What Cache does

Cache, as referenced in the firmographic data, operates as the CACHE brand (Council for Awards in Care, Health and Education), a wholly-owned subsidiary of NCFE, a UK-registered charity (No. 1034808) and awarding organisation headquartered in Newcastle Upon Tyne. NCFE delivers regulated vocational qualifications across 16+ sector specialisms — including early years, childcare, education, social care, health, business, digital, construction, and engineering — from Entry Level through Higher Education. The product portfolio spans T Levels, V Levels, V Certs, Functional Skills (English, maths, digital), Higher Technical Qualifications, and End-Point Assessment (EPA) services for apprenticeships, supported by an AI-assisted marking and feedback tool, an E-Portfolio platform, Digital Badges, and an online assessment infrastructure.

Qualifications are distributed exclusively through a vetted network of approved centres (colleges, training providers, schools, employers), which pay per-learner registration and certification fees plus annual accreditation and quality assurance charges. Revenue streams include qualification and certification fees (subscription/recurring), accreditation services, EPA services, and resource materials, with quote-based, multi-year centre-level pricing disclosed only via the customer portal. The organisation operates domestic UK delivery plus NCFE International and CACHE International divisions for overseas markets, and pursues partnerships (Active IQ, Bodyswaps) to extend portfolio reach into sport/leisure and AI-powered assessment.

NCFE has 175 years of operating heritage (founded 1848), 101-250 employees, and a multi-channel marketing engine built around content marketing, webinars, social channels, and the Aspiration Awards. As a charity, surplus is reinvested into the educational mission, and strategic emphasis in 2024 has been on technical education expansion, digital assessment modernisation, and vertical extension via the Active IQ integration.

Name

Cache

Legal name

NCFE

Website

https://cache.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1848

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

CACHE, a wholly-owned subsidiary of NCFE, is a UK-registered charity and awarding organisation delivering regulated vocational qualifications in care, early years, education, health, and technical sectors to colleges, employers, and training providers through a network of approved centres.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vocational Qualifications and Awarding Services

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

National/State Examination Boards & Testing Agencies (EDADAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Continuing Education (CE/CPD) & Provider Accreditation Bodies (EDADACAF)

Keywords

• Vocational qualifications
• Awarding organization
• Apprenticeship assessment
• Early years qualifications
• Education and training

Headquarters

HQ city

Newcastle Upon Tyne

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Qualification and certification fees: NCFE generates revenue through fees charged to approved centres for qualification registrations, certifications, and assessments. Centres pay per-learner registration fees and per-certificate issuance fees when learners complete qualifications.
2. Accreditation services: Fees charged to employers and providers for accreditation services, including approval as an approved centre, annual monitoring reviews, and quality assurance assessments.
3. End-point assessment services: Revenue from conducting end-point assessments for apprentices, where NCFE assesses apprentices' competence at the end of their apprenticeship programme.
4. Resource and support materials: Teaching resources, qualification materials, and support documentation provided to centres for a fee, accessible through the customer dashboard portal.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CACHE (the Council for Awards in Care, Health and Education) is a UK awarding organization and registered charity that develops, accredits, and assesses vocational qualifications, primarily in early years, childcare, education, health, and social care. It operates within NCFE's portfolio and delivers qualifications through a network of approved centres (colleges, training providers, schools, and employers) that register learners and conduct assessments on its behalf.

Product overview

NCFE is an educational charity and awarding organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of vocational qualifications and training programs. The organization operates primarily through two brands: NCFE (general qualifications and technical education) and CACHE (specialized qualifications in early years, childcare, education, social care, and health). The product portfolio includes qualifications at multiple levels (Entry Level through Higher Education), technical education programs (T Levels, V Levels, V Certs), apprenticeship services (end-point assessment, on-programme learning), functional skills (English, maths, digital), digital badges, and accreditation services. CACHE serves as the specialist sub-brand for health, education, and care sectors, while NCFE provides broader vocational and technical education offerings across 16+ sector specialisms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CACHE Early years and childcare: Sector specialism covering early years and childcare qualifications
• CACHE Education and training
• CACHE Social care
• CACHE Health and healthcare science
• CACHE Alumni
• CACHE International

