Orkney UHI,

What Orkney UHI, does

UHI Orkney is a public-sector educational institution operating as both a college and a university, and is an academic partner of the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) partnership. The institution serves learners across the Orkney Islands through two campuses located in Kirkwall (main campus at East Road; registered office at School Place) and Stromness, offering programmes from foundational National Qualifications through Higher National Certificates/Diplomas, undergraduate degrees (BSc, BA), and PhD-level research. Core academic areas include archaeology, agronomy, Northern Studies, maritime studies, health and social care, fine art, business, computer science, education (PGDE), and culture and heritage, with research specialisations in archaeology, agronomy, and Northern Studies.

The business model is anchored in public funding channelled through the Scottish Funding Council, supplemented by tuition and course fees (with fee waivers for Further Education students), and ancillary commercial income from room hire at the Kirkwall campus (£35/hour for lecture theatres and conference rooms; £25/hour for meeting rooms). Distribution is primarily direct-to-consumer: Further Education applications are submitted online through the institution's website, degree applications are processed via UCAS, and recruitment combines website content, social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn), community partnerships with local schools through Skills for Work programmes, and engagement with local businesses for workforce development.

Revenue is not publicly disclosed. Biggar Economics assessed that UHI Orkney contributes £36 million annually to the Orkney economy and supports 180 jobs, with the broader UHI partnership contributing £560 million annually across the Highlands and Islands, Moray and Perthshire and supporting 6,200 jobs. Recent strategic activity centres on the renewable energy transition, including the establishment of an Offshore Wind Skills Hub following a £1.17 million award from the Scottish Government's Offshore Wind Skills Programme (June 2026), and the development of a world-first hydrogen seafarer training course in collaboration with EMEC and Orkney Ferries.

Name

Orkney UHI,

Legal name

UHI Orkney

Website

https://orkney.uhi.ac.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

UHI Orkney is a public-sector college and university serving the Orkney Islands, offering programmes from foundational access courses through PhD research in disciplines including archaeology, agronomy, maritime studies, health, and fine art.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

East Road

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Funding: UHI Orkney receives public funding through the Scottish Funding Council for further education and higher education activities. The institution is part of the University of the Highlands and Islands partnership which receives government support.
2. Tuition and Course Fees: Students pay tuition fees for various courses. Fee waiver policies exist for Further Education students. Higher Education fees are governed by separate policies. Student funding support is available through Student Funding office.
3. Room Hire: UHI Orkney offers room hire services to businesses and organisations at its main campus on East Road. Revenue generated from renting lecture theatres, conference rooms, restaurants, and meeting rooms.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

UHI Orkney is a public-sector educational institution (college and university) that delivers further education courses, undergraduate and postgraduate degree programs, vocational qualifications, and research opportunities from foundational access level through PhD studies. It also provides student support services (counselling, library, careers), runs community/business short courses, and offers room hire facilities at its Kirkwall and Stromness campuses. The institution operates as an academic partner of the University of the Highlands and Islands.

Product overview

UHI Orkney is an educational institution operating as both a college and university, part of the University of the Highlands and Islands partnership. It offers a unified educational portfolio consisting of: (1) Core academic programs including National Qualifications (NQ), Higher National Certificates/Diplomas (HNC/HND), and degree programs (BSc, BA) across disciplines such as healthcare, archaeology, art and design, business, construction, and social services; (2) Research programs in agronomy, archaeology, and northern studies; (3) Short courses and evening classes for professional development and community education; (4) Student support services including counselling, health, careers guidance, and library facilities; and (5) Room hire services for local businesses and organisations. The institution serves learners from foundational access levels through to PhD studies, with campuses in Kirkwall and Stromness.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• NQ Healthcare - Access to Nursing and Allied Health Professionals (SCQF Level 6) A full-time Further Education healthcare course designed for students hoping to enter a career in Health Care and in particular Nursing, providing theory and practice both in college and in placement settings. For students aiming to progress to Higher Education nursing programmes.
• Degree Programs (BSc, BA, HNC, HND) Higher education programs including BSc (Hons) Archaeological Science, BA (Hons) Fine Art, HNC Social Services, and other vocational and academic qualifications, delivered through the UHI partnership.
• Research Programs (Agronomy, Archaeology, Northern Studies) Research community focusing on agronomy, archaeology, and northern studies, with collaborations with local communities, businesses, and international partners. Includes PhD research opportunities.
• Short Courses and Evening Classes Flexible learning opportunities for professional development and community education available through business and community programs.
• Room Hire Services Business services offering room hire at the main campus including lecture theatres (£35/hour, £55/half day, £110/full day), conference rooms, restaurants, and meeting rooms (£25/hour, £40/half day, £75/full day) for external organisations.
• Hydrogen Seafarer Training Course World-first hydrogen seafarer training course delivered by UHI Orkney's Maritime Studies department in collaboration with EMEC. Designed to equip seafarers with certifications to operate hydrogen-powered vessels.

