Kent and Medway Progression Federation (KMPF)

What Kent and Medway Progression Federation (KMPF) does

Kent and Medway Progression Federation (KMPF) is a not-for-profit collaborative partnership headquartered in Canterbury, England, that coordinates educational outreach programmes to increase higher education participation among underrepresented students in the Kent and Medway region. Originally established in 2001 as part of the national Aimhigher programme and evolved into KMPF in 2011 when central government funding ended, the partnership has sustained continuous operation for 25 years by choice of its institutional members. KMPF delivers its programmes through four partner universities — Canterbury Christ Church University (host), University of Kent, University for the Creative Arts, and University of Greenwich — alongside two further education college groups (EKC Group, MidKent College) and 45 partner schools.

The core product portfolio consists of human-delivered outreach programmes targeting specific underserved populations: Future You (for FE college students, engaging over 3,800 students since 2017), Opening Doors (for care-experienced young people), Change Makers (civic engagement with Canterbury Christ Church University), Inspiring Minds (aspiration raising), the Boys' Impact Hub (boys from lower socio-economic areas), SEND Transitions support, and Service Children outreach. Supporting infrastructure includes the One in Five podcast for disabled students (produced with Go Higher West Yorkshire and UniTasterDays), the KMPF Activity Portal for event booking hosted by partner universities, and a monthly MailChimp newsletter. Activity tracking is conducted through the HEAT (Higher Education Access Tracker) system, which has over 100 member institutions.

The business model is publicly funded through the Uni Connect programme, administered by the Office for Students (OfS) — a national policy initiative for widening participation in higher education. All services are provided free of charge to schools, colleges, and students. KMPF operates with 8 staff, is hosted and administered by Canterbury Christ Church University, and has no venture, private equity, or external investment ownership. Revenue is not disclosed and the organisation functions as a coordination layer rather than a commercial enterprise, with its value measured in student engagement metrics and partner university Access and Participation Plan delivery rather than financial return.

Name

Kent and Medway Progression Federation (KMPF)

Legal name

Kent and Medway Progression Federation

Website

https://kmpf.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Kent and Medway Progression Federation (KMPF) is a not-for-profit educational partnership coordinating outreach programmes to increase higher education participation among underrepresented students across Kent and Medway, delivered through four universities, FE colleges, and 45 partner schools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Outreach Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

School Counseling & Guidance Services (Academic/Social-Emotional) (EDAJALAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

STEM, Digital Skills & Innovation Partnerships (EDADALAJ), Special Education (SPED), IEP & Accessibility/Assistive Technology (EDAJAMAH)

Keywords

• Higher education outreach
• Widening participation programmes
• University access support
• Educational partnership services
• School outreach programmes

Headquarters

HQ city

Canterbury

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Uni Connect Funding: KMPF receives funding through the Uni Connect programme, which is a national outreach initiative funded by the Office for Students (OfS) to support collaborative regional outreach and widening participation activity.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

KMPF is a collaborative educational partnership delivering free outreach programmes that increase higher education participation among underrepresented students in Kent and Medway. Working through four partner universities (Canterbury Christ Church University, University of Kent, University for the Creative Arts, University of Greenwich), 45 schools, and 3 FE college groups, KMPF delivers named programmes such as Future You, Opening Doors, Change Makers, and Inspiring Minds. All services are provided at no cost to schools, colleges, and students, funded through the Office for Students' Uni Connect programme.

Product overview

Kent and Medway Progression Federation (KMPF) operates as a collaborative educational partnership rather than a traditional technology product company. Its core offerings consist of educational outreach programmes designed to increase higher education participation among underrepresented students in Kent and Medway. The portfolio includes Future You (FE college outreach), Opening Doors (care-experienced students), Change Makers (civic engagement), Inspiring Minds (aspiration raising), and the One in Five Podcast (SEND support). These are supplemented by an Activity Portal for event registration and a monthly newsletter. All programmes are delivered in partnership with universities (Canterbury Christ Church University, University of Kent, University for the Creative Arts, University of Greenwich), further education colleges, and schools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Future You A flagship outreach programme specifically designed for Further Education (FE) colleges in Kent and Medway that tackles barriers preventing FE students from considering higher education by equipping them with self-awareness, knowledge, and confidence to make informed decisions about their futures. The programme delivers six interlinked sessions and has engaged over 3,800 students across colleges, schools, and community settings since its inception in 2017.
• Opening Doors A collaborative outreach project for care-experienced young people that includes a three-part programme for foster carers and professionals, as well as the Spring School programme providing direct intervention and exposure to university life. Co-delivered with Canterbury Christ Church University, University for the Creative Arts, and the University of Kent.
• Change Makers A programme delivered in partnership with Canterbury Christ Church University that helps students develop confidence, creativity, and civic awareness by tackling societal and environmental issues including animal cruelty, LGBTQ+ support, knife crime, homelessness, and climate change.
• Inspiring Minds An outreach programme that has demonstrated positive impacts on student confidence, participation, and attainment through structured, research-led interventions in schools across Kent and Medway. Led by Canterbury Christ Church University as part of the KMPF partnership.
• One in Five Podcast A six-episode university support podcast created by disabled students for disabled students who are considering university, produced in partnership with Go Higher West Yorkshire and UniTasterDays. The series shares lived experiences of disabled students covering topics including disability identification, university support, and decision-making.
• Activity Portal An online portal containing information about events and activities open to pupils in secondary schools, hosted by KMPF's university partners including Canterbury Christ Church University, the University for the Creative Arts, and the University of Kent. Used for online booking of outreach events and activities.
• Monthly Newsletter A monthly e-newsletter providing updates on KMPF activities and relevant sector information, with occasional special editions covering outreach activities, sector information, and opportunities. Powered by MailChimp marketing automation platform and available to both partner and non-partner audiences.
• Uni Connect Programme A national programme focused on increasing the number of underrepresented students progressing to higher education, working in partnership with multiple universities and colleges. KMPF delivers its Uni Connect activities across Kent and Medway including campus visits, masterclasses, mentoring, ambassador programmes, and sustained outreach at key transition points.

