Heriot-Watt University Sports Union

What Heriot-Watt University Sports Union does

Heriot-Watt University Sports Union is a Scottish registered charity (SC000278) and the student-led sports organisation affiliated with Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh. Founded circa 1966, it supports 34 student-led sports clubs — spanning recreational to elite competitive pathways — and operates an annual cycle built around Welcome Week taster sessions, the Watt Welcome Fair, club competition in BUCS and Scottish Student Sport leagues, and a calendar of social events (Sports Ball, Ceilidh, Strictly Come Dancing). The Sports Union coordinates the WattMark Club Development Programme (Gold/Silver/Bronze accreditation), a Sports Performance Scholarship scheme for elite athletes, and a volunteering/coaching pipeline that channels over 21,000 hours annually from 300+ student volunteers.

The underlying operating technology is the Our Oriam mobile application (available on iOS and Android, developed on the Innovatise platform), which serves as the primary distribution and membership-management layer. Students purchase an Oriam student membership (frozen at the prior year's prices) through the app, then subscribe to any number of Sports Union clubs from £10 per year, and book activities, taster sessions, and facility access within the same interface. Oriam — Scotland's Sports Performance Centre, located on the Edinburgh campus — provides the physical infrastructure (sports halls, indoor pitches, gym, hydrotherapy pool) and is closely intertwined with the Union (a former Sports Union President, Ross Campbell, became Oriam's Executive Director in 2017).

The business model is a non-profit subscription/event hybrid. Revenue is generated through (1) annual student memberships and per-club fees from £10, (2) ticket and ancillary revenue from social and awards events, and (3) charitable fundraising (e.g., Movember, Strictly Come Dancing for Lothian Disability Sport), supplemented by block funding/support from Heriot-Watt University. The primary customer segment is the Heriot-Watt student body regardless of sporting ability; secondary segments are student volunteers/coaches and Sports Scholars competing at BUCS/SSS level. GTM is event-driven and bottom-up: free Welcome Week tasters convert to paid memberships at a reported 62% rate, with reinforcement via Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, Strava, and on-campus fairs.

Name

Heriot-Watt University Sports Union

Legal name

Heriot-Watt University Sports Union

Website

https://sportsunion.site.hw.ac.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Heriot-Watt University Sports Union is a Scottish registered charity (SC000278) that runs 34 student-led sports clubs and a sports performance scholarship programme for Heriot-Watt University students, distributing memberships and activity bookings via the Our Oriam mobile app and Oriam campus facilities in Edinburgh.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

University Student Sports Services

NAICS

Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

College/University Athletic Departments & Varsity Programs (MPAKACAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Club Sports Programs (EDALAIAB)

Keywords

• Student sports union
• University athletics
• Sports club membership
• Student recreation programs
• Sports development scheme

Headquarters

HQ city

Edinburgh

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Oriam Student Memberships: Sports Union clubs require valid Oriam membership. Students join Sports Union clubs from as little as £10 with their Oriam membership.
2. Event Revenue: Revenue generated from events including Sports Ball, Strictly Come Dancing, and other social events. Proceeds from some events support charitable causes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The Heriot-Watt University Sports Union is a student-focused organization that provides sport and exercise opportunities for Heriot-Watt University students. It operates over 30 student-led sports clubs spanning recreational to competitive pathways, supported by student memberships, a sports performance scholarship programme, a sector-leading club accreditation scheme (WattMark), volunteering and coaching programmes, and social events. Memberships start from £10 per year when bundled with an Oriam student membership.

