Blackpool & Fylde College

What Blackpool & Fylde College does

Blackpool and The Fylde College (B&FC) is a Further Education college headquartered in Blackpool, Lancashire, England, established in 1892 and operating across the North West of England. It delivers school-leaver courses (T Levels, BTECs, A-Levels, vocational diplomas), adult learning programmes, higher education degrees through its University Centre, and apprenticeships from Level 2 through Level 6, serving 16-18 year olds, adult learners, higher education students, and over 1,800 employer partners. The college runs specialised sub-brands including Fleetwood Nautical Campus (maritime and offshore training), Lancashire Energy HQ (a £12M engineering facility), the Institute of Technology at B&FC, and is building a £40M Multiversity campus in Blackpool town centre as part of the £350M Talbot Gateway regeneration.

B&FC's underlying technology stack is built entirely on third-party platforms: Canvas LMS for course delivery, OneFile for apprenticeship e-portfolios, BKSBLive for apprenticeship management, Microsoft Office 365, LinkedIn Learning, ClickView, Planet eStream, and the internally developed eTrackr system for student career progression tracking. Zendesk powers website live chat for prospective students. There are no proprietary AI/ML systems, APIs, or research assets disclosed.

The college's business model is predominantly publicly funded: ESFA grants for 16-18 further education (free at point of use), apprenticeship levy income from employers, degree-level tuition fees covered by student finance loans or employer sponsorship, and a growing commercial training arm (Skills Bootcamps, bespoke employer programmes). Revenue is highly dependent on government policy and apprenticeship levy flows, with regulatory and accreditation barriers (Ofsted, TEF Gold, IET, ESFA) creating both constraints and defensibility.

Name

Blackpool & Fylde College

Legal name

Blackpool and The Fylde College

Website

https://blackpool.ac.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1892

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Blackpool and The Fylde College is a UK further education college delivering vocational, technical, apprenticeship, and degree-level courses to school leavers, adult learners, and employers across the Blackpool and Fylde coast region through multiple campuses and 1,800+ employer partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Further Education and Vocational Training

NAICS

Junior Colleges (61121), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Technical and Trade Schools (6115)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Comprehensive Community Colleges (Transfer + Workforce) (EDAHADAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

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

Headquarters

HQ city

Blackpool

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Further Education Funding: Primary revenue stream from government funding for further education courses, primarily for eligible 16-18 year old students and certain adult learners. Most vocational and further education courses are funded by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA).
2. Degree-level Tuition Fees: Higher education degree programs generate tuition fee revenue from students, with some government-backed loans available. Revenue from University Centre programmes.
3. Apprenticeship Levy Funding: Revenue from employer apprenticeship contributions and government top-up funding for apprenticeship training programmes across various industry sectors.
4. Commercial Training Services: Fee-for-service industry training, professional development, and bespoke workforce training programmes for employers, including Skills Bootcamps.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Blackpool & Fylde College (B&FC) is a further education college delivering secondary-to-degree level education and training across multiple campuses on the Blackpool and Fylde coast. Its core offering comprises school leaver courses (T Levels, A-Levels, BTECs, vocational diplomas), adult learner programmes, degree-level study through the University Centre, and apprenticeships co-designed with over 1,800 employer partners. It operates specialist training facilities in maritime (Fleetwood Nautical Campus) and engineering (Lancashire Energy HQ), and is constructing a new Multiversity campus as part of the Talbot Gateway regeneration.

Product overview

Blackpool and The Fylde College (B&FC) is a further education college offering a comprehensive portfolio of educational products and services. The core offering includes School Leaver Courses (T Levels, Level 3, Level 2, Level 1, and Gateway programs), Adult Learner Courses (including free skills courses and Access to Higher Education), Degree-level Study programs, and Apprenticeships at multiple levels. The college operates specialized sub-brands including Fleetwood Nautical Campus for maritime training, Lancashire Energy HQ for engineering, and the Institute of Technology at B&FC for technical education. The college is also developing its Multiversity campus as part of the £350 million Talbot Gateway regeneration project, representing a major infrastructure expansion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Fleetwood Nautical Campus: Specialist maritime and offshore training campus located in Fleetwood, offering courses for maritime, offshore oil and gas, and renewables industries.
• Lancashire Energy HQ
• University Centre
• Gateway Campus

