UpNorth Group
UpNorth Group (UNG) is a UK-based critical infrastructure services firm that designs, builds, maintains, and manages data centres, building services, and Q-commerce facilities, with primary customers being UK telecommunications providers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersGateshead, United Kingdom
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What UpNorth Group does
UpNorth Group (UNG) is a Gateshead, UK-headquartered private critical infrastructure services company founded in 2001. The firm provides end-to-end design, construction, maintenance, and facilities management services for data centres, commercial buildings, and Q-commerce/foodservice facilities, with primary customers being UK telecommunications providers. Core technology is built around the proprietary OREO Energy Optimisation Programme — an award-winning cooling transformation methodology that digitally integrates fresh air, DX cooling and digital control services — and the Ekopace Partner Programmes, a full-stack efficiency management suite standardising design engineering and risk management. Supporting offerings include the OREO Room Controller (Modbus IP integration), Kioti (a control, monitor and AI reporting platform), and BIM/BIM360 design management.
UNG operates four commercial engagement models: Contractor (principal or sub-contractor delivery), Partner (Ekopace programmes), Developer (pre-acquisition to facility handover), and Operator (TPaaS — Technical Property as a Service, delivered with investment partners on 5-, 10- and 20-year contracts with guaranteed capacity and energy efficiency). Revenue is generated across five streams: design/consultancy (professional services fees), construction (project-based, one-time), maintenance (subscription via Silver and Gold Care Plans, with Gold commanding a 20% contact discount and 24/7/365 coverage on 3-year terms), facilities management (managed services), and TPaaS (long-term managed services). The go-to-market is direct enterprise sales supplemented by Ekopace partner channels, with marketing centred on a project case-study portfolio targeting telco data centre estate owners across the UK.
Headcount is stated as 500+ on company homepage statistics, though firmographic data records 51-100; no explicit revenue is disclosed. The company is privately held with no parent, no disclosed funding rounds, and no M&A activity on record. A subsidiary, InfraNorth, focuses on data centre cooling and energy optimisation, and a sister-company partnership with GN extends foodservice design and delivery capability. UNG positions itself as a long-tenured (23+ years), specialist alternative to tier-1 facilities management and M&E contractors for UK critical infrastructure buyers.
UpNorth Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- UpNorth Group
- Legal name
- UNG
- Website
- https://upnorthgroup.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- UpNorth Group (UNG) is a UK-based critical infrastructure services firm that designs, builds, maintains, and manages data centres, building services, and Q-commerce facilities, with primary customers being UK telecommunications providers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
UpNorth Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Critical Infrastructure Services
- NAICS
- Facilities Support Services (561210), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373), Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744), Air-Cond & Warm Air Heatg Equip & Comm & Indl Refrig Equip (3585), Switchgear & Switchboard Apparatus (3613)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Data Center Operations & Managed Services (Remote Hands, NOC/SOC) (HDABANAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Cooling Systems & Thermal Management (CRAC/CRAH, Chillers, Liquid Cooling) (HDABAKAD), Power Distribution & Switchgear (UPS, PDUs, Busway) (HDABAKAA), Backup Power & Critical Power Systems (Generators/UPS) (IMAIABAJ), High Availability & Failover Architecture Services (BPAEALAE)
Keywords
Where UpNorth Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Gateshead
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
UpNorth Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Design and Consultancy Services: Project design services aligned to RIBA Plan of Work stages, including BSRIA Stages 1-7, feasibility studies, energy modelling, and technical due diligence.
- Construction and Build Services: Construction management and supply chain services for critical infrastructure projects including data centers, MEP systems, and facilities.
- Maintenance Services: Preventive maintenance, routine inspections, and emergency repairs for critical buildings and infrastructure with 24/7/365 support options.
- Facilities Management: Comprehensive asset management including valuations, continuity, capacity, efficiency and capital planning services. Offers Gold and Silver care plans.
- TPaaS (Technical Property as a Service): Facilities made available on 5-, 10 & 20-Year Contracts with guaranteed capacity and energy efficiency. Operated with investment partners.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Silver Care Plan - Minimum 1-Year Term with same-day attendance and repair complete within 72 hours |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Gold Care Plan - Minimum 3-Year Term with <4 hours attendance and repair complete within 48 hours |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels2 records
UpNorth Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
UpNorth Group (UNG) delivers end-to-end Design, Build, Maintain, and Facilities Management services for critical infrastructure. Its core focus is data centre design, construction, refurbishment and energy optimisation (including the OREO cooling transformation programme), supplemented by MEP building services, EV charging infrastructure, and Q-commerce/service-industry fit-outs delivered with sister company GN.
Product overview
UpNorth Group (UNG) is a critical infrastructure service provider offering an integrated portfolio of Design, Construction, Maintenance, and Facilities Management services. The company operates across multiple specialist sectors including Data Centres, EV Charging, Q-Commerce, and Service Industry. Their core offerings include the Ekopace Partner Programmes (standardized Design Engineering and Risk Management), the OREO cooling transformation programme, Kioti (AI-enabled monitoring and reporting), and TPaaS (Technical Property as a Service). UNG provides flexible engagement models as Contractor, Partner, Developer, or Operator, supported by Gold and Silver Care Plans for ongoing maintenance. The portfolio spans MEP services, BIM design management, and specialized data centre solutions including Tier 3 topology designs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Design Services Expert design and consultancy covering initial concept through project handover for critical infrastructure projects, aligned to RIBA Plan of Work stages with sustainability and eco-conscious practice integration.
