What Open Awards does

Open Awards is a UK registered charity and awarding organisation (Charity No. 1113612) founded in 1981 as the Open College Network North West Region and rebranded in 2005. It is headquartered in Speke, Liverpool, with approximately 84 employees, and is regulated by Ofqual, the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA), Qualifications Wales, and the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), holding low-risk regulatory status across each jurisdiction. Its portfolio spans regulated vocational and technical qualifications from Entry Level to Level 7, Access to HE Diplomas, Functional Skills in English and Mathematics, Essential Digital Skills, apprenticeship end-point assessments, micro-credentials, the Skills Passport personalised qualification suite, the Badge of Excellence quality mark, Experienced Worker Assessments, and Quality Endorsed Units.

The organisation operates its own technology stack, including the XAMS Assessment Platform for on-screen and remote assessment delivery, a secure Provider Portal for registrations, results and certification, and a remote invigilation service staffed by live human proctors. It integrates with Skills England for apprenticeship certification, with UCAS for Access to HE progression, with NHS England for funded Functional Skills delivery, and with Creds Vault for digital badge issuance and Safe Exam Browser for controlled assessment environments.

Open Awards earns revenue primarily through per-registration and assessment fees paid by approved providers (colleges, training providers, schools, employers), supplemented by provider approval and annual membership fees, Badge of Excellence accreditation fees, replacement certificate fees, and meeting room hire at its Liverpool office. Its 84-employee operation serves a distributed network of approved providers rather than direct-to-learner sales, with provider onboarding managed through a formal approval process, dedicated Quality and Standards Advisors, and an annual Education Insights summit used for sector engagement.

Name

Open Awards

Legal name

Open Awards

Website

https://openawards.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Open Awards is a UK charity and regulated awarding organisation providing vocational qualifications, Access to HE Diplomas, Functional Skills, and apprenticeship end-point assessments to a network of approved colleges, training providers, schools, and employers across England and Wales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vocational Qualifications and Awarding Body Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710), Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Awarding Organizations & Credentialing Bodies (Certificates/Diplomas) (EDADAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Certification & Licensing Exam Management Platforms (EDAFADAG), Digital Assessment Platforms & Computer-Based Testing Authorities (EDADAFAK), Secure Browser, Device Lockdown & Exam Security Tools (EDAFADAI), Professional & Applied Skills Noncredit Certificates (Non-licensure) (EDAAAEAD)

Keywords

• Regulated qualifications
• Awarding organisation
• Functional skills assessments
• Apprenticeship end-point assessments
• Access to higher education

Headquarters

HQ city

Liverpool

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Qualification and Assessment Fees: Fees charged to providers for learner registrations, assessments, certifications, and examinations across regulated qualifications including Functional Skills, Access to HE, vocational qualifications, and apprenticeship assessments.
2. Provider Approval and Membership Fees: One-off approval fees for becoming an approved provider, plus annual fees for ongoing support, quality assurance, and access to materials. Badge of Excellence-only providers have a shorter, lower-cost approval process.
3. Meeting Room Hire: Revenue from hiring out meeting and training rooms at the Liverpool office, including assessment rooms, large meeting rooms, and smaller conference spaces.
4. Replacement Certificates and Documents: Fees for issuing replacement certificates and learner achievement reports for learners who have lost or misplaced original documents.
5. Badge of Excellence Accreditation: Accreditation fees for the Badge of Excellence quality mark programme, which includes provider approval and per-programme accreditation costs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Open Awards is a UK awarding organisation that designs, develops and certifies regulated qualifications — including Vocational and Technical Qualifications, Access to HE Diplomas, Functional Skills, Essential Digital Skills, and Apprenticeship End-Point Assessments — delivered through a network of approved training providers, colleges, schools, employers and apprenticeship providers. It also operates the XAMS on-screen assessment platform, Remote Invigilation, micro-credentials, and the Skills Passport, enabling flexible, accessible certification for learners from pre-16 through to higher education.

Product overview

Open Awards is an awarding organisation offering a comprehensive portfolio of regulated qualifications, non-regulated credentials, and assessment services. The core offerings include Vocational and Technical Qualifications across multiple sectors, Access to HE Diplomas for adult learners progressing to higher education, and Functional Skills qualifications in English, Mathematics, and Digital Skills from Entry Level to Level 2. These are complemented by apprenticeship end-point assessments, micro-credentials with digital badges, Skills Passport personalised qualification bundles, Experienced Worker Assessments for those with job experience but no formal qualifications, and Quality Endorsed Units for bespoke course creation. Supporting infrastructure includes the XAMS Assessment Platform for online testing and the Provider Portal for administrative management. Remote invigilation services using live human proctors provide flexible assessment options. Additional offerings include the Badge of Excellence quality mark for non-regulated training and meeting room hire at the Liverpool office. The portfolio serves schools, colleges, training providers, employers, and individual learners across the UK education and skills sector.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Access to HE: Access to Higher Education Diplomas providing flexible routes into higher education for adult learners.
• Functional Skills
• Badge of Excellence
• Skills Passport
• Micro-credentials
• XAMS

