Gloucestershire College

What Gloucestershire College does

Gloucestershire College is a publicly funded further and higher education institution headquartered in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, with an operating geography focused on the county of Gloucestershire, England. Founded in 1969, it serves three primary customer segments: prospective 16-18 students seeking vocational qualifications, adult learners pursuing higher education or career changes, and local employers seeking apprentices and workforce development. The College operates four campuses (Gloucester, Cheltenham, Forest of Dean at Cinderford, plus the Cheltenham Hardwick Campus opening September 2026), supplemented by specialised facilities including the £3 million ADA: Advanced Digital Academy (cyber and IT), Harbour House (SEND provision), three Graduations Hair & Beauty salons, and two student-run restaurants (Number One, The View). Its product portfolio spans further education courses, higher education degrees (HNCs/HNDs/degrees), apprenticeships from Level 2 to Level 6, and T Levels across Computing, Construction, Business, Adult Nursing and Early Years.

Revenue comes primarily from publicly funded grants via the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) and the Department for Education (DfE), enrolment-based funding, apprenticeship levy (for levy-paying employers) and co-investment funding (for non-levy employers), course tuition fees (with waivers for eligible students), and a small slice of commercial revenue from public-facing salons and restaurants. The College reported a £25.1 million pay bill in tax year 2024-25, implying total operating expenditure and revenue well into the tens of millions. Distribution is hybrid: a dedicated Employer Training & Apprenticeships team conducts B2B outreach to over 1,000 local companies, while prospective students engage via three annual open events and a year-round online application portal. The College operates Moodle for virtual learning, eCordia ePortfolio for qualification evidence, and Citrix infrastructure for staff access.

Differentiators include NCSC certification for its cyber security degree apprenticeship (only FE college in England), Technical Excellence College (TEC) status in Digital & Technologies (one of five nationally), Tech Industry Gold accreditation, and a positive 2025 Ofsted inspection under the new framework. The College holds ISO-aligned Cyber Essentials Plus and is GDPR-compliant. Named employer partners include Speller Metcalfe, Roberts Limbrick, E G Carter & Co (Construction), The Francesco Group, The Brasserie Group (Hospitality), and University of the West of England (UWE) for degree apprenticeships.

Name

Gloucestershire College

Legal name

Gloucestershire College

Website

https://gloscol.ac.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Gloucestershire College is a public further and higher education institution in Gloucestershire, England, delivering vocational courses, higher education degrees, apprenticeships, and T Levels across four campuses serving school leavers, adult learners, employers, and SEND students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Further Education

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Junior Colleges (6112), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

University/College Continuing Education (Extension) Programs (EDAAAEAA)

Keywords

• Vocational education
• Apprenticeship training
• Further education
• Higher education
• Technical qualifications

Headquarters

HQ city

Gloucester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government-Funded Education: Publicly funded further and higher education through the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) and Department for Education (DfE). The college receives funding based on enrollment, attendance, and achievement data reported to these bodies.
2. Tuition Fees: Course fees charged to students where applicable, with fee waiver eligibility for qualifying students based on residency status, employment status, and prior attainment.
3. Apprenticeship Training: Apprenticeship programs funded through the Apprenticeship Levy (for levy-paying employers with £3m+ wage bill) or government co-investment (for non-levy employers).
4. Commercial Services: Revenue from commercial operations including Graduations Hair and Beauty salons (Cheltenham, Gloucester, Forest of Dean), Number One Restaurant (Cheltenham), and The View Restaurant (Forest of Dean) open to the public.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Gloucestershire College delivers further education, higher education, apprenticeships and T Levels across four campuses in Gloucestershire, supported by specialist facilities including the £3m Advanced Digital Academy (cyber/IT), Harbour House (SEND provision) and student-run training salons and restaurants. The college serves both individual learners (16-18 school leavers, adult learners) and employer partners seeking workforce development and apprenticeship recruitment.

