UHI Orkney

What UHI Orkney does

UHI Orkney is a public further and higher education institution based in Kirkwall, Orkney Islands, Scotland, operating as an academic partner of the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) partnership. Founded as part of the UHI partnership which achieved full university status in 2011, it functions simultaneously as a college and a university, delivering educational programmes from foundational access courses through vocational qualifications (NC, SVQ, HNC, HND) to undergraduate degrees and PhD-level research. The institution is the sole FE/HE provider on the Orkney Islands and delivers a blended learning model combining face-to-face teaching at its East Road campus with video conferencing and online technologies across the UHI network. Core academic strengths include archaeology (hosting ORCA - Orkney Research Centre for Archaeology), maritime studies, renewable energy and hydrogen training, agronomy, nursing and health/social care, arts, and Northern Studies.

The institution monetises through three primary streams: tuition fees for FE and HE programmes (with fee waiver policies available for eligible FE students), Scottish Funding Council government grants, and ancillary commercial income including room hire (£25-£110 per session) to local businesses. Staff are employees of Orkney Islands Council rather than a separately incorporated entity, meaning the institution operates as a public-sector operational unit affiliated with the UHI partnership rather than an independent corporate. Strategic positioning centres on addressing geographic isolation in the Orkney Islands through remote-friendly blended learning, supporting regional workforce development in healthcare, maritime, and renewable energy sectors, and conducting research tied to Orkney's heritage and natural environment.

UHI Orkney holds a small set of distinctive assets: the world's first MCA-approved hydrogen seafarer training course (developed with EMEC and Orkney Ferries), membership in the Planetary Health Alliance via its One Health research strategy, and £1.17 million in Scottish Government offshore wind skills funding secured in June 2026. According to a 2020 Biggar Economics assessment, the institution contributes £36 million annually to the Orkney economy and supports 180 jobs. Student satisfaction stands at 85% in the 2026 National Student Survey, ranking 5th among 18 Scottish universities. Customer base is distributed across prospective and enrolled students; named customer segments include school leavers, mature returners, career changers, NHS Orkney, and local businesses using venue space. The institution is not venture-backed and operates entirely within the public-sector funding framework.

Name

UHI Orkney

Legal name

UHI Orkney

Website

https://orkney.uhi.ac.uk

Company type

Public

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

UHI Orkney is a public further and higher education institution in Kirkwall, Scotland, operating as an academic partner of the University of the Highlands and Islands. It delivers access programmes through PhD studies via blended learning, with strengths in archaeology, maritime, hydrogen training, and nursing for the Orkney Islands community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Online Divisions of Traditional Universities (Hybrid/Extension) (EDAHALAB)

Keywords

• Further education
• Higher education
• Vocational training
• Maritime training
• Academic research

Headquarters

HQ city

Kirkwall, Scotland

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fees: Revenue from course fees for further education and higher education programs, with fee waiver policies available for eligible FE students.
2. Government Funding: Scottish Funding Council provides funding for further education student outcomes reporting and college operations.
3. Room Hire Services: Business services revenue from hiring rooms (lecture theatres, conference rooms, meeting rooms, restaurant) to local businesses and organisations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

UHI Orkney operates as both a college and a university, delivering further and higher education programs ranging from foundational access courses through vocational qualifications (NC, HNC, HND) to undergraduate and postgraduate degrees up to PhD level. As an academic partner of the University of the Highlands and Islands, it delivers blended learning combining video conferencing, online technologies, and face-to-face teaching, with specialist departments in maritime studies, archaeology, health and social care, art and design, agriculture, and renewable energy/hydrogen training.

