Kaplan UK

What Kaplan UK does

Kaplan UK (legal entity Kaplan Financial Limited) is a London-headquartered private training provider, founded in 1958 and operating as part of Kaplan Higher Education, that delivers professional qualification courses to individual learners and employer clients across the UK and Ireland. Its core curriculum spans Accountancy and Tax (AAT, ACCA, CIMA, ACA ICAEW, CTA, ATT), Banking and Financial Services (CFA, FRM, CAIA, IMC, CISI), Data and Technology (data analytics, AI leadership, business analysis), and Procurement and Supply, delivered through 18 physical training centres and a multi-mode online platform offering OnDemand self-paced, Live Online, Distance Learning, and Classroom formats. The company holds approved learning partner or registered tuition provider status with ACCA, AICPA & CIMA, ICAEW, AAT, CFA Institute, GARP, CAIA Association, CISI, ATT, and CTA, plus CIFE membership, Ofsted Good Provider rating, and ISO 27001 certification.

Revenue is generated through unit-priced course and exam fees from individual learners, freemium 5-day free trials across most qualifications, apprenticeship programmes at Levels 2-7 funded via the UK apprenticeship levy across three verticals, and tailored in-house corporate training engagements. Payment options include PayPal Pay in 3, employer invoicing, and interest-free instalments. Distribution combines direct e-commerce via kaplan.co.uk with the MyKaplan Learning platform, the OneFile e-portfolio, a national retail-style training centre footprint, and a direct enterprise sales motion for apprenticeships and corporate training. Customer segments are organised horizontally across individuals pursuing accounting/tax/finance credentials, banking and financial services professionals, employers running apprenticeship and workforce development programmes, and a smaller technology and data professional segment.

Marketing is multi-channel, spanning content marketing (blog covering Workplace, Digital Skills, Learning, Careers), a Learn Better podcast, a Career Goals web series, events and webinars, organic social (Facebook, X, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok), and referral partnerships through professional bodies. Differentiation rests on high pass rates, tutor support seven days a week with four-hour response SLAs, award-winning content design, and breadth of accreditation rather than any single proprietary technology asset.

Name

Kaplan UK

Legal name

Kaplan Financial Limited

Website

https://kaplan.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1958

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Kaplan UK (Kaplan Financial Limited) is a London-based private training provider, founded in 1958, delivering accredited professional qualification courses in accountancy, tax, banking, data, and procurement to individual learners and UK employers across 18 training centres and an online platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Education and Training

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171), Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Accounting & Finance Certification Prep (CPA, CMA, CFA, FRM) (EDANAIAD)

Keywords

• Professional qualification training
• Accountancy courses
• Financial services certification
• Apprenticeship programmes
• Online learning platform

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices17 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Qualification Courses: Revenue from offering courses for professional accounting qualifications including AAT, ACCA, CIMA, ACA ICAEW, CTA, ATT, and other professional exams. Students pay course fees and exam fees.
2. Banking & Financial Services Certifications: Revenue from specialized financial services courses including CFA, FRM, CAIA, IMC, and CISI Capital Markets Programme certifications.
3. Apprenticeship Programs: Employer-funded apprenticeship programs across Accountancy & Tax, Data & Technology, and Banking & Financial Services, funded through apprenticeship levy schemes.
4. Corporate In-house Training: Tailored in-house training solutions for organizations in data skills, AI leadership, business analysis, and financial topics.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Kaplan UK delivers tuition and training services for professional accountancy, tax, banking, financial services, and procurement qualifications (including AAT, ACCA, CIMA, ACA ICAEW, CTA, ATT, CFA, FRM, CAIA, IMC, and CISI programmes) through four study methods: OnDemand, Live Online, Classroom, and Distance Learning, plus employer-funded apprenticeship programmes at Levels 2–7 and tailored in-house corporate training. The courses are bundled with study materials, expert tutor support, exam booking, and access to the MyKaplan Learning platform and OneFile e-portfolio.

