Fulbright Commission

What Fulbright Commission does

The US-UK Fulbright Commission (legally "US-UK Fulbright Commission", DBA Fulbright/Fulbright Commission) is a bi-national, independent educational exchange organisation established by treaty between the United States and United Kingdom governments in 1948. It is headquartered in London (Unit 302, Camelford House, 89 Albert Embankment) and staffed by 51-100 employees. The Commission's functional role is to administer merit-based scholarships, research grants, and teaching awards that enable postgraduate students, academics, and mid- to late-career professionals to study, research, or teach across the Atlantic in the partner country, having facilitated more than 25,000 exchanges historically and approximately 1,500 during the 2019-2025 tenure of its outgoing Executive Director. Core products include the UK Postgraduate, Scholar, and Professional Fulbright awards flowing to the USA; the US Postgraduate, Scholar, and Professional awards flowing to the UK; the Fulbright Specialist Programme and Distinguished Awards in Teaching; UK Summer Institutes for US undergraduates; the Sutton Trust Fulbright US Programme for widening participation; specialist named awards (American University, University of Maryland, New School, Nursten Food Security, Fulbright-BAFTA, Alistair Cooke in Journalism); the Global Challenges Teaching Awards for virtual exchange; and signature events including USA College Day (Europe's largest US college fair), the Fulbright Distinguished Lecture, and the Fulbright Eccles Lecture.

The Commission's underlying delivery model is event- and partnership-driven rather than technology-platform-based. There is no proprietary software product; operations rely on standard SaaS (Salesforce, Mailchimp, WizeHive, Google Analytics) and a community app, the Fulbrighter network (>35,000 users). The technology thesis is institutional coordination, not automation.

The Commission's revenue model is a hybrid of four streams: treaty-anchored funding from the UK and US governments; 60+ university partnerships that co-sponsor awards through tuition waivers and stipends; trusts and foundations (Rita Allen Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, Wallit Foundation); and corporate partners (Elsevier, Lloyd's of London, JetBlue, Lois Roth Foundation, BAFTA). Pricing to grantees is structured as fully-funded awards (living stipend, tuition, travel) rather than commercial fees — examples range from a £19,027 annual stipend for an All Disciplines Award at an institution outside Greater London to up to $66,000 under the Independent Placement model for US-to-UK postgraduate awards. Customer segments are primarily postgraduate students and academic scholars (both flagged as primary personas), with secondary segments in mid/late-career professionals, undergraduates, and EducationUSA advisees. Distribution combines direct online applications, the EducationUSA UK advising network, university partnerships, and the Sutton Trust channel. The organisation is governed by an independently appointed Board of Commissioners and is structurally a quasi-governmental educational exchange body rather than a conventional private company.

Name

Fulbright Commission

Legal name

US-UK Fulbright Commission

Website

https://fulbright.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The US-UK Fulbright Commission is a bi-national educational exchange organisation established by treaty in 1948. It administers merit-based scholarships, research grants, and teaching awards enabling postgraduate students, scholars, and professionals to study, research, or teach between the United States and the United Kingdom.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Education Exchange

NAICS

International Affairs (92812), International Affairs (928120), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

International Affairs (9721), Foreign Governments (8888), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Intergovernmental Education Cooperation & Bilateral/Multilateral Programs (EDADALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Government-Sponsored Scholarships & Exchange Funding (EDAIAOAF), Merit-Based Scholarships (Academic Excellence) (EDAIAOAA), University/Institutional Scholarships & Tuition Waivers (EDAIAOAG), International Student Funding & Mobility Grants Administration (EDADAHAL), Donor Coordination & Aid Effectiveness (BPADAOAA)

Keywords

• International education exchange
• Postgraduate scholarship programs
• Cultural exchange funding
• Bilateral academic scholarships
• Educational advisory services

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Funded by both UK and US governments as established by the 1948 treaty between the two nations.
2. University Partnerships: Over 60 universities provide funding support for co-sponsored Fulbright awards.
3. Trusts and Foundations: Supported by trusts and foundations including Rita Allen Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, and Wallit Foundation.
4. Corporate Partnerships: Corporate partners including Elsevier and Lloyd's of London sponsor discipline-specific awards.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Fulbright Commission is a bi-national organization established by treaty in 1948 between the United States and the United Kingdom that administers Fulbright scholarships, awards, and educational exchange programs for postgraduate students, scholars, and mid-career professionals moving between the two countries. It also delivers EducationUSA advising services, runs widening participation initiatives, and convenes alumni, lecture, and industry events that support the broader UK–US academic relationship.