Products and services

• Vocational and Technical Qualifications A portfolio of Ofqual-regulated vocational and technical qualifications designed for learners aged 14+ and delivered through approved centres, supporting progression into employment and further study.
• Access to HE Diplomas Access to Higher Education Diplomas validated by the QAA, preparing adult learners for entry into university-level study.
• Apprenticeship End-Point Assessments Independent End-Point Assessment (EPA) services for apprenticeship standards, delivered on behalf of employers and apprenticeship training providers to confirm occupational competence.
• Functional Skills Ofqual-regulated Functional Skills qualifications in English, Mathematics and ICT at Entry Level through Level 2, available on-screen via XAMS or as paper-based assessments.
• Essential Digital Skills Regulated Essential Digital Skills qualifications supporting everyday digital capability for learners and the workforce.
• NHS England Functional Skills Assessments Functional skills assessment provision delivered in partnership with NHS England to support workforce upskilling across the NHS.
• Micro-credentials Short, focused accredited micro-credentials providing learners with recognition of specific skills and knowledge.
• Skills Passport A learner-facing record of achievement issued through Open Awards to evidence skills and qualifications gained over time.
• Badge of Excellence A free Open Awards recognition scheme awarding digital badges to learners who complete qualifying achievement milestones.
• Experienced Worker Assessments Assessment of experienced workers against occupational competence standards, enabling recognition of prior workplace skills.
• Quality Endorsed Units Quality Endorsed Units enabling organisations to evidence and certify workforce development and training activity through Open Awards.
• XAMS Assessment Platform Open Awards' proprietary online assessment platform enabling providers and learners to book, sit and receive results for regulated on-screen assessments.
• Remote Invigilation Human-proctored remote invigilation of Open Awards on-screen assessments, enabling learners to sit regulated assessments from any location with integrity safeguards including the Safe Exam Browser.
• Open Awards Portal An online portal through which approved centres manage learner registrations, certifications, quality assurance and account administration.
• eLearning Shop An online shop providing digital learning resources and materials to support delivery of Open Awards qualifications.
• Meeting Room Hire Tiered meeting and event room hire at Open Awards' Liverpool office, available to external organisations and providers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 77.3% acceptance rate for Access to HE learners to higher education (2024)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• NHS EnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to provide fully funded Functional Skills assessments to NHS employers and small businesses delivering NHS services at no additional cost. Available until 31st March 2027 for eligible employees who require assessment to progress and are ready to sit an assessment.
• Pass Functional SkillssupportingTechnology or IntegrationPartnership to offer a free Functional Skills diagnostic tool to all Open Awards providers. Helps determine learner level and readiness for Functional Skills assessments.
• Creds VaultsupportingTechnology or IntegrationDigital badge platform for issuing and verifying micro-credentials and training achievements. Badges include embedded metadata, secure online verification, and LinkedIn sharing capabilities.
• Skills EnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment body responsible for apprenticeship certification. Open Awards claims apprenticeship completion certificates from Skills England, which processes and issues certificates within 15 working days.
• UCAScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Access to HE Diploma results processing. Open Awards submits results to UCAS by 21 July annually, enabling Access to HE learners to progress to higher education.
• Liverpool Hope UniversitysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration through Education Insights event featuring speakers from Liverpool Hope University discussing topics including AI in education, climate anxiety, and professional development.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• City & Guilds: One of the UK's largest and oldest awarding organisations, offering a much broader vocational, apprenticeship, and digital credential portfolio. Overlaps significantly with Open Awards across Functional Skills, vocational qualifications, and EPAs but at much greater scale.
• Pearson (Edexcel & BTEC): Global incumbent delivering vocational qualifications (BTEC), Functional Skills, and apprenticeships. Competes with Open Awards in vocational and Functional Skills segments but operates at vastly greater scale and breadth.

Direct peers

• NCFE: UK's largest charity awarding organisation offering vocational qualifications, Functional Skills, and Access to HE. Closely comparable to Open Awards in charitable structure, regulated qualification portfolio, and provider-network GTM.
• NOCN: Not-for-profit awarding organisation covering vocational qualifications, apprenticeships, and Functional Skills. Comparable to Open Awards in product breadth, regulated status, and provider-led distribution model.
• Training Qualifications UK (TQUK): Ofqual-regulated awarding organisation offering vocational qualifications, End-Point Assessments, and Functional Skills across an approved provider network. Similar size and product mix to Open Awards.
• FutureQuals: Ofqual-recognised awarding organisation delivering vocational, apprenticeship, and Functional Skills qualifications. Similar scale, regulated portfolio, and provider-network model.
• Skills and Education Group Awards: Awarding body offering vocational and professional qualifications with a strong focus on adult learners and skills-based pathways. Directly comparable portfolio and target provider base.
• AIM Awards: Not-for-profit awarding organisation offering regulated qualifications across multiple sectors with strong Access to HE and vocational coverage. Closely mirrors Open Awards' charitable model and qualification breadth.
• Highfield Qualifications: Ofqual-regulated awarding body offering vocational, apprenticeship, and compliance qualifications. Comparable to Open Awards in regulated portfolio and provider-channel go-to-market.

Regional players

• OCN London: London-based Open College Network awarding Access to HE and vocational qualifications. Same lineage as Open Awards (formerly part of the OCN network) but focused on the London region rather than North West/multi-region delivery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/open-awards
• Instagraminstagram.com/openawardsuk

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 Open Awards