UPP Foundation
UPP Foundation is an independent UK registered charity, solely funded by University Partnerships Programme (UPP), that awards grants to universities, charities, and higher education bodies to support widening participation, student success, and civic engagement initiatives across England and Wales.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What UPP Foundation does
UPP Foundation is an independent UK registered charity (charity number 1166323, company number 09928856) founded in 2016 by University Partnerships Programme (UPP), the UK's leading provider of on-campus residential and academic accommodation infrastructure. UPP is the sole funder of the Foundation, which is governed by an independent Board of Trustees. The Foundation's core activity is grant-making to UK universities, charities, and higher education bodies in support of widening participation, student success, and civic engagement. It operates a portfolio of programmes including the Exeter Tutoring Model (training undergraduates to tutor school pupils in foundational literacy and numeracy), the Energy Advice Centre Programme (student-led energy efficiency advice at multiple universities), the Student Sustainability Fund, and a body of policy research and publications including the Kerslake Collection and the four-part "Towards a New Mission for Widening Participation" inquiry.
The Foundation's business model is grant-making rather than commercial: it does not sell products or services and does not generate revenue in the conventional sense. Funding flows in from UPP and is disbursed to partner institutions, with grants reviewed and authorised by the Board of Trustees. Its go-to-market is community- and event-led, built around partnerships with sector bodies such as NEON, the Civic University Network (hosted by Sheffield Hallam University, 120+ members), and NNECL (whose Quality Mark has been awarded to over 50 institutions). Distribution channels include a publications archive, social media, newsletter, and sponsorship of conferences including the NEON Awards and Summer Symposium. The Foundation has a small team (1-10 employees) based at its registered office at 12 Arthur Street, London, and operates throughout England and Wales.
UPP Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- UPP Foundation
- Legal name
- UPP Foundation Limited
- Website
- https://upp-foundation.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- UPP Foundation is an independent UK registered charity, solely funded by University Partnerships Programme (UPP), that awards grants to universities, charities, and higher education bodies to support widening participation, student success, and civic engagement initiatives across England and Wales.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
UPP Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Higher Education Grant-Making
- NAICS
- Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits (BPAGADAB)
Keywords
Where UPP Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
UPP Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Grant-making: UPP Foundation receives all funding from its sole funder, University Partnerships Programme (UPP), and provides grants to universities, charities, and higher education bodies to support widening participation initiatives.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
UPP Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
UPP Foundation is an independent registered charity that offers grants to universities, charities and other higher education bodies. It funds widening participation initiatives, student success programmes, sustainability projects, and civic engagement activities. The foundation also commissions and publishes research and inquiry reports on higher education policy.
Product overview
The UPP Foundation is a registered charity and grant-making body that funds universities, charities, and higher education bodies to improve educational opportunity and support students from underrepresented backgrounds. The Foundation operates several interconnected programmes: the Student Sustainability Fund supports student-led environmental projects; the Exeter Tutoring Model trains university students to tutor school pupils in foundational skills; the Energy Advice Centre Programme establishes student-led advice services; and the iBiodiversity App provides AI-powered plant identification. The Foundation also publishes research through the Kerslake Collection and conducts policy inquiry work on widening participation.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- 1.93-point score increase in literacy assessments for pupils receiving Exeter Tutoring
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use UPP Foundation
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
UPP Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
UPP Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- University of ReadingcoreUPP Foundation provided funding to University of Reading to establish an Energy Advice Centre adapted for student delivery, focusing on helping students save energy and money in private accommodation.
- Kingston University LondoncorePartner university for Energy Advice Centre implementation as part of the £70,000 programme delivered by LSBU and funded by UPP Foundation.
- Wrexham UniversitycorePartner university for Energy Advice Centre implementation as part of the £70,000 programme delivered by LSBU and funded by UPP Foundation.
- Nottingham Trent UniversitycorePartner university providing accommodation bursaries for care-experienced students in collaboration with UPP.
- London South Bank UniversitycoreLSBU was the first university to establish an Energy Advice Centre in 2023, serving as the foundational model for the programme. LSBU continues to lead the initiative and support other universities in implementing the model.
- Next Steps South WestcoreDelivery partner for the Exeter Tutoring Model in Plymouth schools, working with University of Exeter to deliver tutoring sessions.
- North East Uni Connect ProgrammecoreUni Connect programme partnership for delivering tutoring initiatives in the North East region.
- GROWScoreUni Connect programme partnership for delivering tutoring initiatives.
- University of ExetercoreUPP Foundation has funded the Exeter Tutoring Model since 2022, which trains undergraduate students to tutor school pupils in foundational skills. The programme has grown into a national initiative.