Product overview

The US-UK Fulbright Commission offers a comprehensive portfolio of education exchange programmes facilitating study, research, and teaching between the United States and United Kingdom. The core offerings include Fulbright Scholarships to the USA (for UK students, scholars, and professionals) and Fulbright Scholarships to the UK (for US students, scholars, and professionals), along with specialised awards such as the Distinguished Awards in Teaching and Fulbright Specialist Programme for collaborative institutional projects. Additional programmes include UK Summer Institutes for US undergraduates, the Sutton Trust Fulbright US Programme for widening participation, and EducationUSA Advice services. The Commission also manages subject-specific awards including the All Disciplines Postgraduate Award, university partnership awards (American University, University of Maryland, University of Florida, The New School), the Fulbright BAFTA Scholarship, and the Alistair Cooke Journalism Award. Signature events include the annual Fulbright Distinguished Lecture and the Global Challenges Teaching Awards programme for virtual exchange. The Commission has facilitated over 25,000 exchanges since 1948.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fulbright Scholarships and Awards Core Fulbright scholarship programme for UK and US postgraduate students, scholars, and professionals to undertake study, research, or lecturing in the opposite country.
• Fulbright All Disciplines Postgraduate Award

Quantifiable outcome

• 94% of alumni say the exchange had a significant impact on their life
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sutton TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to support high achieving state school students from low income families across the UK to explore US study opportunities and apply for admission to top US universities with comprehensive financial aid. The Sutton Trust Fulbright US Programme has helped 430+ low-income, first-generation UK students.
• EducationUSAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducationUSA offers programs, events and advice for UK students interested in studying at accredited US higher education institutions. Fulbright Commission hosts EducationUSA UK.
• American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to deliver Global Challenges Teaching Awards program supporting VE/COIL courses between US and UK university classrooms addressing global challenges including Climate Action, Health Inequality, Disinformation, and Peace and Justice.
• ElsevierminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner on discipline-specific awards focused on data analysis. Collaborated to study impact of Fulbright research scholars, examining 97 scholars from cohorts 2008/09, 2013/14, 2018/19.
• Lloyd's of LondonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInsurance market partner on discipline-specific awards focused on risk.
• JetBlueminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of USA College Day event, Europe's largest US college fair.
• Lois Roth FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the annual Fulbright Distinguished Lecture.
• BAFTAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing Fulbright-BAFTA Postgraduate Scholarship for UK students to pursue film or related disciplines at US universities.
• UK Universities (50+)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK universities including Aberdeen, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Coventry, Dundee, Durham, East Anglia, Edinburgh, Imperial, King's College London, LSE, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham, Oxford (Pembroke), Queen Mary, Queen's Belfast, Reading, Roehampton, Royal Holloway, Sheffield, Southampton, St Andrews, Stirling, Strathclyde, Sussex, UCL, Warwick, York and many more provide co-sponsored Fulbright Awards.
• US UniversitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUS university partners including American University, University of Maryland School of Public Policy, University of Florida, The New School, Brown, Elon University, Indiana Maurer School of Law, University of Oregon, and many more host UK Fulbright scholars and students.
• University of West LondonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessor Graeme Atherton at University of West London collaborated on Widening Participation Fund evaluation through surveys and focus groups with alumni.
• LAMDA (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for US Forum opening and roundtable on Emerging Technologies and the Future of the Arts.
• British Library Eccles InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for Fulbright Eccles Lecture exploring theatrical relationship between UK and US.
• National Black Police AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew institutional partner introduced during Maria Balinska's tenure.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Fulbright France (Franco-American Commission for Educational Exchange): The bilateral Fulbright commission between France and the US, structurally identical to the US-UK Commission: treaty-established, government-funded, administering scholarships in both directions. It is the closest organizational analog in a different national corridor.
• German-American Fulbright Commission: Bilateral Fulbright commission between Germany and the US, offering the same exchange architecture (scholars, students, teachers, specialists) and the same dual-government funding model. Directly comparable in mission, governance, and product structure.
• Rhodes Trust: Administrator of the Rhodes Scholarships, the most prestigious single-country postgraduate scholarship sending non-US students to Oxford. Comparable in mission (international postgraduate funding) and in operating as a UK-based, endowed, non-profit exchange organization.
• Marshall Scholarships: UK government-funded postgraduate scholarships for US graduates to study in the UK. Directly comparable on one direction of Fulbright's flow (US-to-UK) and operates with the same bilateral funding logic.
• Gates Cambridge Trust: Administers Gates Cambridge Scholarships for non-UK students to pursue postgraduate study at Cambridge, funded by the Gates Foundation. Comparable in operating as an endowed, scholarship-administering charitable trust targeting international postgraduate students.
• EducationUSA: The US Department of State's global advising network for US higher education. The US-UK Fulbright Commission actually hosts EducationUSA UK as one of its core programmes, making it both a partner and a structural peer in the US international-education ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• British Council: The UK government's principal cultural and educational relations body, operating globally with a much larger footprint. Overlaps with the Fulbright Commission on UK-anchored educational exchange, advising, and partnership brokering, but at vastly greater scale and scope.
• Chevening Scholarships: UK Foreign Office's flagship scholarship programme for emerging leaders to study in the UK. A broader-incumbent peer with much larger scale; comparable in being UK government-funded and brand-led, but covers a global applicant pool rather than a single bilateral corridor.
• DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service): Germany's national agency for international academic exchange, the largest such organization globally. Comparable in administering scholarships and academic exchange for a single country, but at much greater scale and breadth than the US-UK Fulbright Commission.

Emerging players

• Sutton Trust: UK social-mobility charity running the Sutton Trust Fulbright US Programme in partnership with the Commission. Comparable in addressing access to international education for low-income UK students, with overlapping programme delivery and shared applicant funnel.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/usukfulbright
• Facebookfacebook.com/usukfulbright
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/us-uk-fulbright-commission

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Fulbright Commission