The College of Animal Welfare

What The College of Animal Welfare does

The College of Animal Welfare (CAW) is a UK-based non-profit vocational education provider founded in 1989, specialising in veterinary nursing, dog grooming, and animal care qualifications. It operates 12 training centres across England, Scotland, Wales, and the Channel Islands, delivering courses from entry-level certificates through degree-level qualifications, including a collaborative BSc (Hons) in Veterinary Nursing with Middlesex University that has ranked Number One in the UK National Student Survey for two consecutive years. Its core technology stack includes a Virtual Learning Environment with eLibrary, Live Online virtual classrooms, a dedicated MOOC platform (mooc.caw.ac.uk), the Student Hub portal, and proprietary Virtual Reality software for veterinary nursing OSCE preparation, with VR headsets provided on free loan to all new VN students from 2026.

CAW generates revenue across five primary streams: vocational course fees (e.g., £1,995 for City & Guilds Level 2 Certificate for Dog Grooming Assistants), apprenticeship training funded through employer fees and government levy mechanisms (£250 for small employers, £5,000 for levy payers), modular CPD and short courses including recurring congress events (£95-£210), commercial dog grooming services from four parlours that double as student training facilities, and ticketed congress events spanning 10+ annual specialist topics. The institution serves aspiring and practising veterinary nurses, professional dog groomers, animal care workers, and veterinary practice employers seeking apprenticeship pipelines, with regulatory accreditation from RCVS, City & Guilds, VetSkill, and Matrix Standard underpinning its market position.

Name

The College of Animal Welfare

Legal name

The College of Animal Welfare Limited

Website

https://caw.ac.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The College of Animal Welfare is a UK non-profit vocational education provider founded in 1989, delivering veterinary nursing, dog grooming, and animal care qualifications across 12 training centres and online platforms to aspiring animal care professionals and veterinary employers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vocational Education and Training (Veterinary Nursing and Animal Care)

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Technical and Trade Schools (6115)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAHAGAG

Veterinary Medicine Universities

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Medical & Health Sciences Universities

SECONDARYHLAMAAAI

Behavioral Medicine & Training-Integrated Veterinary Services

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Veterinary & Animal Health/Veterinary Clinical Services (Companion Animal)

Keywords

• Veterinary nursing education
• Animal care training
• Dog grooming courses
• Veterinary apprenticeships
• Professional development CPD

Headquarters

HQ city

Godmanchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Vocational Course Fees: Full-fee paying students enrol in vocational courses including dog grooming qualifications (Level 2 Certificate £1,995, Level 3 courses), veterinary nursing programmes, and animal care qualifications. CAW offers Loans2Learn personal loan scheme (9% interest rate) to spread costs over up to 5 years.
2. Apprenticeship Training: Government-funded apprenticeship programmes where employer pays fees (small employers: £250; large levy payers: £5,000 for dog grooming Level 2 apprenticeship). CAW serves as apprenticeship training provider for veterinary nursing, dog grooming, and animal care programmes.
3. CPD and Short Courses: Modular CPD courses including Nutrition Congress (£175-£210.77), Rehab Congress (£95-£114), and individual MOOC courses (approximately £25-£30). These provide recurring revenue from professional development learners.
4. Commercial Dog Grooming Services: Four commercial dog grooming parlours across the UK operate as both training facilities for students and revenue-generating services offered to the local community at affordable prices.
5. Event and Congress Revenue: Annual congress events including Clinical Supervisor Congress, Dog Grooming Awareness Month, and specialised congresses generate revenue through ticket sales.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

The College of Animal Welfare is a UK Further Education institution delivering accredited vocational qualifications in veterinary nursing, animal care, and dog grooming, alongside a Business School portfolio and continuing professional development. Offerings span City & Guilds and VetSkill certificates/diplomas, a UK Number One-ranked BSc (Hons) in Veterinary Nursing (with Middlesex University), government-funded apprenticeships, modular CPD and congress events, and commercial dog grooming services, delivered via 12 UK training centres, Live Online virtual classrooms, apprenticeship routes, and a dedicated MOOC platform.

