London Higher
London Higher is the non-profit membership body for over 70 higher education institutions in London, providing policy advocacy, convening, and collaborative programmes on behalf of members serving more than 500,000 students.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What London Higher does
London Higher is the representative, membership-based body for higher education providers in London. Founded in 1999 and structured as a company limited by guarantee and a registered charity (no. 1114873), it convenes more than 70 member institutions, ranging from research-intensive universities such as UCL, King's College London, Imperial College London and LSE, through post-1992 modern universities, to specialist conservatoires, creative arts colleges, postgraduate-only providers and pathway providers. Collectively, its members serve over 500,000 students.
The organisation operates through six core divisions: AccessHE (widening participation), London Healthcare and Medicine, Creative London / creativeLDN, London Medicine, the London Healthcare Education Group, and the wider policy and advocacy function. It runs 12+ professional networks (International, Civic, Enterprise, EDI, Mental Health and Wellbeing, Operations, Policy, Research Excellence, Strategic Planning and Data, Sustainability, Teaching and Learning) and delivers member-facing products including the London Summer Shows calendar, the Study London international recruitment campaign, the Global Majority Mentoring Programme, the Civic Map, the R&D Map of the UK, and an extensive library of policy publications. There is no proprietary software platform or API; the underlying technology footprint is a conventional CMS-based website, newsletter, LinkedIn presence and event registration systems.
London Higher's revenue is derived from membership fees paid by HE institutions, modelled as recurring subscription income, with pricing individually negotiated rather than publicly disclosed. Its go-to-market is community-led: the organisation acquires and retains members through advocacy outcomes (e.g., securing the OfS withdrawal of provider ratings proposals), convening events, policy consultation responses, and cross-sector coordination. It is operationally lean (11–50 employees, headquartered at Woburn House, London) and is governed by a Board of Trustees, currently chaired by Professor Shitij Kapur (Vice-Chancellor of King's College London) with Liz Hutchinson as Chief Executive since 2024.
London Higher firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- London Higher
- Legal name
- London Higher
- Website
- https://londonhigher.ac.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- London Higher is the non-profit membership body for over 70 higher education institutions in London, providing policy advocacy, convening, and collaborative programmes on behalf of members serving more than 500,000 students.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
London Higher industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Higher Education Sector Advocacy
- NAICS
- Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Educational Support Services (611710)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Higher Education Regulators & Tertiary Education Commissions (EDADAAAG)
Keywords
Where London Higher is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
London Higher business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Membership fees: London Higher generates revenue through membership fees paid by higher education institutions across London. The organization advocates for its members, produces policy responses, coordinates collaborative initiatives, and provides networking platforms.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels7 records
London Higher product offering
Product offeringCore offering
London Higher is a non-profit membership body and collective voice for over 70 higher education providers in London, serving more than 500,000 students. It delivers policy advocacy, regulatory representation, professional networks, and coordinated programmes across access, healthcare education, creative industries, international education, sustainability, and research excellence. Revenue is generated primarily through membership fees paid by higher education institutions across the capital.
Product overview
London Higher is the representative body and membership organization for over 70 higher education providers in London, serving over half a million students. Rather than offering a unified software product, it provides a portfolio of programs, divisions, and services including: AccessHE (widening participation), London Healthcare and Medicine Division, and Creative London. Key initiatives include the London Summer Shows (degree show calendar), Study London (international recruitment campaign), creativeLDN (creative industries hub), and the Global Majority Mentoring Programme. The organization operates through multiple professional networks (Civic, Enterprise, EDI, Mental Health, Operations, Policy, Research Excellence, Sustainability, Teaching & Learning, International) and publishes extensive policy research and reports. Its core value proposition is advocacy, convening, and collective impact for London's diverse higher education sector.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- AccessHE: Division focused on widening access to higher education in London.
- London Healthcare and Medicine
- Creative London
- London Medicine
- creativeLDN
Products and services
- Policy and Advocacy Services
- AccessHE Division
Quantifiable outcome
- Secured OfS dropping proposal for overall provider ratings through consultation response
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use London Higher
Customer profileNamed customers16 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
London Higher technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
London Higher partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Greater London Authority (GLA) and London CouncilscoreResponse to the Inclusive Talent Strategy consultation. London Higher welcomed the strategy and committed to working with GLA and London Councils to implement initiatives supporting Londoners' access to education and employment.
- Employers across LondonminorCollaboration to connect graduates with job opportunities and support London's businesses in accessing skilled talent from member institutions.
