track record & case studies

Education Business Development Strategies

Education is experiencing unprecedented change around delivery modes, recruitment, the student experience, fees, funding, caps, mergers, regulation, the REF, apprenticeships, business engagement, competition and internationalisation. We understand this landscape, and recognise the impact such changes can have on your business and on the estate.

We have over 60 years combined experience of working at the interface between education teaching, education research and commercialisation and business and investment strategy issues, operations, estates and placemaking.

Our services can help you with:

  • FE, HE, research and talent market and economic analysis, benchmarking and advice
  • Feasibility, business cases, economic appraisals and funding cases for new education, health and innovation ventures
  • Estate strategies for universities and colleges
  • Student residential accommodation strategies
  • Feasibility for Internationalisation & TNE ventures
  • Merger and collaboration reviews and due diligence advice
  • Joint ventures for universities, the public sector and the private sector in education, science, health, technology and innovation ventures
  • Procurement and implementation advice including practical experience of OJEU processes
  • Academic and business feasibility, including demand, business models, governance, delivery and funding for new university ventures for University of Highland and Islands, the merger of UWTSD and several colleges mergers.
  • Demand studies for FE and HE throughout the UK 
  • Preparation of University Estates Strategies for Bangor University, University of Chichester and University of Wolverhampton
  • Comprehensive Independent Reviews and Advice of the university estates for University of Glasgow, London South Bank University and Canterbury Christ Church University 
  • Strategic business advice for university-private sector partnerships for Argent, Urban Catalyst, Berkeley Homes, Seven Trent, BAA, British Airways
  • Market demand and partnership advice for student accommodation partnerships for Barclays, UPP, Dexia, RBS 

Science technology &
Innovation ventures

Science, technology and innovation are vital to enhance competitiveness and wealth creation. We understand the importance of understanding the innovation business and research assets of an area, its innovation infrastructure, access to locally accessible innovation and business support services, innovation stewardship and the crucial role of education and skills for innovation and enterprise to create positive outcomes for the economy.

We have practical experience in providing advisory services that map innovation assets, define action plans, business and funding cases, for example:

  • Area and domain based innovation asset mapping and action planning
  • Advice on clustering, stewardship and skills based actions
  • Demand, feasibility, business and funding studies for new innovation districts, distributed and single science parks and innovation centres
  • Reviews and advice on knowledge exchange operations and benchmarking
  • Physical concept planning and placemaking for innovation
  • Evaluation of research programmes
  • Delivery, procurement and management/operator advice including practical experience of OJEU processes
  • Demand, feasibility, business and funding cases and JV partnerships for major Life Science and health care ventures at Newcastle Helix, Pfizer Sandwich, Takeda, Tokyo, Edinburgh BioQuarter, HEIQ, Ebbsfleet, Cardiff Precision Medicine
  • Demand, feasibility and business cases for advanced engineering, aerospace, quantum technology and renewables at new technology hubs in Essex, Bristol, Glasgow (ITREZ) and Loughborough Science Park
  • Innovation mapping, domain cluster analysis, innovation districts, innovation skills programmes, innovation centres, knowledge exchange services, stewardship and innovation action planning for West Somerset and Taunton and South Somerset
  • Evaluation of Engineering and Physical Sciences Research (EPSRC) programmes for ca £300m+ Critical Mass Investments
  • Co-author for UKSPA book on innovation and science parks

International

International education projects can be complex and challenging. We have practical experience of advising client in the Middle East (Saudi, UAE, Bahrain), India, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, China and Singapore and can help with:

  • Partnerships, business planning and strategy advice on new campuses and educational joint ventures
  • Financial modelling of new educational projects
  • Securing developers and investor partners for universities and private schools
    • Feasibility studies for new universities for Royal University Bhutan and World Bank and for Usha Martin University India
    • Feasibility studies for international university campuses in Putrajaya, Malaysia (for Heriot-Watt University), Abu Dhabi University City (for Mubadala) and Qingdao, China
    • Feasibility, financial modelling and partnership services for new international schools in Port City, Colombo, Sr Lanka (for CHEC), for UK schools in China and the UEA
    • Facilitating and supporting international university partnerships (King Abdulalziz University and University of Stirling)