De Montfort Students' Union
De Montfort Students' Union (DSU) is the official, student-run charitable representative body for De Montfort University students in Leicester, UK, delivering representation, advice, 100+ societies, events, retail, and accommodation referrals.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersLeicester, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What De Montfort Students' Union does
De Montfort Students' Union (DSU) is the official, student-run and student-led representative body for De Montfort University (DMU) students in Leicester, England. Founded in 1992 (Charity Number: 1138587), it operates as a company limited by guarantee headquartered at the Campus Centre Building, Mill Lane, Leicester, with 48 employees. DSU delivers a broad portfolio of services including academic and welfare advice, student voice and representation (Course Reps, Faculty Lead Reps, Student Council, Scrutiny Panel, and five elected Student Voice Leaders), support for 100+ student societies and sports clubs, volunteering, and specialist initiatives such as No Space for Hate and Sexual Health Services. It is a member of AdviceUK for its advice services and participates in the NUS Responsible Futures programme.
The union's product and technology platform is built around a web-based stack: a main website (demontfortsu.com), an online shop for merchandise and elections, a Native.fm-powered events platform (events.demontfortsu.com) for ticketing and wristbands, and digital tools for student group management and proportional-representation voting. Physical assets include the on-campus Students' Union Hub, the SUpplies retail shop, DSU The Union café, and the Lvl1 student nightclub/live music venue. Revenue is generated from a mix of transaction fees (events/wristbands from £20 at Welcome Festival), retail sales (SUpplies shop and café), advertising sold to external businesses, and an affiliate/referral partnership with Sulets (Student Union Lettings Limited), the recommended student accommodation provider serving 2,300+ Leicester students across 150+ houses. A DSU Discount Card provides 20% retail discounts and free entry to a Wednesday club night, with membership auto-renewing annually.
Go-to-market is community-led, relying on elected student leaders, over 100 student groups, and an active multi-channel presence (Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, email newsletter, and on-campus presence) to engage students. The customer base is by definition concentrated: every customer is a DMU student, and Statutory Data Protection functions are performed by DMU on DSU's behalf, anchoring the union institutionally to the university. No revenue figures, M&A activity, funding rounds, or venture investment are disclosed.
De Montfort Students' Union firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- De Montfort Students' Union
- Legal name
- De Montfort Students Union Ltd.
- Website
- https://demontfortsu.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- De Montfort Students' Union (DSU) is the official, student-run charitable representative body for De Montfort University students in Leicester, UK, delivering representation, advice, 100+ societies, events, retail, and accommodation referrals.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
De Montfort Students' Union industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Higher Education Student Union Services
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (61171)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Student Organizations & Club Administration (EDALAHAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Volunteerism, Service-Learning & Community Service (EDALAHAG), Off-Campus Housing Support & Landlord Relations (EDALACAJ), International Student Academic & Personal Support (case management, referrals) (EDALANAE)
Keywords
Where De Montfort Students' Union is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Leicester
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
De Montfort Students' Union business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Events and Ticketing: Revenue from Welcome Festival wristbands and event tickets. Welcome Festival 2026 tickets starting from £20.
- SUpplies Shop: Retail shop offering merchandise with student discount card providing 20% discount
- Advertising and Sponsorship: Advertising opportunities for external businesses to reach student audience through the union's platforms
- Sulets Partnership: Student Union Lettings Limited - the only student accommodation provider recommended by DSU. Partnership generates referral and support revenue for student housing.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | One time/ perpetual license | Welcome Festival Wristband |
| One time/ perpetual license | Annual | DSU Discount Card |
| Freemium | Annual | Student Membership |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels9 records
De Montfort Students' Union product offering
Product offeringCore offering
De Montfort Students' Union (DSU) is an independent, student-run and student-led organization that represents students at De Montfort University in Leicester. It delivers free, confidential advice on academic, housing, finance, health, discipline, and immigration matters, operates student representation through elected Voice Leaders and Course Reps, runs 100+ student societies and sports clubs, and stages events including the official Welcome Festival and Lvl1 nightclub. It also generates revenue through merchandise retail (SUpplies shop, online shop, café) and an accommodation referral partnership with Sulets.
Product overview
De Montfort Students' Union (DSU) operates as a student-run organization representing DMU students, offering a broad portfolio of services including advice and wellbeing support (academic, housing, health, finance, immigration), student voice and representation (elections, course reps, student council), student groups and societies, volunteering opportunities, events programming (Welcome Festival, Lvl1 venue), retail services (SUpplies shop, café, online shop), student lettings (via Sulets partnership), and safety initiatives (No Space for Hate, Sexual Health Services). The union provides a DSU Discount Card membership benefit and maintains an events platform powered by Native.fm. All services are accessible via their main website and dedicated events portal.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- 2300+ students served through Sulets accommodation annually
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use De Montfort Students' Union
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
De Montfort Students' Union technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
De Montfort Students' Union partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Sulets (Student Union Lettings Limited)coreSulets is a founding member of DSU and the only student accommodation provider recommended by both De Montfort and University of Leicester Students' Unions. They provide quality student halls, houses, studios, and flats across Leicester, serving over 2300 students annually.
