Higher Horizons

What Higher Horizons does

Higher Horizons is a UK higher-education outreach programme operated as a partnership led by Keele University and funded through the Office for Students and Department for Education under the Uni Connect framework (formerly the National Collaborative Outreach Programme). Established in its current form in 2017 and headquartered in Stoke-on-Trent/Keele with regional hubs in Staffordshire and Chester, the organisation delivers free activities to schools, colleges, and individual learners aged 13–19 in 57 ward areas of Staffordshire, Shropshire, and Cheshire where progression to higher education is statistically lower than expected given attainment.

The service is structured around three pillars: Inform (IAG on post-16/post-18 pathways), Experience (campus visits, residentials, subject taster sessions), and Enable (attainment-raising, study skills, curriculum-linked workshops). Adjacent offerings include the UNiFY residential summer-school programme, the Fast Trackers STEM project, specialised access pathways (Steps2Med, Future Vets, White Water Writers), and a set of self-serve digital resources including student-finance calculators and video guides. Underlying technology is non-proprietary: SmartSurvey for evaluation, Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 for collaboration, and the HEAT database for longitudinal tracking matched against HESA, UCAS and DfE datasets (NPD, ILR). Impact is measured via regression and matched-comparison analysis, with the 2026 report covering 22,790 students and reporting 52% higher odds of HE progression for participants.

The commercial model is entirely grant-funded and non-transactional: all activities are free to beneficiaries, there is no pricing structure, and revenue is the periodic Uni Connect programme allocation (a £5.6 million two-year envelope per the most recent disclosed funding). Customer segments are schools/colleges (institutional), teachers/careers advisors (intermediary), and young people (end beneficiary), all served through a direct-delivery field model rather than a self-serve platform.

Name

Higher Horizons

Legal name

Higher Horizons

Website

https://higherhorizons.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Higher Horizons is a UK government-funded higher-education outreach programme that delivers free Inform, Experience and Enable activities to schools, colleges and 13–19-year-olds in 57 ward areas across Staffordshire, Shropshire and Cheshire, led by Keele University.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Outreach and Widening Participation Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (61171), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Under-18 / High School-to-University Foundation Pathways (EDAIAJAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

University-Affiliated Pathway & Foundation Programs (EDAIAJAA), On-Ground Orientation, Travel, Transfers & Logistics Support (EDAIAHAL)

Keywords

• Higher education outreach
• University access programmes
• Widening participation
• Student attainment support
• College progression support

Headquarters

HQ city

Keele

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Higher Horizons is part of the Uni Connect Programme, funded by the Office for Students and Department for Education. The programme delivers free higher education outreach activities to schools and colleges. As a government-funded initiative, all services are provided at no cost to beneficiaries. The programme has received multi-million pound funding including a two-year £5.6m programme.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Higher Horizons delivers a government-funded higher education outreach programme to schools and colleges across Staffordshire, Shropshire and Cheshire, comprising three core strands: Inform (information, advice and guidance on post-16 and post-18 choices), Experience (campus visits, subject tasters, and residential summer schools), and Enable (attainment support, study skills, and curriculum-linked workshops). All services are provided free of charge to target schools and learners under the Uni Connect Programme.

Product overview

Higher Horizons is a higher education outreach programme operating as a single unified service rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core offering consists of three interconnected service strands — Inform (information and guidance workshops), Experience (campus visits and residentials), and Enable (attainment-raising and study skills support) — delivered free to target schools across Staffordshire, Shropshire, and Cheshire. These core services are supplemented by specialized programmes (UNiFY summer schools, Fast Trackers, White Water Writers, Steps2Med, Future Vets), digital tools (Student Loan Entitlement and Repayment Calculators), and educational resources (Bitesize Facts video series, Study Smart guides, and In-depth Knowledge guides). The offering is accessed primarily through schools and colleges via outreach practitioners, with some self-service resources available through the website.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Inform Information, advice, and guidance workshops about post-16 and post-18 choices covering college, university, apprenticeships, UCAS applications, student finance, academic and vocational routes, and employability skills. Delivered free to target schools and colleges.
• Experience Campus visits to partner universities and colleges, including university residentials, student life days, and subject-specific taster sessions designed to help learners understand what it is like to live and study on campus.
• Enable Attainment-raising activities supporting subject interests, study skills and metacognition, including study skills mini-programmes, exam preparation workshops, and curriculum-linked subject workshops for learners in target schools.
• UNiFY Annual residential summer school programme offering Y10 and Y12 pupils three-day experiences at partner universities including academic sessions, student accommodation, and information on applications and student finance.
• Fast Trackers STEM-focused outreach project enabling young people to visit employers and educational institutions, featuring a team-based engineering design challenge with Network Rail and Mott MacDonald.
• White Water Writers Intensive writing programme where students collaboratively produce and publish novels, developing creative writing skills and academic confidence.
• Steps2Med Specialised access programme supporting students interested in pursuing medical careers.
• Future Vets Specialised access programme supporting students interested in pursuing veterinary careers.
• Student Loan Repayment Calculator Interactive calculator allowing users to estimate monthly student loan repayments based on income, showing repayment thresholds and 40-year write-off terms.
• Student Loan Entitlement Calculator Calculator for estimating maintenance loan eligibility based on household income and living situation (home, London, or away from home outside London).