- BusinessLDNcoreJoint letter to the Chancellor on proposed overseas student levy (July 2025). Collaboration on policy advocacy for London's business and higher education interests.
- London Chamber of Commerce and IndustrycoreJoint letter to the Secretary of State on the Graduate Route, coordinated advocacy on immigration policy affecting international students.
- Further Education Colleges in LondoncoreCollaboration through the 'Talking Tertiary' initiative to strengthen relationships between colleges and universities to better support students, employers, and local communities.
- #WeAreInternational Campaign PartnersminorCross-sector campaign relaunched with multiple partners to celebrate the contribution of international students to the UK, including #WeAreInternational campaign.
- London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI)coreCollaboration on the International Education Strategy for London. LCCI supports the strategy's recommendations including creating a London-wide kitemark for international education pathway providers. Richard Burge, Chief Executive of LCCI, endorsed the strategy and committed to working with London Higher.
- Mayor of LondoncoreInternational Education Strategy recommends Mayor create dedicated resource within GLA for international student campaigns and add research security risks to the London Risk Register.
- UK International Education ChampioncoreStrategy calls for establishing a dedicated International Education Champion for London to support the UK International Education Champion in delivering on international education export targets.
Scale indicators4 records
Expansion highlights5 records
London Higher competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The Russell Group: Represents 24 leading research-intensive UK universities including King's College London, UCL, Imperial and LSE — all of which are London Higher members. Comparable advocacy mission but focused on the research-intensive end of the sector.
- MillionPlus: Membership group of modern universities in the UK. Operates as a peer advocacy coalition for a defined university segment, comparable to London Higher's role representing a defined community of institutions around shared policy interests.
- GuildHE: UK representative body for smaller and specialist higher education institutions including many of the conservatoires and creative arts colleges that London Higher also represents in London. Closely comparable niche advocacy mission within the UK HE sector.
- Universities UK: National membership and policy representative body for UK universities. Most direct analogue to London Higher at national scale, performing the same advocacy, convening and policy coordination function across the entire UK HE sector.
- University Alliance: Mission-led group of UK universities with a strong professional, technical and vocational focus. Operates as a coalition similar in form to London Higher, advocating for a subset of the UK HE sector with distinct policy positions.
Regional players
- American Council on Education (ACE): The principal US coordinating and advocacy body for colleges and universities. International structural analogue to London Higher in terms of convening institutions and shaping HE policy at a regional level.
- European University Association (EUA): Pan-European representative body for universities covering 50 national associations. Operates in the same representative-and-policy-coordination mode as London Higher, but at continental scale and across multiple regulatory jurisdictions.
- Universities Scotland: Representative body for Scotland's HE sector. Closest geographical analogue to London Higher outside London, performing identical sector advocacy and convening functions within a different UK devolved jurisdiction.
Others
- London First: London-focused business and policy member organisation. Analogous in its London-only remit, convening function and direct engagement with the Mayor of London and GLA, though focused on broader business rather than HE specifically.
- Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI): Independent UK HE think tank producing policy research and recommendations. Operates in adjacent terrain to London Higher (HE policy and public commentary), though as a research and advocacy outlet rather than a member-services body.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
London Higher social profiles
Digital presenceLondon Higher compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
London Higher financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
London Higher leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
London Higher subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries6 records
London Higher funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
London Higher M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about London Higher
What does London Higher do?
London Higher is a non-profit membership body and collective voice for over 70 higher education providers in London, serving more than 500,000 students. It delivers policy advocacy, regulatory representation, professional networks, and coordinated programmes across access, healthcare education, creative industries, international education, sustainability, and research excellence. Revenue is generated primarily through membership fees paid by higher education institutions across the capital.
Is London Higher a public or private company?
London Higher is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was London Higher founded?
London Higher was founded in 1999. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is London Higher based?
London Higher is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does London Higher make money?
One revenue line is on record: membership fees.
Who are London Higher's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The Russell Group, MillionPlus, GuildHE, Universities UK and University Alliance. Regional players are American Council on Education (ACE), European University Association (EUA) and Universities Scotland. Others are London First and Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI).
Does London Higher have an API?
No public API is recorded for London Higher.
What industry is London Higher in?
London Higher's product category is Higher Education Sector Advocacy. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDADAAAG, Higher Education Regulators & Tertiary Education Commissions. Its NAICS code is 6113 and its SIC code is 8200.