- AdviceUKcoreDSU Advice is a member of AdviceUK, a national support network for advice agencies in the UK.
- DMU SecurityminorDMU Security team provides 24/7 campus security support and works with DSU on student safety initiatives including No Space for Hate program.
- Victim FirstminorVictim First provides free, confidential, and independent advice and tailored support to students who are victims or witnesses of hate or harassment through the No Space for Hate initiative.
- National Union of Students (NUS)minorDSU participates in NUS Responsible Futures program and elections, maintaining affiliation with the national student movement.
- Student SpaceminorStudent Space provides national support options for students from diverse backgrounds including Black students, Muslim students, Punjabi students, Trans students, and working class students, accessible via text, phone, email, or webchat.
- DMU (De Montfort University)coreDSU represents students at DMU. Statutory functions relating to Data Protection are carried out by DMU on behalf of DSU. DMU is located at The Gateway, Leicester LE1 9BH.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
De Montfort Students' Union competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Leeds University Union: Students' union for the University of Leeds offering the same core mix of representation, advice, societies, events, and retail services. Closest comparable in scale and structure to a mid-sized university SU like DSU.
- University of Birmingham Guild of Students: Large UK students' union with comparable democratic governance, advice services, student activities, and venue operations. Mirrors DSU's model of elected officers and member services.
- Students' Union at University of Edinburgh: Another large UK students' union with comparable advice, representation, and activities portfolio. Useful benchmark for service breadth and operational scale.
- University of Manchester Students' Union: One of the largest UK students' unions, providing comparable services (advice, representation, events, student groups, retail) to a major university student body. Direct structural and operational analogue to DSU.
- Sheffield Students' Union: Students' union for the University of Sheffield with a similar mix of advice, representation, activities, and commercial services. Comparable institutional scale and service breadth.
- Students' Union UCL: UCL's students' union delivering representation, advice, clubs/societies, events, and retail. Notable peer for digital platform maturity and international student services, similar to DSU's visa offering.
- University of Leicester Students' Union: The other Leicester university SU; Sulets is co-recommended by both unions. Most direct geographic peer and shares the same student housing and local market dynamics as DSU.
- University of Nottingham Students' Union: Mid-sized SU offering similar portfolio of services including sabbatical officers, student groups, and venue/events business. Closely comparable in governance and operational footprint.
Emerging players
- Sulets (Student Union Lettings Limited): DSU's recommended student accommodation partner serving 2,300+ Leicester students across 150+ properties. Adjacent business model and customer base; also a key partnership/distribution channel for DSU.
Others
- National Union of Students (NUS): UK national federation of students' unions of which DSU is a member. Relevant as an industry body and shared-services counterparty, not a direct competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
De Montfort Students' Union social profiles
Digital presenceDe Montfort Students' Union financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
De Montfort Students' Union leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
De Montfort Students' Union funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
De Montfort Students' Union 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 De Montfort Students' Union
What does De Montfort Students' Union do?
De Montfort Students' Union (DSU) is an independent, student-run and student-led organization that represents students at De Montfort University in Leicester. It delivers free, confidential advice on academic, housing, finance, health, discipline, and immigration matters, operates student representation through elected Voice Leaders and Course Reps, runs 100+ student societies and sports clubs, and stages events including the official Welcome Festival and Lvl1 nightclub. It also generates revenue through merchandise retail (SUpplies shop, online shop, café) and an accommodation referral partnership with Sulets.
Is De Montfort Students' Union a public or private company?
De Montfort Students' Union is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was De Montfort Students' Union founded?
De Montfort Students' Union was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is De Montfort Students' Union based?
De Montfort Students' Union is headquartered in Leicester, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does De Montfort Students' Union make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Events and Ticketing is the primary driver. The others are SUpplies Shop, advertising and Sponsorship and sulets Partnership.
Who are De Montfort Students' Union's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Leeds University Union, University of Birmingham Guild of Students, Students' Union at University of Edinburgh, University of Manchester Students' Union, Sheffield Students' Union, Students' Union UCL, University of Leicester Students' Union and University of Nottingham Students' Union. Sulets (Student Union Lettings Limited) is listed as an emerging player. National Union of Students (NUS) is listed as an others.
Does De Montfort Students' Union have an API?
No public API is recorded for De Montfort Students' Union.
What industry is De Montfort Students' Union in?
De Montfort Students' Union's product category is Higher Education Student Union Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDALAHAB, Student Organizations & Club Administration, with a secondary code of EDALAHAG, Volunteerism, Service-Learning & Community Service. Its NAICS code is 61171 and its SIC code is 8600.