Quantifiable outcome

• Participants have 52% higher odds of progressing to higher education by age 19 than non-participants
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Keele UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Keele University is the lead institution for the Higher Horizons partnership, hosting the programme's headquarters. The university provides administrative infrastructure and staff including the Associate Director role.
• Staffordshire UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner university providing campus facilities for outreach activities including residential visits and subject-specific workshops. Home to the Staffordshire Hub of the delivery team.
• University of ChestercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner university contributing to the outreach programme, with staff including Chester Hub Project Officer for regional delivery.
• Harper Adams UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner university in the Higher Horizons network, contributing to delivery of outreach activities.
• University of DerbycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner university in the Higher Horizons network providing outreach programme delivery.
• University of Oxford (Somerville College)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner university contributing to the outreach programme, particularly for prestigious university progression support.
• Cheshire College South and WestcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFurther education college partner in the Higher Horizons network, providing pathways to higher education.
• Warrington and Vale Royal CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFurther education college partner in the network.
• Shrewsbury Colleges GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFurther education college partner covering the Shropshire region.
• Reaseheath CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFurther education college partner in the network, specializing in land-based and technical education.
• Network RailminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart-funded the Fast Trackers STEM project, providing graduate engineers who worked with students on railway station design projects and site visits.
• Mott MacDonaldminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal engineering consultancy that part-funded Fast Trackers project, designing team-based challenges and providing graduate engineers for student mentorship.
• Greater Manchester HigherminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCOP consortium partner collaborating on the Fast Trackers project across the North West region.
• FutureUminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCOP consortium partner for Lancashire, collaborating on the Fast Trackers project.
• HEAT (Higher Education Access Tracker)coreTechnology or IntegrationNational database service used to track educational journeys of learners and evaluate programme impact through matching with HESA, UCAS, and DfE data.
• TASO (Transforming Access and Student Outcomes in Higher Education)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational evaluators of the Uni Connect programme who assess programme effectiveness.
• CFE ResearchcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerResearch organization serving as national evaluator for the programme.
• Alta HigherminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerThird-party provider funded by Higher Horizons to deliver one-to-one mentoring support for specific learners, such as the Folashade Stockton case.
• 4wardfuturesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharity that developed the 'Life on Mars' outreach programme delivered in partnership with schools, winning the Educate Awards WOW Factor.
• The Saturday Club TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSelected third-party activity provider working in association with Higher Horizons.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• HEON (Higher Education Outreach Network): Surrey-based Uni Connect partnership delivering widening-participation outreach across the South East; shares Higher Horizons' mandate, regional footprint constraint and university-led partnership model.
• Realising Opportunities: National partnership of leading UK universities supporting students from under-represented groups to access selective universities; mirrors Higher Horizons' university-led model and focus on progression to Russell Group institutions.
• The Access Project: UK charity providing in-school mentoring and university application support for students from disadvantaged backgrounds; directly comparable widening-participation service to Higher Horizons' Inform/Enable strands.
• IntoUniversity: Charity operating local learning centres that support underrepresented students into HE through sustained, school-based outreach — same target beneficiaries and progression-focused outcomes as Higher Horizons.
• Go Higher West Yorkshire: Uni Connect partnership providing HE outreach across West Yorkshire schools and colleges; near-identical mission, government funding model and target student cohorts as Higher Horizons.
• Greater Manchester Higher: Uni Connect partnership delivering HE outreach across Greater Manchester; listed as a direct NCOP consortium partner collaborating on Fast Trackers, making it the closest peer in mission, funding model and delivery structure.
• FutureU (Lancashire): Lancashire's Uni Connect outreach programme; an active consortium partner with Higher Horizons on Fast Trackers, offering directly comparable widening-participation activity to schools and colleges.
• Linking London: London-based Uni Connect partnership delivering HE outreach across London FE/schools; same OfS-funded Uni Connect programme structure as Higher Horizons but operating in a different region.

Broad incumbents

• Sutton Trust: National charity and policy voice on social mobility through HE access; broader portfolio than Higher Horizons but addresses the same widening-participation agenda and frequently collaborates with Uni Connect programmes.

Others

• TASO (Transforming Access and Student Outcomes): National evidence body for HE access and outcomes and a Higher Horizons partner; operates as an ecosystem evaluator rather than a direct outreach deliverer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCahXAibBPUt-Aej2q8fHIiQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/HiHoPlus
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/higher-horizons-plus

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Higher Horizons