What Discover Economics does

Discover Economics is a UK-wide outreach campaign operated by the Royal Economic Society (Registered Charity no. 231508), headquartered at 2 Dean Trench St, Westminster, London. Founded as a campaign in 2019 by Prof Sarah Smith, the organisation exists to increase diversity among economics students, addressing a documented gender gap (1 in 6 boys vs 1 in 17 girls studying A-Level economics) and under-representation from state schools and ethnic minorities. Its products and services are entirely free to participants and include the annual KPMG UK-sponsored Young Economist of the Year competition, free school workshops for Years 10-13, the Meet an Economist profile series, lesson plans and teaching resources, events and webinars, a blog, a podcast series, an interactive university course search tool, and the Academic & Professional Champion network programme.

The underlying technology is minimal: a Wix-hosted website, social media accounts across YouTube, LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and TikTok, an email newsletter subscription portal, and the Oxford Abstracts competition submission portal. No proprietary software, AI models, APIs, or integrations are disclosed. Content production relies on a distributed network of academic and professional volunteers across UK universities and partner organisations including Bangor University, Kingston University, ESRC CAGE, REAL Centre, and All-Ireland CEPH.

The business model is non-commercial. The campaign generates no revenue from users; all services are free. Operating funding comes from a portfolio of institutional partners: Bank of England, Welsh Government, KPMG UK, Government Economic Service, Diversity and Productivity, Frontier Economics, Academy of Social Sciences, Hub for Equal Representation, Nuffield Foundation, The Health Foundation, and FT Schools, supplemented by public donations via JustGiving. As of 28 April 2026, the campaign had engaged 1,216 UK schools and 37,214 school students, with nearly 3,000 entries in the 2025 Young Economist of the Year competition.

Name

Discover Economics

Legal name

Royal Economic Society

Website

https://discovereconomics.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Discover Economics is a UK-wide outreach campaign run by the Royal Economic Society that increases diversity among economics students through free workshops, competitions, teaching resources, and events targeting secondary schools, teachers, and economists.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Outreach and Diversity Campaign

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710)

akta.pro primary industry

Economics & Business Studies Tutoring (Micro/Macro, Accounting, Finance) (EDANAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Economics & Finance Competitions (Econ Challenge, Stock Market Games) (EDAMAGAI)

Keywords

• Economics outreach
• Diversity campaign
• Educational workshops
• Teacher resources
• Student competitions

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Funding and Donations: Discover Economics operates as a charitable campaign funded by partner organizations, government bodies, and public donations. The Royal Economic Society runs the campaign with support from funding partners including Bank of England, Welsh Government, KPMG, and various foundations. The competition and services are free to participants.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Discover Economics is a charitable outreach campaign operated by the Royal Economic Society that runs free school workshops, an annual Young Economist of the Year competition (sponsored by KPMG UK), teacher and student educational resources, events and webinars, a blog, a podcast, a Meet an Economist series, a UK university economics course search tool, and an Academic & Professional Champion network. All offerings are provided free of charge and are aimed at increasing the diversity of students choosing to study economics.

Product overview

Discover Economics is a campaign by the Royal Economic Society to increase diversity among economics students. The organisation operates as an informational and educational platform rather than a software product, offering a portfolio of outreach programmes including the annual Young Economist of the Year competition (sponsored by KPMG UK), the Meet an Economist profile series, teacher and student educational resources (lesson plans, posters, videos), events and webinars, a blog with economics articles, podcast content, a university course search tool, free school workshops, and an Academic & Professional Champion network programme. These offerings work together to engage students, teachers, and professionals with economics education and career pathways.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Young Economist of the Year Competition Annual competition for UK secondary school students in Years 10-13 encouraging them to produce original analyses of contemporary economic problems, sponsored by KPMG UK.
• Meet an Economist Series of profiles and stories of economists from diverse backgrounds, showcasing their career journeys and the real-world applications of economics to inspire students.
• Teacher & Student Resources Free downloadable educational resources including lesson plans, PowerPoint presentations, teacher handouts, economics sector posters, economist profile posters, and videos on topics such as AI in healthcare, representation and political movements, and economics fundamentals.
• Events and Webinars Regular in-person and virtual events for students and teachers, including webinars on topics like tariffs, interest rates, International Women's Day, and economics careers, hosted in partnership with universities and organizations such as Bangor University and the Welsh Government.
• Discover Economics Blog Short think-pieces on economics topics ranging from UCAS applications to the economics of space tourism, written in collaboration with students, guest authors, and interns.
• Podcast Series Audio episodes featuring economists discussing their careers and the applications of economics, including episodes with Mairi Spowage and Rohin Aggarwal.
• University Course Search Tool Interactive tool built with the Economics Network that enables prospective students to browse economics courses across UK universities by location, entry requirements, and UCAS tariff.
• Free School Workshops Free curriculum-linked workshops for UK students in Years 10 and 12, designed to introduce economic concepts and career pathways; booked directly by schools via the website.
• Academic & Professional Champion Programme Network programme for economists in universities (Academic Champions) and the public or private sector (Professional Champions) to support diversity in economics through hosting events, mentoring, and content production.

