The 157 Group

What The 157 Group does

The 157 Group is a UK non-profit membership organisation structured as a Company Limited by Guarantee, representing 31-32 leading further education colleges and college groups across England and Northern Ireland. The organisation operates as the collective policy and commercial voice for its members, providing thought leadership on technical and professional education, representing the sector to government, and facilitating employer engagement for industry-relevant curriculum development. Its core offerings are membership services, research and publications, practice improvement resources (including curriculum redesign and shared services frameworks), the annual 'Going Further' Digital Skills Competition, and consortium-led bidding for government framework contracts.

The business model rests on two primary revenue streams: recurring membership fees paid by the 31-32 member colleges and college groups, and collective commercial activity delivered through consortium arrangements. The organisation's most significant commercial action was leading a consortium of 12 member colleges onto the Government Digital Services Supplier Framework in 2016 to design and deliver basic digital training to pan-Government agencies, representing a strategic shift toward diversifying member revenues. Distribution is achieved through the national member college network, enabling coordinated regional delivery of training services.

The organisation is governed by a board and led by a chief executive (Ian Pretty), supported by three functional heads covering Membership & Member Support (Sandra Farrell), Research & External Relations (Amy Fowler), and Collective Revenues and Efficiencies (Kate Green). It maintains strategic alliances with Government Digital Services, Google, HP, the Education and Training Foundation, and the Skills Commission. With only five employees and a registered office in Wivenhoe, Essex alongside a London postal address, the 157 Group is a small, lean organisation whose strategic significance materially exceeds its headcount footprint.

Name

The 157 Group

Legal name

The 157 Group

Website

https://157group.co.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The 157 Group is a UK non-profit membership organisation representing 31-32 leading further education colleges and college groups, providing collective policy advocacy, research, shared services, and consortium-led government framework bids for the FE sector.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Further Education Membership and Policy Advocacy Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (813920), Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Governance Bodies & Board/Trustee Administration (EDADAKAL)

Keywords

• Further education membership
• College collective advocacy
• Policy thought leadership
• Collective business development
• Government training frameworks

Headquarters

HQ city

Wivenhoe

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Revenue generated from membership fees paid by 31-32 member colleges and college groups across the UK.
2. Collective Business Development: Revenue through consortium arrangements and government framework contracts, generating diversified revenues for member colleges.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The 157 Group is a membership organisation representing 31-32 leading UK further education colleges and college groups. It delivers collective business development (including consortium bids such as the Government Digital Services Supplier Framework), policy advocacy and thought leadership on technical and professional education, and practice improvement resources for member colleges. Operational delivery of training and services runs through the network of member colleges rather than through the group's own technology or products.

Product overview

The 157 Group is a membership organization (not a traditional technology product company) representing 32 leading UK colleges. Its offerings consist of membership services, research publications, practice improvement resources, the Going Further Digital Skills Competition, and participation in the Government Digital Services Framework. These are organizational services supporting technical and professional education development, not commercial software products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Membership Services for UK FE Colleges Membership organisation representing 31-32 leading UK further education colleges and college groups, providing collective business development, advocacy for technical and professional education, and member-support services.
• Research and Thought Leadership Research publications, policy documents, consultation responses and thought-leadership content on further education skills and workforce policy, delivered to member colleges, policymakers and sector stakeholders.
• Practice Improvement Resources Collaborative practice-improvement materials for member colleges covering curriculum redesign, teaching and learning, governance tools, shared services frameworks and leadership development.
• Government Digital Services (GDS) Supplier Framework Training Basic digital skills training delivered to pan-Government agencies through the Government Digital Services Supplier Framework, provided via a 12-college consortium led by The 157 Group to reduce digital exclusion in the UK.
• Going Further Digital Skills Competition Annual digital skills competition for students from member colleges, challenging them to redesign the 157 Group website and judged by industry experts at partner venues such as Google headquarters.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully bid onto the Government Digital Services Supplier Framework to deliver basic digital training across the UK

Named customers30 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Government Digital Services (GDS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 July 2016The 157 Group, leading a consortium of 12 member colleges, was accepted onto the Government Digital Services Supplier Framework to design and deliver basic digital training to pan-Government agencies. This is the first supplier framework the 157 Group has bid for and represents a strategic approach to collective business development in support of generating new, diversified revenues for member colleges.
• GoogleminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGoogle hosted the 'Going Further' Digital Skills competition final at their headquarters, with senior manager Nigel Sale serving on the judging panel.
• HP (Hewlett-Packard)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerHP provided prizes for the 'Going Further' Digital Skills competition winners, including HP Chromebooks, HP Officejet Pro printers, and an HP Sprout Pro for the winning college.
• Education and Training FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on research regarding the local impact of Higher Education delivered by FE colleges.
• Skills CommissionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe 157 Group contributed to the Skills Commission's Guide to the Skills System publication, launched in Parliament.
• Lord Sainsbury's Post-16 Skills PlanminorOthersThe 157 Group responded to and endorsed Lord Sainsbury's Post-16 Skills Plan, advocating for collaboration between providers and employers on industry-led standards.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-157-group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

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 The 157 Group