Named customers1 record

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Voice 21minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Voice 21 is part of the national steering group for the National Oracy Forum launched by Canterbury Christ Church University, an initiative that builds on KMPF's existing outreach and research activity in oracy programmes.
• Go Higher West YorkshireminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Go Higher West Yorkshire partnered with KMPF to collaboratively produce the 'One in Five' podcast series sharing lived experiences of disabled students in higher education.
• Higher Education Access Tracker (HEAT)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2014HEAT is a tracking system used by over 100 KMPF members to track and evaluate the impact of widening participation activities designed to enable progression. The system enables evidence-based practice and learner tracking across the partnership.
• Canterbury Christ Church UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2001Canterbury Christ Church University (CCCU) is the host organization for KMPF, providing administrative infrastructure including data protection oversight. CCCU leads outreach programmes including Inspiring Minds and Change Makers, and co-delivers the Opening Doors programme for care-experienced students. The partnership has been sustained for 25 years.
• University of KentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2001University of Kent is a key partner university hosting KMPF's Medway campus activities. The institution co-chairs the Kent and Medway Boys' Impact Hub with KMPF and delivers Spring School visits and foster carer workshops at its Canterbury and Medway campuses.
• University for the Creative Arts (UCA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2001University for the Creative Arts partners with KMPF to deliver outreach activities and hosts Spring School visits. UCA co-delivers the Opening Doors programme for care-experienced students and is part of the Future You programme collaboration.
• University of GreenwichcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2001University of Greenwich partners with KMPF on the STEM Attainment Raising Programme, which was shortlisted for the HEIST Awards 2026. The university also partners on the SEND Transitions Conference and delivers outreach through its Medway campus.
• EKG GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2001EKG Group (EKC Group) is a Further Education college group partner in the Future You programme collaboration, contributing to outreach delivery for FE students in Kent and Medway.
• MidKent CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2001MidKent College is a Further Education college partner in the Future You programme collaboration, supporting outreach delivery for FE students.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Higher York: Regional widening participation partnership serving the York and North Yorkshire area, working with local universities, colleges and schools under the Uni Connect framework. A geographically adjacent regional peer using similar partnership and HEAT-enabled outreach models.

Direct peers

• Realising Opportunities: Consortium of research-intensive universities collaborating to widen participation and support students from underrepresented groups to access leading universities. Comparable to KMPF as a university-led widening participation programme using HEAT-aligned tracking.
• The Brilliant Club: UK non-profit that recruits and places doctoral researchers to deliver taught university-style courses to school pupils from underrepresented backgrounds. Directly comparable to KMPF in mission (widening access to higher education) and target audience (school students from low-progression areas).
• IntoUniversity: National education charity operating local centres that provide academic tutoring, mentoring, and university application support to underrepresented young people. A direct peer to KMPF in mission and target cohorts, though operating through a centre-based rather than partnership-federation model.
• Shaping Futures (West Midlands): West Midlands Uni Connect partnership bringing together universities, FE colleges, schools and employers to support underrepresented students' progression to higher education. Direct structural peer to KMPF as a regional Uni Connect partnership using the HEAT data system.
• Go Higher West Yorkshire: Uni Connect partnership covering West Yorkshire, working with regional universities, FE colleges and schools to widen participation in higher education among underrepresented students. KMPF partnered with Go Higher West Yorkshire on the One in Five podcast, making it a near-twin regional widening participation partnership.

Others

• National Education Opportunities Network (NEON): UK-wide professional organisation supporting those working in widening participation and fair access to higher education. Awarded KMPF's Future You the Widening Access Initiative Award in 2024; functions as a sector body and convening hub rather than a direct delivery peer.
• Aimhigher (national programme): The original national widening participation programme (2001-2011) from which KMPF directly evolved. While no longer operating as a national scheme, it is the conceptual and historical predecessor of KMPF and shaped the regional partnership model.

Broad incumbents

• Sutton Trust: Major UK social mobility charity focused on improving educational opportunities for young people from low and middle income backgrounds. Operates at national scale with research, programmes, and policy advocacy, making it a broader incumbent in the same widening participation space.
• Association of Colleges (AoC) - HE Outreach Programmes: UK membership body for FE and sixth-form colleges that coordinates college-side widening participation activities and represents them in national policy. Comparable to KMPF in mobilising FE colleges for higher education outreach.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kent-and-medway-progression-federation

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Kent and Medway Progression Federation (KMPF)