The Centre For Transforming Access And Student Outcomes In Higher Education

What The Centre For Transforming Access And Student Outcomes In Higher Education does

TASO (The Centre for Transforming Access and Student Outcomes in Higher Education) is an independent UK registered charity (Charity number: 1193025) and a designated What Works Centre within the UK government's What Works Network. Founded in 2019 by a consortium of King's College London, Nottingham Trent University, and the Behavioural Insights Team, and operating independently since 2021, TASO generates and synthesises evidence on what works to reduce equality gaps in UK higher education access, success, and progression for disadvantaged and underrepresented groups. Its core customers are UK higher education providers — universities and colleges seeking to evaluate widening participation, student mental health, ethnicity degree-awarding gaps, disabled student outcomes, and employability interventions — alongside outreach practitioners, academic researchers, evaluators, and policy professionals.

The organisation's product surface consists of two synthesised evidence toolkits (student access/success/progression and student mental health), a four-step Monitoring and Evaluation Framework (MEF), interactive practitioner tools (Theory of Change Builder, Mapping Outcomes and Activities Tools, Access and Success Questionnaire), methodological guides (Data Insights Guide, Administrative Data Guide), evaluation templates, and an upcoming searchable Higher Education Evaluation Library (HEEL) being co-developed with the Higher Education Access Tracker. Methodologically, TASO specialises in causal evidence generation using RCTs, quasi-experimental designs, and theory-based evaluation, with practitioner access to UK administrative datasets (LEO, NPD, HESA, UCAS, HEAT).

Commercially, TASO operates a hybrid funding model: its primary revenue is government grant funding from the Office for Students, supplemented by paid sector-wide evaluation training sessions (theory of change, RCTs, quasi-experimental designs, data visualisation) and bespoke provider training delivered online or in-person. Core guidance, reports, evidence toolkits, and most tools are freely accessible on the TASO website, while training and bespoke commissions are paid. Reach is delivered through direct website access, annual conferences, the Sector Network community, email newsletters, organic social (Twitter/X, Bluesky, YouTube, LinkedIn), and direct outreach to higher education institutions via open calls and invitations to tender.

Name

The Centre For Transforming Access And Student Outcomes In Higher Education

Legal name

Centre for Transforming Access and Student Outcomes in Higher Education

Website

https://taso.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

TASO is an independent UK charity and What Works Network affiliate that generates evidence, evaluation frameworks, and practitioner tools to help UK higher education providers reduce equality gaps in access, success, and progression for disadvantaged and underrepresented student groups.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Research and Evaluation Services

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Behavioral Health & MTSS/RTI Tiered SEL Supports (EDAKAMAE)

Keywords

• Higher education research
• Evidence synthesis
• Evaluation methodology
• Widening participation
• Student outcomes research

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Office for Students grant funding: As a registered charity (Charity number: 1193025) funded by the Office for Students, TASO's primary revenue is government grant funding for building evidence on what works to reduce equality gaps in higher education.
2. Training sessions and workshops: TASO offers paid-for evaluation training sessions open to the whole sector, including theory of change training, implementation and process evaluation, data visualisation, and bespoke training tailored to specific providers. Pricing varies by format (online/in-person) and session length.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

TASO is an independent charity and the What Works Centre for higher education access and student outcomes, providing evidence toolkits, evaluation frameworks, interactive tools, and training to help UK higher education providers reduce equality gaps. Its core products are freely available practitioner resources, complemented by paid-for evaluation training and commissioned flagship evaluation projects conducted in partnership with universities and independent evaluators.

