OCN London

What OCN London does

OCN London (legally The Open College Network London Region) is a not-for-profit awarding organisation founded in 1975 and registered as a charity (No. 1034750) and company (No. 2876147) in England and Wales, headquartered at 70 Gracechurch Street, London. Recognised by Ofqual for regulated qualifications and by QAA for Access to HE Diplomas, it accredits and regulates vocational qualifications, Access to Higher Education Diplomas, microcredentials, bespoke qualifications, apprenticeship end point assessments, digital badges and supporting resources. In 2023/2024 OCN London recorded over 40,000 learner registrations and awarded more than 21,000 regulated qualifications, with its Access to HE learner base skewing toward underrepresented groups (65% BAME, 44% from most deprived areas, 41% with a disability or learning difficulty, 57% aged 21+).

The organisation operates through an approved centre network spanning FE colleges, training providers, schools, sixth forms, employers and international clients, supported by a QuartzWeb portal that handles centre management, learner registrations and certificate claims, plus a Digital Badges platform issuing web-enabled verifiable credentials. Commercial Director Amarjit Dhanjal and CEO Carlos Cubillo-Barsi lead operations under Chair of Trustees James Stockdale (appointed October 2025).

OCN London's revenue model combines per-learner qualification fees (ranging from £23 for a Level 2 Award in eSports to £172 for a Level 6 Diploma in Clinical Canine Behaviour), paid training events for centre staff (£65-£240 per delegate with volume discounts), bespoke accreditation services, digital badge issuance, apprenticeship end point assessment fees, international services, and resource development work. Marketing and customer acquisition are driven primarily through the centre network, supplemented by annual conferences (Access to HE Conference, SEND Conference), webinars, LinkedIn/X organic social, and published case studies. Recent strategic moves include entry into apprenticeship assessment (Chichester College Group, June 2025), the launch of an Online Access to HE Service for the 25/26 academic year, expansion into green skills (Solar Energy UK partnership), and diversification into new verticals such as professional dog training (Victoria Stilwell Academy, May 2026).

Name

OCN London

Legal name

The Open College Network London Region

Website

https://ocnlondon.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

OCN London is a UK not-for-profit awarding organisation (founded 1975) regulated by Ofqual and QAA, accrediting vocational qualifications, Access to HE Diplomas, microcredentials and apprenticeship assessments for FE colleges, training providers, schools and employers across the UK and internationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vocational Qualifications & Awarding Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611), Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Secure Browser, Device Lockdown & Exam Security Tools (EDAFADAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Certification & Exam Prep Course Marketplaces (EDAFAIAJ), Open Accessibility & Inclusive OER (UDL, alt formats) (EDAGAJAJ)

Keywords

• Regulated qualifications
• Access to higher education
• End point assessment
• Awarding organisation
• Microcredentials

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Regulated Qualification Fees: Per-learner fees charged to approved centres for delivering regulated qualifications. Examples include esports qualification at £23 per learner, domestic abuse diploma at £127 per learner. Qualifications are regulated by Ofqual and many are government funded.
2. Training and Events: Fees charged for webinars and workshops for centre staff. Examples: £65 per delegate for Introduction to IQA webinar, £240 per delegate for OCNLR Level 4 Award IQA workshop top-up.
3. Bespoke Qualification Accreditation: Accreditation service for organisations that develop their own courses and training programmes, charged to training providers and employers seeking formal recognition of internal training.
4. Digital Badges: Digital badge issuance and management service, available as part of various products and services to complement qualifications and endorsement offerings.
5. Resources Development: Custom learning materials development service to support delivery of courses, qualifications and training initiatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

OCN London is a not-for-profit awarding organisation that develops, accredits, and awards Ofqual-regulated qualifications, Access to HE Diplomas, bespoke qualifications, microcredentials, and digital badges delivered through a network of approved centres. It charges per-learner qualification fees and accreditation fees to colleges, training providers, schools, and employers, and provides supporting services including end-point assessments, endorsed CPD documentation, international services, and training events.

Product overview

OCN London is a not-for-profit awarding organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of educational products and services. The core offerings include Regulated Qualifications (Ofqual-regulated) and the Access to HE Diploma (a Level 3 qualification for university progression). Supporting products include Bespoke Qualifications (organization-designed and OCN London-accredited), OCN London Endorsed (internal CPD documentation), microcredentials (rapid professional development courses), International Services (global qualification support), and Resources Development (learning material creation). Additional offerings include Digital Badges (web-enabled verifiable credentials), Apprenticeship End Point Assessments, the UK Hospitality Skills Passport, and Resource Packs for centers. The Unit Bank allows centers to search and build customized qualifications from Ofqual-regulated and QAA-regulated units. The portfolio serves FE Colleges, schools, training providers, and employers across sectors including Health & Social Care, Digital, Agriculture, Construction, and more.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• OCN London Endorsed: Service for organisations looking for formal documentation of skills and knowledge gained by employees as part of internal CPD journeys.
• OCN London International

Products and services

• Regulated Qualifications Nationally recognised qualifications regulated by Ofqual covering sectors including Digital, Health and Social Care, Construction, Agriculture, and Supported Learning, designed for delivery through approved centres.
• Access to HE Diploma A nationally recognised Level 3 qualification preparing adults for university degree study, equivalent to A-Levels and included in the UCAS tariff, delivered through 15+ approved centres across the UK.
• Bespoke Qualifications Non-regulated qualifications designed by organisations and accredited by OCN London, providing flexibility for specific organisational training needs and tailored workforce development.
• OCN London Endorsed Formal endorsement service providing documentation of skills and knowledge gained through internal CPD journeys, ideal for organisations seeking recognised credentialing without full qualification accreditation.
• microcredentials Bite-sized, rapid professional development courses created to assist learners in developing in-demand career skills for career progression, available across sectors.
• International Services Global services offering flexible solutions to support overseas organisations with qualifications and training programmes, delivered by OCN London's International Services team operating across the globe.
• Resources Development Service supporting preparation of learning materials including schemes of work, lesson plans, teaching resources, learner activities, and assessments to aid course delivery.
• Apprenticeship Assessments (EPA) End Point Assessment services for apprenticeship standards, offering national delivery of assessment solutions across various apprenticeship frameworks, including the first formal agreement with Chichester College Group for Creative Apprenticeship Standards signed in June 2025.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40,000+ learner registrations in 2023/2024
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 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