Product overview

Heriot-Watt University Sports Union operates as a student-focused organization providing sport and exercise opportunities through a portfolio of offerings. The core product is the Sports Club Membership Programme supporting over 30 student-led clubs across various sports. The Sports Performance Programme (Scholarships) provides elite athlete support, while the WattMark Club Development Programme offers accreditation and development frameworks. The Volunteering & Coaching Programme enables student development through leadership roles. The Sports Ball & Awards Events and Social Events Programme celebrate achievements and build community. Access is facilitated through Student Memberships and the Our Oriam App platform, enabling students to book activities and join clubs from £10 per year.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sports Club Membership Programme Student-led sports clubs providing opportunities for students of all abilities to participate in sports ranging from recreational to competitive levels, with over 30 different clubs supported by the Sports Union.
• Student Memberships (Oriam)

Quantifiable outcome

• 96% of students reported sport had positive impact on wellbeing
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Oriam - Scotland's Sports Performance CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOriam is Scotland's Sports Performance Centre and serves as the primary facility for the Sports Union. Ross Campbell, former Sports Union President, became Executive Director of Oriam in 2017. The partnership provides world-class sports facilities including sports halls, indoor pitches, gym, and hydrotherapy pool. The Sports Union works closely with Oriam on facility programming, strategic infrastructure, and ensuring student sport maintains prominence.
• Lothian Disability SportcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLothian Disability Sport (LDS) is the Sports Union's charity partner. Annual Strictly Come Dancing fundraiser generates proceeds for LDS, raising over £2,000 annually. The partnership supports disability sport in the local community.
• British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBUCS is the governing body for university sport in the UK. Heriot-Watt competes in BUCS leagues and championships across multiple sports, with the Squash and Football programs achieving top national standings.
• Scottish Student Sport (SSS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSSS is the governing body for student sport in Scotland. Heriot-Watt participates in SSS competitions and has won multiple SSS Awards including 5 awards in the 2020/21 awards.
• Movember FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual Movember campaign raising money and awareness for men's health. The Sports Union has raised over £35,000 in previous campaigns, with individual club contributions and SU-wide events like darts tournaments.
• Tennis ScotlandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTennis Scotland collaborates with Heriot-Watt Tennis Club for strategic management and development. The partnership supports the club's long-term growth following the opening of new indoor tennis facilities on campus.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• University of Bath Sport: Direct peer — elite sport-focused UK university consistently finishing top of BUCS rankings with Team Bath sports clubs, performance scholarships and the Team Bath high-performance training environment.
• University of St Andrews Athletic Union: Direct peer — Scottish university student sports union operating club memberships, BUCS participation and a WattMark-like accreditation framework for member clubs at a comparable scale to Heriot-Watt.
• University of Glasgow Sport: Direct peer — large Scottish university sport department delivering club memberships, BUCS/SSS competition and student wellbeing programmes with similar membership tiers and Oriam-equivalent facilities (Garscube Sports Complex).
• Loughborough Students' Union (Sport): Direct peer — UK's leading sport-focused university, operating the largest BUCS programme with 50+ clubs, performance scholarships and elite athlete support — the benchmark for what a scaled UK university sport union can achieve.
• University of Strathclyde Sport: Direct peer — Glasgow-based student sport offering membership programmes, BUCS participation and performance scholarships, competing head-to-head with Heriot-Watt in SSS and BUCS standings.
• University of Leeds Sport: Direct peer — large Russell Group university sport department operating membership programmes, The Edge facility and a broad BUCS portfolio comparable in scale and structure to Heriot-Watt Sports Union.
• University of Bristol Students' Union — Sport: Direct peer — major UK university student sport body with 60+ clubs, BUCS participation and a comparable club development accreditation structure to Heriot-Watt's WattMark scheme.
• University of Edinburgh Sport & Exercise: Direct peer — Edinburgh-based student sports organisation offering a comparable portfolio of club memberships, BUCS competition and social events to a large student population in the same city as Heriot-Watt.
• Durham University Athletic Union: Direct peer — long-established UK collegiate student sport union with 60+ clubs, strong BUCS rankings and member-led volunteering structure analogous to Heriot-Watt's WattMark programme.

Regional players

• Cardiff Metropolitan University Sport: Regional peer — Welsh sport-specialist university that consistently ranks top of BUCS and competes with Heriot-Watt at SSS/BUCS level, but operates primarily in Wales rather than Scotland.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks2 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hwusportsunion
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCL5fnepUZMtMly1LtuR893Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/hwsportsunion
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/heriot-watt-university-sports-union
• Instagraminstagram.com/hwusportsunion

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 Heriot-Watt University Sports Union