Product overview

Gloucestershire College is a Further Education institution offering a unified portfolio of educational products and services. The core offerings include Further Education courses, Higher Education qualifications, Apprenticeships (Level 2 to degree), and T Levels across multiple campuses. The college operates specialized facilities including the ADA: Advanced Digital Academy (£3m cyber/IT training center), Harbour House (SEND provision), Graduations Hair and Beauty salons, and student-run restaurants (Number One and The View). The institution delivers courses in subjects including Business, IT and Computing, Construction, Engineering, Health and Social Care, Hospitality, and Motor Vehicle across campuses in Gloucester, Cheltenham, Forest of Dean, and the upcoming Hardwick Campus.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ADA: Advanced Digital Academy: A £3 million IT and cyber facility featuring cutting-edge computing, forensic computing and cyber security training with off-grid attack and defence room.
• Graduations Hair and Beauty
• Number One Restaurant
• The View Restaurant

Products and services

• Further Education Courses

Quantifiable outcome

• 89% of invoices paid within 30 days
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• UWE BristolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDegree apprenticeship delivery partnership for Cyber Security (Level 6) and Digital and Technology Solutions Professional (Level 6) programs. Co-delivered at ADA facility with academic validation from the university.
• The Francesco GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVocational training partnership providing students with work experience opportunities at Graduations Hair and Beauty salon in Gloucester.
• The Brasserie GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVocational training partnership providing students with work experience opportunities at Chelsea Bar and Brasserie in Cheltenham.
• GFirst Local Enterprise PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with GFirst LEP to perform statutory obligations and support regional skills development initiatives in Gloucestershire.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• South Gloucestershire and Stroud College (SGS College): UK further education college operating across South Gloucestershire and Stroud, directly neighbouring Gloucestershire College's catchment. Offers a comparable mix of vocational further education, apprenticeships, T Levels and higher education, competing for the same 16–18 learners and apprenticeship levy-funded employers.
• Weston College of Further and Higher Education: West of England FE college with extensive apprenticeship and higher education provision. Overlaps with Gloucestershire College on apprenticeship delivery for regional employers and competes for similar school-leaver and adult learner segments across the South West.
• Yeovil College: Somerset-based further education college delivering vocational, apprenticeship and T Level programmes across similar subject areas. Competes within the same regional South West FE market and apprenticeship employer base.
• New College Durham: Established UK FE college offering further education, apprenticeships and higher education programmes across a similar mix of vocational and technical subject areas. Comparable in scale, funding structure and apprenticeship employer engagement model.
• Wiltshire College & University Centre: Regional FE college offering further education, apprenticeships, T Levels and higher education across Wiltshire. Same funding regime (ESFA/DfE) and apprenticeship levy dynamics as Gloucestershire College, serving an adjacent regional catchment.
• City of Bristol College: Large West of England further education college offering vocational, technical and higher education programmes across similar subject areas including digital, construction and business. Competes with Gloucestershire College for students and employer apprenticeship contracts across the Bristol–Gloucestershire travel-to-learn area.
• Activate Learning: Multi-college FE group operating across Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Surrey and beyond with similar further education, apprenticeship and technical qualification portfolios. Comparable scale, governance model, and employer-led apprenticeship strategy to Gloucestershire College.
• Herefordshire, Ludlow and North Shropshire College (HLNSC): Regional FE college operating across Herefordshire and Shropshire with similar further education, apprenticeship and vocational provision. Comparable rural/semi-rural UK FE delivery model, serving neighbouring counties to Gloucestershire.

Broad incumbents

• NCG (Newcastle College Group): Multi-college FE group operating several further education colleges and school-centred initial teacher training. Comparable to Gloucestershire College in single-college operating model but provides a useful benchmark for how scaled FE operators grow apprenticeship and employer-facing revenue.
• Edinburgh College: One of the largest further education colleges in the UK, operating under a similar public-funding model with broad vocational, apprenticeship and higher education provision. Larger scale makes it a useful upper-band benchmark for UK FE college economics and digital/apprenticeship strategy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/gloscol
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/970496

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Gloucestershire College