Product overview

The College of Animal Welfare is an educational institution offering a comprehensive portfolio of animal care and veterinary courses. The core educational offerings include City & Guilds accredited dog grooming courses (Level 2 Certificate for Dog Grooming Assistants and Level 3 Diploma in Dog Grooming), the Dog Groomer Level 2 Apprenticeship, Veterinary Nursing programmes including VetSkill apprenticeships and degree partnerships with Middlesex University, Animal Care and Horse Care courses. The CAW Business School provides leadership, management, accounting, and coaching programmes with ILM accreditation. CPD and congress events are delivered through the CAW MOOC platform and include specialised events like Nutrition Congress, Rehab Congress, and multiple veterinary nursing congresses. Technology-enabled learning includes VR training for veterinary nursing students. Additional services include dog grooming parlours, VN placement schemes, and the Laura Turnbull Bursary for veterinary nursing students.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CAW Business School: Business school offering accounting, business administration, coaching, leadership, and teaching/education courses

Products and services

• City & Guilds Level 2 Certificate for Dog Grooming Assistants City & Guilds accredited entry-level qualification for individuals new to the dog grooming industry, covering bathing, drying, and safe dog handling. Delivered from fully-equipped dog grooming salons in Huntingdon and Leeds, with bespoke condensed formats available.
• City & Guilds Level 3 Diploma in Dog Grooming Advanced City & Guilds qualification covering breed styling, advanced grooming techniques, and salon management. Designed for those aiming to become qualified groomers or start their own dog grooming business.
• Dog Groomer Level 2 Apprenticeship Apprenticeship pathway for becoming a dog groomer with no college attendance required. Apprentices work in dog grooming environments and receive online learning plus virtual demonstrations, with one afternoon per week online virtual learning.
• Veterinary Nursing Courses Range of veterinary nursing qualifications including VN degrees, diplomas, and VetSkill apprenticeships. The Middlesex University/CAW collaborative BSc (Hons) in Veterinary Nursing is ranked Number One in UK in the National Student Survey for two consecutive years.
• VetSkill Veterinary Nurse Apprenticeship Apprenticeship programme enabling students to become Registered Veterinary Nurses (RVN) through the VetSkill qualification, with over 500 apprentices having qualified through this route.
• Level 3 Diploma in Equine Veterinary Nursing Diploma returning in January 2027 for training equine veterinary nurses.
• Animal Care Courses Courses covering animal care including the Level 3 Animal Care and Welfare Manager Apprenticeship, achieving 99% first attempt pass rate in End Point Assessment.
• Horse Care Courses Equine and horse care programmes including apprenticeships and qualifications.
• CAW Business School Business education programmes including Accounting & Bookkeeping, Business Administration, Coaching & Mentoring, Leadership & Management, and Teaching Assessment & Guidance. Offers new modular, human-centred, future-ready ILM courses at levels 2, 3, and 5.
• CPD and Short Courses Continuing professional development courses including Nutrition Congress, Rehab Congress, and various veterinary nursing CPD topics, offered through the mooc.caw.ac.uk platform.
• CAW Congress Events Multiple congress events including Clinical Supervisor Congress, Rehab Congress, Advanced VN Congress, Feline Congress, Wildlife and Exotics Congress, Dog Grooming Congress, Senior Pets Congress, Head Nurse Congress, ECC Congress, VCA Congress, Nutrition Congress, and Behaviour Congress.
• Commercial Dog Grooming Services Commercial grooming parlours at multiple UK locations providing professional dog grooming services to the local community. Dogs are groomed by Dog Grooming students under the supervision of qualified groomers.
• VN Placement Scheme Veterinary Nursing placement scheme connecting students with training practices for practical experience.
• Bespoke Training and Consultancy Customised training programmes and consultancy services for employers, veterinary practices, and animal care organisations requiring tailored workforce development solutions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 99% first attempt End Point Assessment pass rate for animal care apprentices (January 2024 to March 2025)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Royal Army Veterinary Corps (RAVC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2025Partnership for training RAVC veterinary technicians on the VetSkill veterinary nursing apprenticeship programme, supporting them on the path to becoming fully qualified Registered Veterinary Nurses.
