Go Higher West Yorkshire

What Go Higher West Yorkshire does

Go Higher West Yorkshire (GHWY) is a UK nonprofit educational access partnership of 13 universities and colleges operating across the West Yorkshire region, with its headquarters at 17 Blenheim Terrace, Woodhouse, Leeds (sitting on University of Leeds infrastructure). Founded in 2012 and staffed by 18 employees, the organisation delivers impartial advice, guidance and activities aimed at widening participation in higher education, with a deliberate focus on under-represented groups including care-experienced and disabled students. Its core service lines comprise higher education guidance for students and learners, CPD resources and the 'Care to Go Higher' programme for teachers and advisers supporting students in care, employer-facing support connecting West Yorkshire businesses to graduates and apprentices, subject taster events ('Go Higher in... Days'), and an annual collaborative Teachers' and Advisers' Conference.

GHWY does not build or operate a proprietary technology platform; its offering is delivered through human-led guidance, partner-embedded outreach across the 13-institution network, online resources (case studies, newsletters, CPD materials) and an active social media presence on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. There is no software product, no app, no API, and no disclosed technology stack beyond standard content publishing.

Revenue flows entirely from the Office for Students (OfS) via the national Uni Connect Programme, under which GHWY operates as one of the designated regional partnerships. All services are free to end users, with the University of Leeds acting as Data Controller and effectively serving as the operating parent for the consortium. Distribution is exclusively through the partner network and direct engagement with schools, colleges and community stakeholders in West Yorkshire — there is no commercial sales motion, no pricing structure, and no private capital involvement.

Name

Go Higher West Yorkshire

Legal name

Go Higher West Yorkshire

Website

https://gohigherwestyorks.ac.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Go Higher West Yorkshire is a nonprofit partnership of 13 West Yorkshire universities and colleges delivering free, impartial higher education guidance and outreach — funded by the Office for Students via the Uni Connect Programme — to under-represented students, teachers, advisers and employers across the region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Access Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (61171), Educational Support Services (6117)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Transition-to-College/Independence Skills Tutoring for Learning Differences (EDANAFAJ)

Keywords

• Higher education outreach
• University access guidance
• Student support services
• Educational partnership network
• CPD for educators

Headquarters

HQ city

Leeds

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Funding (OfS Uni Connect Programme): Go Higher West Yorkshire is part of the OfS Uni Connect Programme, a national network of partnerships across England offering impartial advice, guidance and activities on higher education. Funded by the Office for Students.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Go Higher West Yorkshire provides free, impartial advice, guidance, and resources on higher education options to students and learners, teachers/advisors/carers, and businesses/employers in the West Yorkshire region. As part of the OfS Uni Connect Programme, the organization operates as a partnership of 13 universities and colleges to reduce inequalities in HE access, particularly for under-represented groups, through guidance services, CPD training, subject taster events, and an annual conference.

Product overview

Go Higher West Yorkshire is an educational access partnership organization that does not offer a software product or platform. It provides guidance, resources, and support services to help people in West Yorkshire access higher education. The organization serves three primary audiences: students and learners seeking higher education options; teachers, advisors, and carers who guide them; and businesses and employers looking for graduates and apprentices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Higher Education Guidance Services for Students & Learners

Quantifiable outcome

• Race Equality Charter Bronze Award achieved by Luminate Education Group (partner institution)
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 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 core.

• Leeds ConservatoirecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of 13 university and college partners in the Go Higher West Yorkshire network. Part of Luminate Education Group which achieved Race Equality Charter Bronze Award.
• Bradford CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of 13 university and college partners in the Go Higher West Yorkshire network serving Bradford and surrounding areas.
• University of BradfordcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of 13 university and college partners in the Go Higher West Yorkshire network.
• Calderdale CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of 13 university and college partners in the Go Higher West Yorkshire network serving Calderdale area.
• University of HuddersfieldcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of 13 university and college partners in the Go Higher West Yorkshire network.
• Kirklees CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of 13 university and college partners in the Go Higher West Yorkshire network serving Kirklees area.
• Leeds Beckett UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of 13 university and college partners in the Go Higher West Yorkshire network.
• University Centre LeedscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of 13 university and college partners in the Go Higher West Yorkshire network. Part of Luminate Education Group which achieved Race Equality Charter Bronze Award.
• Leeds Arts UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of 13 university and college partners in the Go Higher West Yorkshire network.
• Leeds College of BuildingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of 13 university and college partners in the Go Higher West Yorkshire network. Host venue for GHWY Teachers' and Advisers' Conference 2026.
• University of LeedscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of 13 university and college partners in the Go Higher West Yorkshire network. Acts as Data Controller for GHWY.
• Leeds Trinity UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of 13 university and college partners in the Go Higher West Yorkshire network.
• Wakefield CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of 13 university and college partners in the Go Higher West Yorkshire network.
• Office for Students (OfS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment body funding the Uni Connect Programme. GHWY is part of this national network of partnerships across England offering impartial advice, guidance and activities on higher education.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Brilliant Club: Widening-participation charity deploying PhD researchers into schools to help under-represented pupils access top universities — overlapping beneficiary base and HE-access mission.
• Greater Manchester Higher: Uni Connect partnership serving Greater Manchester, operating the same OfS-funded widening-participation model across another English region with similar multi-institution partnership structure.
• Realising Opportunities: Consortium of leading UK universities running a collaborative widening-participation programme aimed at students from under-represented backgrounds progressing to selective universities.
• The Access Project: Charity working with state schools and universities to support under-represented students into top universities, addressing the same HE-access gap with school-based mentoring and tutoring.
• IntoUniversity: Charity supporting under-represented young people to access higher education through local learning centres, with a comparable mission of widening participation and similar target beneficiary groups.
• Higher Horizons: Uni Connect partnership covering Staffordshire, Cheshire, and the West Midlands Midlands, delivering comparable impartial HE guidance, CPD, and outreach to under-represented groups.

Regional players

• Pathways Wales (GO Wales / Seren Network): Welsh Government-funded widening-participation programmes with comparable impartial HE advice and aspiration-raising mission, but operating under Welsh rather than English policy and funding.

Broad incumbents

• National Education Opportunities Network (NEON): UK-wide sector organisation supporting HE access and widening participation professionals; not a direct delivery peer but operates across the same policy and practitioner ecosystem as GHWY.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GoHigherWY
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCQQwa8e1rM6vSZpPcZeZOAg
• Facebookfacebook.com/GoHigherWY
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/go-higher-west-yorkshire

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 Go Higher West Yorkshire