Product overview

UHI Orkney is both a college and a university — an academic partner of the University of the Highlands and Islands — offering educational opportunities from foundational access programs through to PhD studies. The institution operates a platform-plus-modules architecture comprising core educational programs (NQ qualifications, vocational training, undergraduate and postgraduate degrees) supported by essential student services (library, counselling, careers, financial support). Specialized offerings include world-leading hydrogen seafarer training and One Health research. Additional services include commercial room hire at the East Road campus and comprehensive student support systems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• UHI Orkney Educational Programs A comprehensive range of further and higher education programs including access courses, vocational qualifications (NC, SVQ, HNC, HND), undergraduate degrees, and postgraduate studies up to PhD level, delivered through blended learning combining video conferencing, online technologies, and face-to-face teaching for school leavers, mature students, career changers, and advanced learners.
• NQ Healthcare - Access to Nursing and Allied Health Professionals

Quantifiable outcome

• 85% overall student satisfaction in 2026 National Student Survey, ranking 5th among 18 Scottish universities
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with EMEC on the HyDIME project for hydrogen seafarer training. EMEC provided training rig facility at Kirkwall Pier Fuel Cell for practical hydrogen bunkering simulation training. This partnership enabled development of the world's first hydrogen seafarer training course approved by MCA.
• Orkney FerriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in HyDIME project to develop hydrogen-powered ferry operations. Crew from MV Shapinsay were the first cohort to complete hydrogen seafarer training. Collaboration focused on integrating hydrogen storage and fuel systems on commercial passenger ferry.
• Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA)coreOthersRegulatory body that supervised virtual assessment of hydrogen seafarer training course and recommended it for official recognition. The course is now a requirement for working on hydrogen-fueled vessels in UK waters.
• Scottish EngineeringmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmployer organisation partner in the Offshore Wind Skills Hub supporting development of skilled workforce for Scotland's offshore wind sector.
• Highlands and Islands EnterprisemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional development partner supporting the Offshore Wind Skills Hub and workforce development initiatives across the Highlands and Islands region.
• Planetary Health AlliancemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUHI became a member of this global network of 550+ universities, research institutes, NGOs and government organisations working on connections between environmental change and human health through its One Health strategy.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SRUC (Scotland's Rural College): Scotland's tertiary provider for land-based, rural, and applied science education, with similar vocational/degree pathways, multiple campuses across rural Scotland, and strong links to industry and government skills programmes.
• UHI Shetland: Fellow remote-island academic partner within the University of the Highlands and Islands, delivering further and higher education in Shetland with similar small-scale, blended-learning operations and shared UHI back-office infrastructure.
• UHI North, West and Hebrides: Multi-campus UHI partner formed from the merger of Lews Castle College and other Western Isles institutions; comparable in serving geographically dispersed rural communities with further and higher education through blended delivery.
• Sabhal Mòr Ostaig: UHI academic partner delivering specialist higher education (Gaelic language, culture, and media) from a remote rural campus — comparable in being a small, niche academic partner operating within the same UHI distributed university model.
• UHI Argyll: UHI partner college serving the Argyll region with further and higher education across multiple dispersed campuses; comparable rural-college profile and reliance on the same UHI partnership infrastructure as UHI Orkney.
• UHI Moray: UHI partner college serving the Moray region with further and higher education courses including vocational pathways; operates the same partnership model, shared systems, and blended learning delivery as UHI Orkney.
• UHI Perth: UHI partner college located in Perth offering further and higher education with similar subject breadth and UHI partnership governance; comparable scale and operational footprint within the same distributed university structure.
• Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS UHI): UHI academic partner specialising in marine science research and postgraduate teaching, with overlapping interests in marine renewables, seafarer training, and Orkney-adjacent energy research that closely mirror UHI Orkney's portfolio.
• UHI Inverness: The largest UHI partner college, offering a comparable further/higher education mix across vocational and academic pathways in the Scottish Highlands, and sharing curriculum, admissions, and student support systems with UHI Orkney.
• NAFC Marine Centre: UHI-affiliated maritime training and research centre in Shetland delivering fisheries, marine, and seafarer vocational courses — directly comparable to UHI Orkney's Maritime Studies specialism and hydrogen seafarer programme.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 UHI Orkney