Product overview

TASO offers a suite of evidence-based resources, toolkits, and evaluation frameworks designed to help higher education providers reduce equality gaps. The core offerings include two evidence toolkits (student access/success/progression and student mental health), a Monitoring and Evaluation Framework (MEF) with four steps, and interactive tools including a Theory of Change Builder and Mapping Outcomes and Activities Tools (MOATs). Additional resources include the Access and Success Questionnaire (ASQ), Data Insights Guide, and Administrative Data Guide. An upcoming resource is the Higher Education Evaluation Library (HEEL), a searchable database of evaluations. The organization also provides evaluation templates and bespoke training services. TASO functions as an affiliate member of the UK's What Works Network, focused on building causal evidence and promoting evidence-informed practice in higher education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Evidence toolkit: Student access, success and progression An evidence synthesis resource summarising existing research on approaches to widening participation and student success for disadvantaged and underrepresented groups, with evidence ratings. It is freely available to UK higher education providers and practitioners.
• Evidence toolkit: Student mental health A toolkit synthesising existing research measuring the impact of student mental health interventions in higher education, organised by intervention approach and student life cycle. It is freely available to UK higher education providers.
• Monitoring and Evaluation Framework (MEF) A four-step evaluation framework guiding practitioners through diagnosis, planning, measurement and reflection to assess interventions targeting equality gaps. It is freely available to higher education practitioners.
• Theory of Change Builder An interactive online tool that allows practitioners to create theory of change diagrams for their interventions, helping design evaluations. It is freely available to higher education practitioners.
• Mapping Outcomes and Activities Tools (MOATs) Typology tools providing practitioners and evaluators with consistent categories for pre-entry, post-entry, and attainment-raising activities and links to suggested outcome measures. It is freely available to higher education practitioners.
• Access and Success Questionnaire (ASQ) A questionnaire tool designed to measure outcomes for access and student success interventions. It is freely available to higher education practitioners and evaluators.
• Data Insights Guide (DIG) A technical guide including a flowchart to help practitioners choose appropriate evaluation designs including randomised controlled trials, quasi-experimental designs, or theory-based methods. It is freely available.
• Administrative Data Guide A practical guide for using administrative data to conduct research or evaluate interventions designed to reduce equality gaps in higher education, covering datasets such as NPD, HESA, LEO, UCAS, and HEAT. It is freely available.
• Evaluation Templates and Protocols Templates including an evaluation plan template, protocol templates, and report templates to help practitioners design, specify, and report planned evaluations. Freely available to the higher education sector.
• Sector-wide evaluation training sessions Regular paid-for evaluation training sessions open to the whole UK higher education sector, covering theory of change, randomised controlled trials, quasi-experimental designs, theory-based evaluation for small cohorts, implementation and process evaluation, and data visualisation.
• Bespoke evaluation training Tailored evaluation training sessions designed to meet the specific needs of individual higher education providers, delivered online or in-person at a range of price points from shorter workshops to all-day training sessions.
• Commissioned flagship evaluation projects Flagship evaluation projects pairing independent evaluators with UK higher education providers to evaluate the impact of access, success, and progression interventions, established through open calls and invitations to tender.

Quantifiable outcome

• Graduates from free school meal backgrounds earn substantially more than non-graduate peers; higher education narrows employment gaps from ~10pp to ~4pp between FSM and non-FSM eligible individuals
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• ImpactEd EvaluationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 April 2026TASO commissioned ImpactEd Evaluation (led by Dr Lauren Bellaera, Director of Research) to review best practice in evidence synthesis and evidence toolkits across the What Works Network and beyond, to inform the development of TASO's evidence toolkit.
• King's College LondoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019King's College London was one of three founding consortium partners (alongside Nottingham Trent University and the Behavioural Insights Team) when TASO was established in 2019. TASO's Director of Evaluation is based at King's College London's Policy Institute, and TASO collaborates with King's on joint research initiatives including outreach programmes and mental health analytics projects.
• Nottingham Trent UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Nottingham Trent University was one of three founding consortium partners when TASO was established in 2019. The university continues to participate in TASO's work, including the Board of Trustees and commissioned evaluation projects.
• Behavioural Insights TeamcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019The Behavioural Insights Team (BIT) was one of three founding consortium partners when TASO was established in 2019, bringing expertise in behavioural science and evaluation methodology.
• Higher Education Access Tracker (HEAT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTASO is developing the Higher Education Evaluation Library (HEEL) with HEAT — an online, freely accessible, searchable database of evaluations focused on access, success, and progression interventions. Once populated, HEEL will enable cross-sector analysis of evaluation findings.
• National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTASO partnered with NIESR to evaluate 'Succeed at Leicester' (with University of Leicester) and 'Tailored Transitions' (with Middlesex University), providing independent evaluation expertise alongside the higher education providers.
• VerianminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTASO partnered with independent evaluation agency Verian to evaluate the University of Nottingham's 'Launch transition' programme.
• Advance HEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn 2023-24, TASO commissioned Advance HE alongside Staffordshire University to produce theories of change and evaluation plans for interventions addressing the ethnicity degree awarding gap.
• City, University of LondonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTASO partners with City, University of London to offer work placements for second-year undergraduate students on the Q-Step data analytics pathway. Students work one day a week with TASO's Research and Evaluation team during the second term.
• Policy Institute at King's College LondoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Policy Institute at King's College London carried out evaluations at three universities testing the effectiveness of analytics systems for identifying students with poor wellbeing. TASO also collaborated with the Policy Institute on student mental health research, including analysis showing the share of undergraduates reporting mental health difficulties rose from 6% to 16%.
• UK Government's What Works NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTASO is an affiliate member of the UK government's What Works Network, which focuses on developing robust causal evidence alongside insights from qualitative research. This affiliation provides institutional legitimacy and alignment with government evidence standards.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/taso_he
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@taso2438
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/taso

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Centre For Transforming Access And Student Outcomes In Higher Education