Educational Institute of Scotland

What Educational Institute of Scotland does

The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS), founded in 1847 and headquartered at 46 Moray Place, Edinburgh, is the largest teaching union in Scotland and the oldest in the world. It represents over 80% of Scotland's teaching professionals across all education sectors — nursery, primary, secondary, special schools, further education colleges (via EIS-FELA), and universities (via EIS-ULA) — through 32 Local Associations covering every Scottish local authority area and area offices in Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Dundee.

EIS's core offering is individual membership delivering union representation, legal advice, professional learning courses, equality networks, four insurance policies (personal effects, malicious damage, third party, personal accident), and the monthly Scottish Educational Journal. Its products are human-delivered services with no proprietary technology; digital channels (member portal, Webex/Zoom meetings, e-bulletins, the 'Still We Rise' podcast) are standard SaaS rather than differentiated technology. The union runs major campaigns (workload, pay, 'Let's Change the Story' anti-disinformation) and maintains majority representation on the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT), where it negotiates pay and conditions with COSLA and the Scottish Government on behalf of all Scottish teachers.

The revenue model is straightforward subscription-based, funded principally by member contributions. Full-time teachers pay £162.64 annually by direct debit (£197.14 otherwise), with Local Association additions bringing the total to £178–£228 depending on area code. Students, probationers, and the first months of new FELA/ULA members are free, creating a structured lifecycle pricing funnel. Secondary revenue comes from investment income on union funds, professional learning course fees, and the EIS Extra discount program. As a nonprofit member-owned union with no parent company, no external shareholders, and no funding rounds, EIS is funded entirely by these internal sources.

Name

Educational Institute of Scotland

Legal name

The Educational Institute of Scotland

Website

https://eis.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1847

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Educational Institute of Scotland is Scotland's largest teaching union, founded 1847, representing over 80% of the country's 60,000+ teachers and lecturers through individual subscription membership delivered via 32 Local Associations and self-governing FELA/ULA sub-brands for FE and HE sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Edinburgh

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Principal revenue source from members' contributions. National subscription is discounted for direct debit payment at £162.64 annually or £15.47 monthly. Non-discounted annual rate is £197.14. Local Association subscriptions vary by area. Optional Political Fund contribution of £1.80 per annum. Full-time and part-time rates apply based on employment percentage.
2. Investment Income: Investment income received by various funds of the union, supplementing membership contributions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) is a trade union providing membership services to teachers, lecturers, and student teachers in Scotland. Its core offering includes collective representation, pay and conditions negotiation through the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT), legal advice, professional learning, insurance coverage, and advocacy campaigns. The union covers school teachers, further education lecturers (via EIS-FELA), and university lecturers (via EIS-ULA).

Product overview

The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) is a trade union, not a software product company. The organization offers a unified membership service providing union representation, professional support, and benefits to Scotland's teachers and lecturers. The core product is EIS membership, with specialized sub-brands for further education (EIS-FELA) and higher education (EIS-ULA) lecturers. Additional offerings include professional learning courses, legal advice services, insurance coverage, and various equality and professional networks. The organization publishes the Scottish Educational Journal and runs advocacy campaigns on behalf of members.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EIS-FELA (Further Education Lecturers Association): A self-governing body within the EIS open to all College Lecturers in Scotland. It is the sole representative body for lecturing staff in Scotland with a branch in every further education college.
• EIS-ULA (University Lecturers Association)

Products and services

• EIS Membership Trade union membership providing representation, legal advice, professional support, pay negotiation through SNCT, health and safety support, and insurance coverage for teachers and lecturers in Scotland.
• Probationer Membership

Quantifiable outcome

• 93% voting in favour of Action Short of Strike; 85% backing strike action on 60% turnout in workload ballot
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEIS has been a full part of the trade union movement in Scotland since the 1970s through affiliation to STUC, participating in campaigns and collective action
• Trades Union Congress (TUC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEIS maintains UK-wide union connections through TUC affiliation, participating in national trade union activities and campaigns
• Education International (EI) and European Trade Union Committee for EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEIS participates internationally through Education International and ETUCE, connecting Scottish education with global union movement
• TIE (Time for Inclusive Education)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on 'Let's Change the Story in Your School' project to address prejudicial disinformation through staff development sessions
• Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEIS is the largest union represented on SNCT with overall majority on teachers' side, negotiating pay and conditions for Scottish teachers
• General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEIS supports GTCS elections and works on professional standards and teacher registration matters
• Scottish GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEIS responds to government consultations on education policy and negotiates through SNCT with government representatives
• Education ScotlandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEIS engages with Education Scotland on curriculum and professional learning matters
• Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEIS engages with SQA on assessment arrangements and qualifications for Scottish students
• COSLA (Convention of Scottish Local Authorities)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEIS negotiates pay and conditions with COSLA representing Scottish local authorities through SNCT
• Scottish Public Pensions Agency (SPPA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEIS liaises with SPPA on teacher pension matters and 2015 Remedy implementation
• PM SolutionsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerThird-party processor for posting SEJ magazine and other communications to members
• People ValueminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProvider of EIS Extra discount card benefit program for members
• University Partners for Professional LearningminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with university providers to deliver professional learning opportunities for members

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Voice Community Union: Smaller UK teaching and education professionals' union that competes for the same Scottish educator membership pool. Provides comparable representation and professional support services.
• University and College Union (UCU): UK union for academic and related staff in higher and further education. Overlaps directly with EIS-ULA and EIS-FELA in representing lecturers across Scottish universities and FE colleges.
• National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT): UK-wide teaching union with active Scotland membership competing directly with EIS for Scottish teachers. Both participate in SNCT bargaining and offer overlapping representation, legal support, and professional services.
• National Education Union (NEU): Largest UK teaching union formed from the merger of NUT and ATL. It has a significant Scottish presence and competes with EIS for members across schools, offering similar representation, CPD, and bargaining services.
• Scottish Secondary Teachers' Association (SSTA): Direct competitor to EIS within Scotland, representing secondary teachers specifically. It negotiates alongside EIS on SNCT and competes for the same Scottish secondary teacher membership base, making it the closest comparable peer.

Others

• Prospect Union: UK union representing professionals including some FE/HE specialists. While not a direct teacher competitor, it overlaps with EIS in the FE/HE space and shares the STUC affiliation and broader trade-union infrastructure.

Emerging players

• Chartered College of Teaching: Professional body for teachers in the UK offering CPD, research, and recognition programs. Not a union but an emerging alternative source of professional identity and development that could partially substitute for EIS's professional learning offerings.

Broad incumbents

• GMB Union: Major UK general union with Scottish members in education support roles and broader public services. Operates as a broader incumbent in the same union ecosystem with overlapping affiliation to STUC.
• UNISON: UK's largest public-sector union with substantial Scottish membership among school support staff. While not a direct teacher union, it competes for adjacent education-sector members and shares the broader trade-union value proposition.

Regional players

• Educational Institute of Ireland (ASTI/TUI): Ireland's national teacher unions (ASTI for secondary, TUI for further/higher education). Operate analogous teacher-union models in a separate jurisdiction and serve as useful functional benchmarks for EIS's service mix and bargaining approach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/EISUnion
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/EIS
• Facebookfacebook.com/EISUnion
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/educational-institute-of-scotland

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries2 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 Educational Institute of Scotland