• Middlesex UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership delivering BSc (Hons) Degree in Veterinary Nursing, ranked Number One in UK in National Student Survey for two consecutive years. CAW provides teaching and training delivery while Middlesex University confers the degree qualification.
• VetSkillcoreTechnology or IntegrationAwarding body for veterinary nursing and animal care apprenticeships. CAW is a leading VetSkill apprenticeship provider, having trained over 500 VetSkill veterinary nurse apprentices since the programme began.
• Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegulatory body for veterinary nurses in the UK. CAW holds RCVS Approved Centre status and participates in RCVS Trailblazer group exploring new approaches to the VN Apprenticeship, working with RCVS and IfATE.
• City & GuildscoreTechnology or IntegrationAwarding body for dog grooming, animal care, and business qualifications including Level 2 Certificate for Dog Grooming Assistants and Level 3 Diploma in Dog Grooming.
• Canine Arthritis Management (CAM)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsorship of CAW Rehab Congress event. CAM sponsorship enabled reduced ticket prices for 2026 congress, making CPD more accessible.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Bishop Burton College: UK land-based FE college delivering animal management, veterinary care, and dog grooming programmes. Comparable in scale and apprenticeship delivery to CAW, serving Yorkshire and the Humber.
• Myerscough College: UK further education college offering animal care, dog grooming, veterinary nursing, and equine courses. Direct competitor across CAW's core vocational portfolio, particularly in Lancashire/North West England with overlapping apprenticeship delivery.
• Reaseheath College: UK land-based FE college offering animal management, veterinary nursing, and dog grooming courses. Comparable to CAW in apprenticeship delivery and commercial training facility model, serving the North West/Midlands region.
• Writtle University College: UK specialist college offering animal science, veterinary nursing, and dog grooming qualifications. Direct competitor with degree-awarding powers, comparable to CAW's Middlesex partnership model.
• Hadlow College: UK land-based FE college offering animal management, veterinary nursing, and equine programmes. Comparable to CAW in scope and apprenticeship delivery, serving the South East of England.
• Harper Adams University: UK university offering veterinary nursing, veterinary physiotherapy, and animal science programmes. Operates an RCVS-accredited VN course and is a direct competitor in higher-education veterinary nursing, with a stronger on-campus rural setting compared to CAW's distributed centre model.
• Plumpton College: UK FE college delivering animal care, dog grooming, equine, and veterinary nursing programmes. Direct regional competitor to CAW in the South East with similar apprenticeship and commercial-service revenue models.
• Sparsholt College (Sparsholt College Group): UK college offering animal management, veterinary nursing, and equine programmes with RCVS accreditation. Direct competitor with a strong specialist land-based focus similar to CAW's animal welfare positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Royal Veterinary College (RVC): University-level provider of veterinary medicine and veterinary nursing degrees in the UK. RCVS-accredited and a leading VN degree-granting institution; competes with CAW at the degree level via the Middlesex University pathway, but operates at a broader scale and traditional university setting.

Others

• City & Guilds (Awarding Body): UK awarding body partnering with CAW to accredit dog grooming, animal care, and business qualifications. Not a direct competitor but an ecosystem enabler; other colleges delivering City & Guilds qualifications operate as effective competitors to CAW.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/CAWvid
• Facebookfacebook.com/CAWInfo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-college-of-animal-welfare
• Instagraminstagram.com/cawinfo
• Pinterestpinterest.co.uk/cawinfopins/boards
• Xx.com/cawinfo

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 College of Animal Welfare