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Academy of Social SciencesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic body that supports the campaign's mission to increase diversity in economics.
• Hub for Equal RepresentationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization supporting equal representation that partners with Discover Economics on shared diversity objectives.
• Royal Economic SocietycoreOthersParent organization and registered charity (no. 231508) that runs the Discover Economics campaign. Provides institutional credibility, governance, and operational support.
• FT SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFinancial Times' education initiative providing support for the Young Economist of the Year competition, including free access to FT content for participating schools.
• The Health FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned research with Discover Economics on the gender gap in economics education, producing a full report and executive summary on barriers girls face in studying economics.
• Bangor University (Albert Gubay Business School)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner hosting Discover Economics events and webinars in partnership with Welsh Government.
• ESRC CAGE Research CentreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the 'Representation, Protest and Political Movement' video series combining economics, politics and history content.
• All-Ireland Centre of Excellence in Economics, History and Policy (CEPH)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the cross-border educational content development project with Discover Economics and ESRC CAGE.
• REAL CentreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for AI in healthcare lesson series based on the REAL Centre annual lecture 2025.
• Economics NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on the UK university economics course search tool for prospective students.
• Scottish GovernmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for the new Scottish Award in the Young Economist of the Year competition, recognizing top entries from Scottish students.
• Speakers for SchoolsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducation charity that helped deliver the International Women's Day 2024 event featuring women in economics.
• Financial Conduct AuthorityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for FCA Insight Day event in collaboration with Discover Economics.
• EdGenieminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational resource provider supporting Discover Economics content distribution.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Access Project: UK charity supporting students from under-represented backgrounds into top universities through in-school tutoring and mentoring. Comparable as a school-embedded widening-participation programme targeting under-represented cohorts.
• IntoUniversity: UK education charity running local centres that provide mentoring and aspiration-raising programmes for young people from under-represented backgrounds. Comparable on outreach to state-school students and widening-participation mission.
• STEMettes: Charity working to increase girls' and non-binary young people's engagement with STEM. Direct peer in mission (gender diversity in a subject), free events/competitions format, and secondary-school targeting.
• The Brilliant Club: Charity that mobilises university students and academics to deliver university-style tutorials to state-school pupils. Closely comparable as a school-targeted widening-participation programme operating free of charge to schools.
• WISE Campaign: UK campaign to push gender balance in STEM from classroom to boardroom. Comparable as a sector-specific diversity campaign combining employer engagement, schools programmes and public advocacy.
• Speakers for Schools: UK education charity delivering free talks and experiences in state secondary schools. Highly comparable to Discover Economics on mission (widening access via school engagement), target audience (state-school students), and free-to-schools delivery model.
• Social Mobility Foundation: Charity supporting high-achieving state-school students into leading universities and professions. Comparable in widening-access mission and supporting cohorts from under-represented groups into competitive career pipelines.
• The Sutton Trust: UK charity focused on social mobility through education, running research-led programmes for state-school students. Comparable on mission (widening access), evidence-based approach and UK secondary-school focus.

Emerging players

• Target Oxbridge: Programme supporting Black African and Caribbean students to win places at Oxford and Cambridge. Comparable as a targeted widening-access campaign with cohort-based mentoring, though focused on Oxbridge admissions specifically.

Broad incumbents

• MicroEconomics (Royal Economic Society outreach): Royal Economic Society, the parent body that runs Discover Economics, also runs broader education activities including the RES Annual Public Lecture and school-facing initiatives. The most direct incumbent of the same brand and governance umbrella.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DiscoverEcon
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC4yx7XLMH1u5tssxyo_q7cA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/discover-economics
• Instagraminstagram.com/discoverecon
• TikToktiktok.com/@discoverecon

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Discover Economics