Products and services

• CACHE Early Years and Childcare Qualifications A specialist sub-brand offering regulated qualifications and training programmes for the early years and childcare sector, covering practitioners working in nurseries and pre-school settings. Qualifications are delivered through approved centres and are widely recognised across the UK early years workforce.
• CACHE Education and Training Qualifications Regulated qualifications and training programmes for education and training professionals, including those working in further education, adult education, and training provider settings.
• CACHE Social Care Qualifications Regulated qualifications for social care professionals, supporting competence and career progression across the social care sector.
• CACHE Health and Healthcare Science Qualifications Regulated qualifications and training programmes for health and healthcare science professionals, supporting workforce development across health-related roles.
• Vocational Qualifications Portfolio A broad catalogue of regulated vocational qualifications spanning Entry Level, Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, and Higher Education across multiple sectors, delivered to learners through approved centres for both further education and workforce development.
• T Levels Technical education qualifications for 16-19 year olds that blend classroom learning with industry placement, with dedicated provider hub support for delivering centres.
• V Cert Qualifications (Schools 14-16) Vocational Level 1/2 qualifications for school students aged 14-16 that provide foundation-level technical education as alternatives or complements to traditional GCSEs, supported by a dedicated delivery support hub for schools.
• End-Point Assessment (EPA) Services Apprenticeship end-point assessment services where CACHE/NCFE assesses apprentices' competence at the end of their apprenticeship programme, including EPA standards, on-programme learning support, and foundation apprenticeship assessment.
• Functional Skills Qualifications English, maths, and digital functional skills qualifications, including Digital Functional Skills and Essential Digital Skills, that enable learners to demonstrate essential literacy, numeracy, and digital literacy skills.
• Higher Technical Qualifications Higher-level technical qualifications that bridge the gap between further education and higher education, supporting progression to higher-skilled employment.
• V Levels Technical education qualifications at Level 2 and above, providing an alternative technical pathway for learners across NCFE/CACHE approved centres.
• Digital Badges Verifiable digital credentials provided to colleges and employers, enabling organisations to demonstrate achievements and stand out with digital proof of accredited training.
• Accreditation Services Accreditation services offered to employers and providers, including endorsement programmes that enable colleges and training providers to demonstrate quality and credibility through recognised accreditation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Aspiration Awards 2026 recognising inspiring learners and educators across the UK

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Active IQcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCFE announced integration with Active IQ, combining expertise in qualification provision and specialist fitness and leisure qualifications. This partnership aims to expand NCFE's sport and leisure standards offerings and provide enhanced support for apprentices in the health and fitness sector.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• WJEC / CBAC: WJEC is the Welsh awarding organisation providing vocational and general qualifications to schools and colleges in Wales. It is structurally comparable to NCFE but geographically focused on Welsh centres.
• SQA (Scottish Qualifications Authority): SQA is Scotland's national awarding body, providing qualifications, accreditation and EPA services comparable to NCFE but operating under a separate Scottish regulatory regime. It is a regional alternative for centres north of the border.

Direct peers

• City & Guilds: City & Guilds is the most established UK awarding organisation, offering vocational qualifications, apprenticeships and EPA services across dozens of sectors. It directly competes with NCFE for approved centres, learners, and end-point assessment contracts.
• AQA: AQA is a major Ofqual-recognised awarding organisation offering general and vocational qualifications. It competes directly with NCFE in schools and further education segments and runs comparable centre-approval and assessment models.
• OCR (Oxford, Cambridge and RSA): OCR is an Ofqual-recognised UK awarding body delivering vocational, apprenticeship and Cambridge-Technical qualifications. It addresses the same schools, colleges and training-provider buyers as NCFE.

Emerging players

• Gatehouse Awards: Gatehouse Awards is an Ofqual-regulated awarding organisation offering qualifications and end-point assessment in selected sectors including early years and health. It is a niche competitor within the CACHE legacy vertical.
• AIM Awards: AIM Awards is a smaller Ofqual-recognised awarding body providing qualifications and centre approval services. It overlaps with NCFE's accreditation services business line and competes in lower-volume niche sectors.
• Highfield Qualifications: Highfield is a growing UK awarding organisation offering vocational, apprenticeship end-point assessment and compliance qualifications. It is a niche competitor focusing on regulated sectors such as security, first aid, and food safety.
• TQUK (Training Qualifications UK): TQUK is an Ofqual-recognised awarding organisation offering vocational qualifications and EPA services to training providers and employers. It competes with NCFE for centre approvals in apprenticeship-heavy sectors.

Broad incumbents

• Pearson (Edexcel / BTEC): Pearson is a global education and assessment incumbent that owns the Edexcel and BTEC brands, operating a much larger portfolio including A Levels and higher education qualifications. It overlaps with NCFE on vocational qualifications, T Levels and digital credentials.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cacheorg
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCb29ODsy7EI07gUtUcmqehA
• Facebookfacebook.com/NCFE1
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ncfe
• Instagraminstagram.com/ncfe_uk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 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 Cache