Products and services

• School Leaver Courses Further education programmes for students aged 16-18 spanning T Levels, Level 3, Level 2, Level 1, and Gateway courses across Automotive, Business, Computing, Construction, Creative Arts, Engineering, Health and Social Care, Hospitality and related subjects.
• Adult Learner Courses Courses for learners aged 19+ including free English, Maths and Computing, free courses for jobs, Access to Higher Education diplomas, and leisure learning programmes.
• T Levels Two-year technical qualifications equivalent to three A Levels, co-designed with employers and embedding at least 315 hours of industry placement. Offered in Business, Computing, Construction, Engineering, Health, Media and Science pathways.
• Level 3 Triple Diplomas Two-year qualifications equivalent to three A Levels delivering in-depth subject knowledge with a career-focused bias and assignment-based assessment rather than exams.
• Degree-level Study Higher education programmes including Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs) and University Centre degrees delivered in partnership with awarding bodies and validated institutions.
• Apprenticeships Earn-and-learn programmes at Intermediate (Level 2), Advanced (Level 3), Higher (Level 4-5), and Degree (Level 6) levels delivered in conjunction with employer partners across multiple industry sectors.
• Industry Training Sector-specific commercial training for professionals and employers covering Automotive, Trades, Business and Finance, Hair and Beauty, Computing and Digital, Engineering, Teaching, and Hospitality.
• Fleetwood Nautical Campus Maritime Training Specialist maritime training from entry-level cadetships to degree programmes for the maritime, offshore oil and gas, and renewables industries, delivered at the Fleetwood Nautical Campus.
• Lancashire Energy HQ Engineering Training £12 million specialist facility offering higher and degree apprenticeships plus commercial study programmes in engineering, with industry-standard training equipment.

Quantifiable outcome

• 66% growth in T Level enrolments
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Blackpool CouncilflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal government partnership for the £350m Talbot Gateway regeneration project, bringing the new Multiversity campus to Blackpool town centre. The partnership aims to revitalise the town centre and bring 8,000 workers and students into the area.
• Muse DevelopmentsflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegeneration partner for the Talbot Gateway project, working alongside Blackpool Council and B&FC to deliver the £350m urban regeneration scheme including the Multiversity campus.
• Morgan Sindall ConstructioncoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConstruction partner for the £40m Multiversity campus building as part of the Talbot Gateway development. Delivering the new purpose-built college facility.
• Lancashire and Cumbria Institute of Technology (L&CIoT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with other colleges in the Lancashire and Cumbria region to deliver technical education and higher-level technical qualifications through the Institute of Technology network.
• Westinghouse SpringfieldscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmployer partner providing T Level industry placements for students in nuclear engineering and related technical disciplines. Supports curriculum development to ensure qualifications meet industry needs.
• Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare employer partner providing T Level industry placements in clinical and healthcare settings. Supports development of health sector qualifications and employment pathways.
• 1,800 Employer Partners (aggregate)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of over 1,800 businesses across various sectors providing apprenticeships, industry placements, and input into curriculum design. Collectively forms the employer ecosystem supporting work-based learning.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Preston College: A large Lancashire further education college offering A-Levels, vocational courses, apprenticeships and degree-level programmes. Directly comparable to B&FC in mission, scale, and regional labour-market focus across central Lancashire.
• Furness College: A Cumbria-based further education college that is the proposed merger partner of B&FC. Directly comparable on mission, scale, and curriculum profile, and the merger makes it the most strategically relevant peer.
• City of Liverpool College: One of the largest further education colleges in the North West, offering a comprehensive range of vocational, apprenticeship, and degree-level programmes. Comparable in scale, employer engagement, and urban regeneration involvement.
• Lancaster & Morecambe College: A Lancashire further education college serving the Morecambe Bay area with school-leaver programmes, apprenticeships, and higher education. Closely comparable to B&FC on geography, scale, and product mix.
• Trafford College: A Greater Manchester further education college providing vocational, apprenticeship, and higher education programmes across similar learner segments. Comparable in size, regulatory positioning, and curriculum structure.
• Burnley College: A large Lancashire further education college offering vocational, apprenticeship, and degree-level programmes with strong STEM and employer-linked provision. Highly comparable on geography and product range.
• Hugh Baird College: A Merseyside further education college delivering school-leaver programmes, apprenticeships, and higher education across the Liverpool City Region. Comparable in scale, structure, and curriculum breadth to B&FC.

Regional players

• Calderdale College: A West Yorkshire further education college delivering T Levels, apprenticeships, and degree-level programmes. Comparable on mission and product mix but primarily serves a different geography in West Yorkshire.
• Kendal College: A Cumbria-based further education college with a similar further education and apprenticeship portfolio. Based in a different county from B&FC and not a direct competitor, but highly comparable on product set and regulatory framework.

Emerging players

• Myerscough College: A Lancashire-based specialist further and higher education college focused on agriculture, sport, and land-based industries. Geographically proximate and partially overlaps on apprenticeship and HE provision, but a niche specialist rather than a general FE competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/B_and_FC
• Facebookfacebook.com/blackpoolcollege
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/blackpool-&-the-fylde-college
• Instagraminstagram.com/blackpoolcollege

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 Blackpool & Fylde College