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Victoria Stilwell AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 May 2026External accreditation partnership for Victoria Stilwell Academy's Dog Trainer Course at Level 5. OCN London worked with VSA for nearly a year before awarding the Level 5 qualification, providing independent quality assurance review of curriculum, assessment and learning outcomes.
• Chichester College GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 June 2025OCN London's first formal Apprenticeship Assessments agreement with Chichester College Group, a leading provider rated Ofsted Outstanding for apprenticeship provision. The partnership enables delivery of several Creative Apprenticeship Standards for which OCN London is the approved assessor.
• South Thames College GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership on developing a new solar skills training programme including 30-hour Introduction to Solar Technology bootcamp and 60-hour MCS solar technology and energy storage installation standards bootcamp, with support from the Mayor of London.
• Solar Energy UKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry partnership for solar skills development curriculum and training material development, part of Mayor Sadiq Khan's Accelerated Green plan to reach 1.5 gigawatts of installed solar capacity by 2030.
• Eat That FrogminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with innovative alternative education centre in Devon founded in 2011, focused on people, values and quality. OCN London provides flexible qualifications from entry-level to Access to HE, supporting learners with special educational needs to overcome barriers to education and employment.
• FutureDotNowminorOthersPartner organisation supporting digital skills and workforce development initiatives.
• Essex Chambers of CommerceminorOthersProud member organisation supporting business development and skills in Essex region.
• Association For Accredited LearningminorOthersPartner organisation in the accredited learning sector.
• London Chamber of Commerce and IndustryminorOthersRecognised for innovation with LCCI SME Business Innovation Award 2025; supports business and skills ecosystem.
• Cyber Resilience Centre for LondonminorOthersPartner supporting cyber resilience and digital security skills development.
• Federation Of Awarding BodiesminorOthersIndustry body of which OCN London is a member; awarded FAB Innovation Excellence Award 2025.
• SFIA FoundationminorOthersSFIA accredited partner providing skills framework alignment.
• Essex Provider NetworkminorOthersNetwork partnership supporting education and training providers in Essex.
• CPD Certification ServiceminorOthersCPD accreditation partner supporting continuing professional development recognition.
• Social Mobility PledgeminorOthersCommitment partner supporting social mobility through education and skills development.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• Pearson (Edexcel): Pearson, through Edexcel, is the dominant UK awarding organisation offering general and vocational qualifications including BTECs and A-Levels. While larger and broader than OCN London, Pearson competes directly for FE college adoption and represents the upper bound of scale and technology investment in the UK awarding body market.
• AQA: AQA is a major UK awarding body best known for GCSEs and A-Levels but also offering vocational qualifications and Access to HE. It is comparable to OCN London on the regulated qualification and Access to HE side but operates with substantially greater scale, brand recognition, and political standing.
• City & Guilds: City & Guilds is one of the UK's largest and oldest awarding organisations, with a much broader vocational qualification portfolio, global brand recognition, and deeper employer relationships. It competes with OCN London across vocational qualifications, apprenticeship EPA, and technical training, but at materially greater scale.

Direct peers

• SFJ Awards: SFJ Awards is a UK awarding organisation specialising in regulated qualifications for the policing, security, fire, and public service sectors. It is comparable to OCN London on the regulated qualifications model and centre-based delivery, though concentrated in justice and public safety segments.
• NCFE: NCFE is one of the largest UK not-for-profit awarding organisations offering vocational qualifications, Access to HE Diplomas, and apprenticeship End Point Assessments. It is the closest direct comparable to OCN London in business model, regulatory standing (Ofqual-recognised), and target customer base of FE colleges, training providers, and employers.
• AIM Awards: AIM Awards is a UK not-for-profit awarding organisation offering regulated qualifications, unit-based accreditation, and bespoke qualification services. It is directly comparable to OCN London's bespoke qualifications and microcredential offerings and competes for the same FE and training provider customers.
• Highfield Qualifications: Highfield Qualifications is a UK awarding organisation offering regulated vocational qualifications, apprenticeship End Point Assessments, and short-course certifications. It is comparable to OCN London on the regulated vocational and EPA business lines, particularly around employer-facing qualifications.
• NOCN: NOCN is a UK awarding body offering regulated qualifications, NVQs, apprenticeship assessments, and Access to HE Diplomas. It mirrors OCN London's structure, portfolio breadth, and reliance on approved centre networks, making it a tight like-for-like comparable in the FE and skills sector.
• Ascentis: Ascentis is a UK awarding organisation offering regulated qualifications, Access to HE Diplomas, and bespoke accreditation services. It is comparable to OCN London on the Access to HE Diploma and vocational qualification portfolio and competes for similar FE and training provider customers.

Emerging players

• Credly: Credly is a digital credentialing platform that issues and manages verifiable digital badges, integrating with HR systems and learning platforms. It is comparable to OCN London's Digital Badges and OCN London Endorsed services but operates as a native digital infrastructure provider rather than a regulated awarding body, representing a different model of competitive threat.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/OCNLondon
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ocn-london

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 OCN London