- University of LincolncoreUPP Foundation funded the development of a student-built biodiversity web app (iBiodiversity) and wildflower areas on campus.
- Lincolnshire Wildlife TrustminorPartnered with University of Lincoln to deliver nature-based workshops introducing iBiodiversity app to staff, students and community members.
- Southwark CouncilcoreSouthwark Council partnered with LSBU Energy Advice Centre to expand the service, advertising it through the Southwark Green Homes Service and providing referrals.
- South-West Social Mobility CommissioncoreThe Commission designed the Exeter Tutoring Model and continues to partner with UPP Foundation in delivering and expanding the programme nationally.
- NNECL (National Network for the Education of Care Leavers)coreUPP Foundation initially funded the development of NNECL's Quality Mark, an evidence-based framework helping institutions support care-experienced students. The Quality Mark has been awarded to over 50 universities and colleges.
- Sheffield Hallam UniversitycoreSheffield Hallam University hosts the Civic University Network, established following the Civic University Commission chaired by Lord Bob Kerslake. Over 120 universities have joined the network.
- NEON (Network for Outreach and Negotiation)coreNEON hosts the annual Summer Symposium and Awards which UPP Foundation sponsors and actively participates in, bringing together sector leaders to discuss widening participation.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
UPP Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The Brilliant Club: The Brilliant Club is a UK non-profit that places PhD researchers in schools to widen access to highly-selective universities, operating similar widening participation programmes to UPP Foundation\'s Exeter Tutoring Model.
- NEON (Network for Outreach and Negotiation): NEON is the UK\'s professional network for widening participation practitioners, sitting at the same intersection of universities and access policy that UPP Foundation operates in, and is a long-standing programme partner.
- The Sutton Trust: The Sutton Trust is a UK education charity focused on social mobility and improving access to higher education for disadvantaged students, directly comparable to UPP Foundation\'s widening participation mandate and commissioning of research and programmes.
Emerging players
- King\'s College London Widening Participation: King\'s College London operates a centralised widening participation programme, comparable in focus area to UPP Foundation\'s grantees and illustrating the university-level WP delivery model UPP Foundation ultimately funds.
- NNECL (National Network for the Education of Care Leavers): NNECL is a UK charity and membership body that supports care-experienced students in higher education and developed the Quality Mark framework originally funded by UPP Foundation; a close programmatic peer and former grantee.
Broad incumbents
- Esmée Fairbairn Foundation: Esmée Fairbairn is a major UK grantmaking foundation that funds education and youth opportunities, with a comparable foundation structure and grantmaking approach to UPP Foundation but at significantly larger scale and broader thematic scope.
- Joseph Rowntree Foundation: Joseph Rowntree Foundation is a UK social mobility and poverty foundation, comparable to UPP Foundation on the social mobility/access to higher education lens, though focused more broadly on poverty alleviation.
- HEPI (Higher Education Policy Institute): HEPI is the UK\'s primary independent higher education policy think tank, comparable in its HE research and inquiry work to UPP Foundation\'s four-part widening participation inquiry and Kerslake Collection.
- The Garfield Weston Foundation: Garfield Weston is one of the UK\'s largest family-founded grantmaking charities, comparable in foundation structure to UPP Foundation but with a much larger endowment and a wider thematic remit including education.
- Paul Hamlyn Foundation: Paul Hamlyn Foundation is a UK grantmaker with a strong education focus, comparable in mission and grantmaking model to UPP Foundation, though operating at much greater scale and breadth.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
UPP Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceUPP Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
UPP Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
UPP Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
UPP Foundation 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 UPP Foundation
What does UPP Foundation do?
UPP Foundation is an independent registered charity that offers grants to universities, charities and other higher education bodies. It funds widening participation initiatives, student success programmes, sustainability projects, and civic engagement activities. The foundation also commissions and publishes research and inquiry reports on higher education policy.
Is UPP Foundation a public or private company?
UPP Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was UPP Foundation founded?
UPP Foundation was founded in 2016. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is UPP Foundation based?
UPP Foundation is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does UPP Foundation make money?
One revenue line is on record: grant-making.
Who are UPP Foundation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The Brilliant Club, NEON (Network for Outreach and Negotiation) and The Sutton Trust. Emerging players are King\'s College London Widening Participation and NNECL (National Network for the Education of Care Leavers). Broad incumbents are Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, HEPI (Higher Education Policy Institute), The Garfield Weston Foundation and Paul Hamlyn Foundation.
Does UPP Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for UPP Foundation.
What industry is UPP Foundation in?
UPP Foundation's product category is Higher Education Grant-Making. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAA, Private Foundations, with a secondary code of EDADAHAC, Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts. Its NAICS code is 813211.