Product overview

Kaplan UK is an educational training provider offering a portfolio of professional qualification programmes delivered through multiple study modes. The core offering spans Accountancy & Tax (AAT, ACCA, CIMA, ACA ICAEW, CTA, ATT), Data & Technology (data analytics, AI leadership programmes), Banking & Financial Services (CAIA, CFA, FRM, IMC, CISI), and Procurement & Supply. These programmes are delivered via a flexible platform offering OnDemand, Classroom, Live Online, and Distance Learning study methods. The company also provides apprenticeship programmes at Levels 2-7 and tailored in-house corporate training services for organisations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Accountancy & Tax Courses Professional accountancy and tax qualification courses covering AAT Bookkeeping and Levels 2–4 Diplomas, ACCA Foundations, Applied Knowledge, Applied Skills and Strategic Professional levels, CIMA Certificate, Professional Operational, Professional Management and Professional Strategic levels plus CGMA Finance Leadership Programme, ACA ICAEW Next Generation Certificate, Professional and Advanced levels, and CTA/ATT tax qualifications. Delivered through OnDemand, Live Online, Classroom, and Distance Learning study modes for individuals pursuing careers in accountancy, bookkeeping, and tax.
• Data & Technology Courses Technology-focused courses covering data analytics (Analyst Pathway, Management Pathway, Analytics in Power BI), AI leadership (AI Delivery and Organisational Transformation, AI Strategy and Opportunity, AI Adoption, Procurement and Governance), and tailored in-house corporate training in generative AI, data skills, and business analysis. Designed for technology professionals and for organisations needing workforce AI and data upskilling.
• Banking & Financial Services Courses Financial services professional qualifications including CAIA Levels 1 and 2, CFA Programme Levels 1, 2, and 3 plus Mock Exam and Core Elements, CISI Capital Markets Programme, ESG/Sustainable Investing Certificate, FRM (Parts 1 and 2) and IMC programmes. Targeted at banking, investment, asset management, and risk professionals seeking industry-recognised certifications.
• Procurement & Supply Courses Professional procurement and supply chain management qualification programmes delivered through a CIPS OnDemand partnership, providing CIPS-aligned study materials for individuals pursuing procurement and supply credentials.
• Apprenticeships Programme Apprenticeship programmes spanning Accountancy & Tax, Data & Technology, and Banking & Financial Services at Levels 2 through 7, funded through UK apprenticeship levy and ESFA-recognised. Targeted at employers seeking to develop entry-through-professional level talent via structured apprenticeship pathways.
• In-House Corporate Training Bespoke in-house training solutions for organisations covering accounting, tax, banking, capital markets, financial modelling, data skills, business analysis, and generative AI. Sold via direct enterprise engagement with tailored curriculum and quoted pricing.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Dublin Business SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDublin Business School partnership offering Kaplan courses in Ireland through their Dublin location
• CIPS (Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply)coreTechnology or IntegrationCIPS OnDemand partnership providing procurement and supply chain training materials
• ICAEW (Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICAEW Data Analytics partnership providing data analytics training aligned with ICAEW qualifications
• YMCA St Paul's GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership success story showcasing how Kaplan supports YMCA St Paul's Group learners
• ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACCA Approved Learning Partner - accredited to deliver ACCA qualification courses across all levels
• CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIMA Global Learning Provider - accredited to deliver CIMA qualification courses including Certificate, Professional and Strategic levels
• AAT (Association of Accounting Technicians)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAAT Approved Training Provider - delivering AAT bookkeeping and accounting qualifications at all levels
• CFA InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAuthorized training provider for CFA Program exams at all three levels plus Sustainable Investing Certificate
• GARP (Global Association of Risk Professionals)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAuthorized training provider for FRM (Financial Risk Manager) Part 1 and Part 2 exams

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Wiley Efficient Learning: Wiley's Efficient Learning offers CFA, FRM, and EA exam prep globally, with a strong adaptive-learning platform; it is an emerging competitive threat in the same banking and financial services certification niche that Kaplan serves.
• Reed Learning: Reed's learning arm offers professional qualifications, apprenticeships, and corporate training including accountancy and data programmes; comparable on the apprenticeship and corporate training motions but with a broader, less specialist portfolio.

Direct peers

• Open Study College: Open Study College delivers AAT, ACCA, CIMA, and bookkeeping courses via online distance learning, competing with Kaplan in the self-paced price-sensitive segment of the same qualification stack.
• First Intuition: First Intuition is a UK-focused professional training provider specializing in accountancy (AAT, ACCA, CIMA) and tax (ATT, CTA) qualifications with classroom and online study — directly comparable on product, geography, and target learner.
• BPP Professional Education: BPP is Kaplan UK's most direct UK competitor, offering ACCA, CIMA, ACA, CFA, and other professional accounting and finance qualifications through classroom, online, and apprenticeship delivery — a near-identical product, channel, and customer mix.
• London School of Business and Finance (LSBF): LSBF delivers ACCA, CIMA, and other professional finance qualifications in the UK alongside broader MBA and executive programmes; it overlaps with Kaplan on the core accountancy stack and shares the same direct-to-consumer plus employer channel mix.
• ICS Learn: ICS Learn is a long-established UK distance-learning provider of AAT, ACCA, CIMA, and bookkeeping qualifications with a self-paced online model — a direct competitor in Kaplan's OnDemand and Distance Learning study-method streams.
• Avado: Avado focuses on UK professional apprenticeships (accountancy, data, technology) and professional qualifications, overlapping directly with Kaplan's apprenticeship and Data & Technology corporate offerings.
• Pitman Training: Pitman Training delivers bookkeeping, accountancy, and office-skills qualifications through a UK centre network and online, sitting in the same AAT-adjacent learner segment that Kaplan addresses at Levels 2–4.

Regional players

• Becker Professional Education: Becker is a leading US-based provider of CPA, CMA, CFA, and continuing professional education with global online reach; it competes with Kaplan UK in the English-language CFA/FRM exam-prep market and pressures pricing in OnDemand and Live Online channels.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/kaplanUK
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/KaplanChannelUK
• Facebooken-gb.facebook.com/KaplanFinancialUK
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kaplan_uk
• Instagraminstagram.com/kaplanuk
• TikToktiktok.com/@kaplanuk

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Kaplan UK