- Construction Services Construction management and supply chain services for critical infrastructure projects (data centres, MEP systems, facilities), delivered as Principal Contractor or Sub-Contractor with risk assessment, safety training and regulatory compliance support.
- Maintenance Services Preventive maintenance, routine inspections, emergency repairs and cost-benefit/financial performance monitoring for critical buildings and infrastructure, with 24/7/365 resource access available.
- Facilities Management Services Comprehensive asset management covering valuations, continuity, capacity, efficiency and capital planning, supported by performance benchmarking and technology integration.
- Data Centre Solutions Full-lifecycle data centre services including architecture design, construction, refurbishment and optimisation for high-density critical infrastructure, supporting Tier 3 topology and high-availability requirements.
- Building Services MEP services (Mechanical, Electrical, BeMS Automation, Security & Surveillance) for new build and end-of-life continuity applications, with standardised commercial solutions and EV charging infrastructure.
- Service Industry Solutions Turnkey solutions for Q-Commerce and Service Industry clients including specialised energy-efficient commercial kitchens, foodservice consultancy, design and delivery delivered through partnership with GN.
- Ekopace Partner Programmes Standardised Design Engineering and Risk Management programme that optimises cost of consultancy, delivery time, life cycle cost and carbon performance for partner organisations.
- OREO Energy Optimisation Programme Award-winning cooling transformation programme for data centres that replaces and digitally integrates cooling assets with fresh air, DX and digital control services, delivering measurable PUE improvement and ROI of 3.36 years with projected savings over £125k per annum.
- TPaaS (Technical Property as a Service) Facilities delivered on 5-, 10- and 20-year contracts with guaranteed Capacity and Energy Efficiency, operated by UNG in conjunction with investment partners.
Quantifiable outcome
- PUE improved from 1.92 to 1.40 with £80,663 annual savings and 4.02 years ROI
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use UpNorth Group
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
UpNorth Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
UpNorth Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- GN (Sister Company)coreUNG works seamlessly with GN, their sister company, to bring deep specialism and wealth of experience covering all aspects of Foodservice Consultancy, Design & Delivery. Together they coordinate and provide everything in the Foodservice fit out on time and to the highest possible standard.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
UpNorth Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Sudlows: UK critical infrastructure and data centre specialist offering design, build, install and maintenance services. Highly comparable to UNG in scope and target customer profile.
- Airedale International: UK manufacturer of precision cooling and air conditioning systems for data centres. Comparable to UNG's OREO cooling transformation offering on the equipment side.
- Keysource: UK-based specialist data centre design, build and managed services provider serving enterprise and telco clients. Direct competitor to UNG in critical infrastructure lifecycle services for UK data centres.
- Century Group (CRG): UK engineering services firm delivering data centre, building services and facilities management. Overlaps with UNG's design-build-maintain and FM portfolio.
Broad incumbents
- Vertiv: Global provider of critical digital infrastructure including UPS, cooling and IT management. Broad incumbent competing with UNG in cooling optimization and power distribution.
- ABB: Global electrification and automation leader with data centre power and cooling exposure. Broad incumbent across UNG's power distribution and industrial controls scope.
- Schneider Electric: Global incumbent in data centre power, cooling and DCIM software. Competes with UNG's OREO optimization programme and broader MEP scope at the infrastructure equipment layer.
- Eaton: Global power management company with strong data centre power and UPS portfolio. Comparable to UNG's LV switchgear and DC power upgrade offerings.
- CBRE Data Center Solutions: Global real estate services firm's dedicated data centre practice covering design, build and managed services. Broader-scale competitor to UNG's full-lifecycle data centre offering.
Regional players
- Mitie: UK facilities management and infrastructure services provider. Comparable on the facilities management and maintenance contract layer of UNG's offering, though far broader in scope.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
UpNorth Group social profiles
Digital presenceUpNorth Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
UpNorth Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
UpNorth Group subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
UpNorth Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
UpNorth Group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about UpNorth Group
What does UpNorth Group do?
UpNorth Group (UNG) delivers end-to-end Design, Build, Maintain, and Facilities Management services for critical infrastructure. Its core focus is data centre design, construction, refurbishment and energy optimisation (including the OREO cooling transformation programme), supplemented by MEP building services, EV charging infrastructure, and Q-commerce/service-industry fit-outs delivered with sister company GN.
Is UpNorth Group a public or private company?
UpNorth Group is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was UpNorth Group founded?
UpNorth Group was founded in 2001. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is UpNorth Group based?
UpNorth Group is headquartered in Gateshead, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does UpNorth Group make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Design and Consultancy Services are the primary driver. The others are construction and Build Services, maintenance Services, facilities Management and TPaaS (Technical Property as a Service).
Who are UpNorth Group's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sudlows, Airedale International, Keysource and Century Group (CRG). Broad incumbents are Vertiv, ABB, Schneider Electric, Eaton and CBRE Data Center Solutions. Mitie is listed as a regional player.
Does UpNorth Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for UpNorth Group.
What industry is UpNorth Group in?
UpNorth Group's product category is Critical Infrastructure Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDABANAA, Data Center Operations & Managed Services (Remote Hands, NOC/SOC), with a secondary code of HDABAKAD, Cooling Systems & Thermal Management (CRAC/CRAH, Chillers, Liquid Cooling). Its NAICS code is 561210 and its SIC code is 7373.