recruitment Services, Onboarding & Support, and Finance Services. EPM also operates nEdEx (Network for Education Excellence), a free networking branch for education leaders. The company serves over 2,500 schools and 200 trusts across the UK education sector.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- nEdEx: Network for Education Excellence - EPM's free networking branch for schools, academies and trusts, providing exclusive events, expert insights, and professional networking opportunities for education leaders.
Products and services
- HR Services Comprehensive outsourced HR support for UK schools, academies, and trusts, covering essentials, advisory, partner-level, consultancy, investigations, strategic HR, restructuring, and HR audits/training/compliance.
- Payroll & Pensions Managed payroll processing and pensions administration tailored to UK schools, academies, and trusts, with draft payslip review and dedicated account management.
- Multi Academy Trust Development Services supporting MAT growth including education strategy, structural development, leadership and governance support, and school and trust growth planning.
- Training, CPD & Events Expert-led eLearning courses, live training sessions, and sector update events covering HR, policy, pay, safeguarding, safer recruitment, and compliance topics for education sector clients.
- DBS & Safer Recruitment Services Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks, safer recruitment training, and safer recruitment audits supporting compliance for UK schools and trusts.
- Onboarding & Support Onboarding services and ongoing support for newly joining staff in educational settings.
- Finance Services Outsourced finance support including strategic finance leadership, operational finance management, and project-based financial support for UK schools and trusts.
- EPM Connect Proprietary integrated workforce data and analytics platform providing UK schools and trusts with workforce insights, absence tracking, turnover analysis, and staffing capacity data to support informed workforce planning decisions.
- EPM Portal Online services portal that records and manages data relating to human resources, payroll, and pensions for and on behalf of customers and their staff.
- EPM ePayslips Portal Online portal for electronic payslip delivery and management for education staff.
- nEdEx (Network for Education Excellence) Free leadership network for schools, academies and trusts hosting exclusive roundtables, national education conferences, and leadership events bringing together education leaders.
Quantifiable outcome
- EPM conducted 50+ HR investigations on behalf of schools and trusts in the past year
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use EPM
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
EPM technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
EPM partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- BloomcoreEPM is an accredited supplier on the Bloom procurement framework, enabling compliant purchasing routes for education sector clients through this public sector procurement framework.
- Crescent Purchasing ConsortiumcoreEPM is an approved supplier on the Crescent Purchasing Consortium (CPC) framework, providing education sector clients with compliant access to EPM's HR, payroll, and consultancy services through this purchasing consortium.
- Everything ICTminorEPM is listed as an approved supplier available through the Everything ICT framework, providing education technology and services procurement options.
- CSTminorEPM is an approved supplier on the CST (Commercial Services Team) framework for education sector procurement.
- Everything FMminorEPM is available through the Everything FM framework for facilities management and related services procurement in education.
- 2buy2minorEPM is an approved supplier on the 2buy2 procurement framework, providing another compliant purchasing route for education sector organisations.
- Church MarketplaceminorEPM is listed on the Church Marketplace framework, serving church schools and faith-based education settings with HR and payroll services.
- nEdEx (Network for Education Excellence)corenEdEx is EPM's free leadership network for schools, academies and trusts, bringing together education leaders through exclusive events, expert insights, and networking opportunities. Hosts the National Education Leaders Conference with 25+ speakers.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
EPM competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- MHR: UK provider of HR and payroll software (iTrent) and outsourced services to mid-market and public sector organisations including education. Overlaps with EPM on HR/payroll technology and services, but serves multiple verticals beyond education.
- Tribal Group: UK-headquartered education software and services company serving schools, colleges, and universities with student information, HR, and payroll systems. Comparable in target market but with a broader portfolio and longer enterprise software heritage than EPM.
- IRIS Software Group: UK provider of payroll, HR, and accountancy software with significant presence in the education sector. Comparable to EPM on payroll/HR technology stack and education vertical but much larger and more diversified across industries.
- Capita (Education Services): Large UK business process outsourcer with a dedicated Education division offering HR, payroll, and software services to schools and MATs. Comparable to EPM on services offered, but operates across multiple sectors at significantly greater scale.
Direct peers
- Juniper Education: UK education support services firm offering HR, payroll, and business management solutions to schools and MATs. Directly comparable to EPM's vertical focus, service portfolio, and target buyer (school business managers and trust leaders).
- Strictly Education: UK-based HR, payroll, and governance services provider dedicated to schools, academies, and MATs. Closely comparable to EPM in customer base (UK education), core services (HR, payroll, safer recruitment), and vertical specialisation.
- Edvolve (SchoolPro HR): Provider of HR, payroll, and people-management services to UK schools, academies, and MATs. Competes head-to-head with EPM on bundled HR/payroll outsourcing for the same education buyer.
Regional players
- People Asset Management (PAM): UK HR services and PEO-style provider offering payroll, benefits, and HR support to UK employers. Comparable in service model and HR outsourcing approach, but serves broader commercial clients rather than specialising in education.
Others
- RM plc (RM Education): UK-headquartered supplier of technology, IT services, and resources to schools and MATs. Adjacent rather than directly competitive, but serves the same UK education procurement channels and may bundle HR-adjacent services over time.
Emerging players
- Cornerstone Business Solutions: Smaller UK firm providing HR, payroll, and training support to schools and MATs. Partial overlap with EPM on services and target market, but smaller scale and narrower geographic footprint.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
EPM social profiles
Digital presenceEPM financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
EPM leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
EPM funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
EPM M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about EPM
What does EPM do?
EPM provides outsourced HR, payroll, pensions, finance, DBS, and safer recruitment services to UK schools, academies, Multi Academy Trusts, and Local Authorities. The company combines expert human advisors with the proprietary EPM Connect workforce data and analytics platform and an ePayslips Portal to deliver integrated education-sector support. Complementary offerings include leadership development, MAT growth planning, training/CPD, and the free nEdEx networking branch for education leaders.
Is EPM a public or private company?
EPM is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was EPM founded?
EPM was founded in 1990. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is EPM based?
EPM is headquartered in Huntingdon, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does EPM make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. HR Services are the primary driver. The others are payroll & Pensions, finance Services, training & Events and DBS & Safer Recruitment.
Who are EPM's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are MHR, Tribal Group, IRIS Software Group and Capita (Education Services). Direct peers are Juniper Education, Strictly Education and Edvolve (SchoolPro HR). People Asset Management (PAM) is listed as a regional player. RM plc (RM Education) is listed as an others. Cornerstone Business Solutions is listed as an emerging player.
Does EPM have an API?
No public API is recorded for EPM.
What industry is EPM in?
EPM's product category is Education Support Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACAHAB, Professional Employer Organization (PEO) / Co-Employment Services, with a secondary code of HDAEAEAI, Education ERP (Student Information, Finance, HR). Its NAICS code is 56133 and its SIC code is 8742.