Quantifiable outcome

• 85% overall student satisfaction in National Student Survey 2026, ranking 5th among 18 Scottish universities (Scottish sector average: 82%)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

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

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Scottish GovernmentcoreOthers · 22 June 2026Scottish Government awarded £1.17 million from the Offshore Wind Skills Programme (representing nearly 70% of the £1.68 million awarded in round one) to establish the new Offshore Wind Skills Hub. The funding supports developing skilled workforce for Scotland's rapidly growing offshore wind sector.
• UHI (University of the Highlands and Islands)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUHI Orkney is an academic partner of the University of the Highlands and Islands — a diverse and flexible partnership serving communities across the largest geographical area of any campus-based university or college in the UK. The partnership includes multiple academic partners including UHI Argyll, UHI Inverness, UHI Moray, UHI North West and Hebrides, UHI Perth, UHI Shetland, Highland Theological College, Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, and Scottish Association for Marine Science.
• Orkney FerriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Orkney Ferries for hydrogen seafarer training. Crew members from Orkney Ferries' MV Shapinsay completed world-first hydrogen training course developed by UHI Orkney's Maritime Studies department in collaboration with EMEC. Course was supervised virtually by Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) assessors.
• European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration between Orkney College UHI's Maritime Studies department, Orkney Ferries, and EMEC for hydrogen seafarer training development and delivery. EMEC provided training rig facility at Kirkwall Pier Fuel Cell for practical training. EMEC is a key partner in the HyDIME project for hydrogen as marine fuel.
• Scottish EngineeringmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmployer organization partner supporting the Offshore Wind Skills Hub, contributing to industry-led approach for developing offshore wind workforce.
• CECA ScotlandmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConstruction Industry Training Board partner supporting Offshore Wind Skills Hub for workforce development in the offshore wind sector.
• Highland RenewablesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Offshore Wind Skills Hub representing renewable energy industry perspective for skills development.
• Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green FreeportmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner in Offshore Wind Skills Hub contributing to green energy development and economic growth objectives.
• Highlands and Islands EnterprisemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional development organization partner supporting the Offshore Wind Skills Hub and broader economic development initiatives.
• Skills Development ScotlandmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment skills body partner in Offshore Wind Skills Hub supporting career pathways and workforce development for offshore wind sector.
• Planetary Health AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUHI was officially welcomed as a member of the Planetary Health Alliance — a worldwide network of more than 550 universities, research institutes, NGOs, and government organizations working to understand and address connections between environmental change and human health.
• St Magnus WayminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership between Orkney College and St Magnus Way for the 'Words on the Way: A Literary Pilgrimage' project funded by Scottish Book Trust. 20 texts by 13 Orkney writers displayed along 55-mile pilgrimage route.
• Scottish Book TrustminorOthersFunding body for the 'Words on the Way: A Literary Pilgrimage' collaborative project between Orkney College and St Magnus Way.
• Circus ArtspaceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership between UHI and Circus Artspace for the 'Circus Graduates Associates' ten-month professional practice programme for visual art graduates. Supported by XpoNorth and Creative Scotland.
• XpoNorthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreative industries network partner supporting the Circus Graduates Associates programme for visual art graduates.
• Creative ScotlandminorOthersScottish Government arts funding body supporting the Circus Graduates Associates professional development programme for visual art graduates.
• Supergen Offshore Renewable Energy HubmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner£9 million Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council project led by University of Plymouth, funding the V-SCORES project for validating drone-based surface current measurements at offshore renewable energy sites.
• Swansea UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner in V-SCORES project led by UHI scientists, collaborating with Bangor University to trial drone-based tidal current measurement methods.
• Bangor UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner in V-SCORES project for validating drone-based surface current measurements to support marine renewables industry.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Open University: The UK's largest distance-learning university, established in 1969 to deliver higher education to learners regardless of geography. Comparable in mission (widening access to learners in remote regions via blended/online delivery) and overlapping UHI-style curriculum, but operating at significantly greater scale.

Direct peers

• UHI Argyll: UHI academic partner operating across multiple learning centres in Argyll. Comparable as a remote-region UK FE/HE provider relying on the UHI partnership for degree validation and central services.
• UHI Shetland: Academic partner within UHI serving the Shetland Islands. Most comparable peer given the parallel island geography, similar catchment constraints, comparable FE/HE portfolio, and shared reliance on UHI network services.
• UHI Inverness: The largest academic partner within the University of the Highlands and Islands, offering further and higher education across a wide curriculum. Directly comparable as a UHI partner college with overlapping FE/HE provision, applied research, and shared central services.
• UHI Perth: UHI partner institution delivering FE and HE courses from a regional campus in Perth. Comparable as a peer UHI college with similar governance, course breadth, and student support functions.
• Sabhal Mòr Ostaig: UHI academic partner and Scotland's only dedicated Gaelic-medium higher education institution, based on Skye. Comparable as a specialist UHI partner college offering further and higher education in a remote island setting.
• Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS): A UHI academic partner and marine research institute delivering postgraduate research and HE with industry collaborations including marine renewables. Comparable as a research-active UHI partner linked to EMEC and maritime-sector workforce development.
• Highland Theological College: UHI academic partner delivering higher education in theology and related disciplines from a Highland base. Comparable as a small specialist UHI partner with degree-awarding powers through UHI.
• UHI North, West and Hebrides: Merged UHI academic partner covering a dispersed rural and island region across the Northwest and Hebrides. Comparable given the multi-campus rural/island footprint, similar FE/HE curriculum mix, and partnership with UHI central services.
• UHI Moray: UHI academic partner serving Moray with further and higher education provision including degrees and vocational pathways. Comparable in regional scale, course mix, and operating model under the UHI partnership.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/uhi_orkney
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@UHIOrkney/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/uhiorkney
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/orkney-uhi-
• Instagraminstagram.com/uhiorkney

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Orkney UHI,