Access and participation plans
How and when to submit a plan
Submitting plans in 2024
In 2023, a small set of volunteer providers submitted new access and participation plans for 2024-25.
- Academy of Contemporary Music (ACM)
- Arts University Bournemouth
- BCNO Ltd
- Birmingham City University
- Canterbury Christchurch University
- Edge Hill University
- Falmouth University
- Futureworks Training Limited
- ICMP Management Ltd
- Kingston University
- Leeds Trinity University
- London South Bank University
- Myerscough College & University Centre
- Nelson and Colne College
- Newcastle College Group (NCG)
- Northumbria University
- South Gloucestershire and Stroud College
- Staffordshire University
- Teesside University
- The University of Bath
- The University of Cumbria
- The University of Kent
- The University of Law Ltd
- The University of Leeds
- The University of Reading
- The University of Salford
- University College of Estates Management
- University of Chester
- University of Derby
- University of Southampton
- University of the West of England
- University of Winchester
- University of Wolverhampton
- University of Worcester
We are taking a staggered approach to the submission of new access and participation plans. This is in response to feedback shared with us through our consultation on a new approach to regulating equality of opportunity, and to minimise burden for higher education providers.
Only providers that did not take part in ‘wave 1’, and that have an access and participation plan that began in the academic year 2020-21, will be required to submit a new plan in 2024. These plans will take effect from the 2025-26 academic year.
There are three submission windows:
- Submission window 1: Plans must be submitted by 31 May 2024
- Submission window 2: Plans must be submitted by 31 July 2024
- Submission window 3: Plans must be submitted by 1 October 2024.
Early recruiters (providers with one or more courses that have an application deadline in October or before) will be expected to submit new plans for assessment by 31 May 2024 (submission window 1).
Details on submission timelines for standard recruiters was communicated to providers in January 2024.
- Academy of Live Technology Ltd
- AECC University College
- Anglia Ruskin University Higher Education Corporation
- Arden University Limited
- Arts University Plymouth
- Askham Bryan College
- Aston University
- Bath College
- Bath Spa University
- BIMM University Limited
- Birkbeck College
- Birmingham Metropolitan College
- Birmingham Newman University
- Bishop Auckland College
- Bishop Burton College
- Bishop Grosseteste University
- Blackburn College
- Blackpool and the Fylde College
- Bloomsbury Institute Limited
- Bournemouth University
- Bradford College
- Bridgwater and Taunton College
- British Academy of Jewellery Limited
- Brunel University London
- Buckinghamshire New University
- Bury College
- Calderdale College
- Canterbury Christ Church
- Central Film School London Ltd
- Chesterfield College
- Chichester College Group
- City College Norwich
- City College Plymouth
- City, University of London
- Cliff College
- Colchester Institute
- Court Theatre Training Company Ltd
- Courtauld Institute of Art
- Coventry University
- Craven College
- De Montfort University
- DN Colleges Group
- East Surrey College
- East Sussex College Group
- Exeter College
- Farnborough College of Technology
- Furness College
- Gloucestershire College
- Goldsmiths' College
- Grantham College
- Guildhall School of Music & Drama
- Harper Adams University
- Hartpury University
- Heart of Worcestershire College
- Heart of Yorkshire Education Group
- Hereford College of Arts
- Hugh Baird College
- Hull College
- Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine
- King's College London
- Kingston Maurward College
- Kirklees College
- Lamda Limited
- Leeds Arts University
- Leeds Beckett University
- Leeds Conservatoire
- Lincoln College
- Liverpool Hope University
- Liverpool John Moores University
- London Metropolitan University
- London School of Management Education Limited
- Loughborough College
- Loughborough University
- LTE Group
- Luminate Education Group
- Manchester Metropolitan University
- Middlesex University
- Mont Rose College of Management and Sciences Limited
- Moorlands College
- Morley College
- Moulton College
- Nazarene Theological College
- Nelson College London Limited
- New College Durham
- North East Surrey College of Technology (NESCOT)
- Northeastern University - London
Norwich University of the Arts - Nottingham College
- Nottingham Trent University
- Oxford Brookes University
- Pearson College Limited
- Petroc
- Plumpton College
- Point Blank Limited
- Queen Mary University of London
- Ravensbourne University London
- Reaseheath College
- Riverside College
- Roehampton University
- Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance
- Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
- Royal College of Music
- Royal Holloway and Bedford New College
- Royal Northern College of Music
- RTC Education Ltd
- SAE Education Limited
- School of Oriental and African Studies
- Sheffield Hallam University
- Solent University, Southampton
- Solihull College and University Centre
- South Devon College
- South Thames Colleges Group
- Sparsholt College
- Spurgeon's College
- St Helens College
- St Mary's University, Twickenham
- St. George's Hospital Medical School
- Strode College
- The City of Liverpool College
- The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts
- The London School of Architecture
- The London School of Economics and Political Science
- The Northern School of Art
- The Oldham College
- The Open University
- The Royal Agricultural University
- The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
- The Royal Veterinary College
- The SMB Group
- The University of Birmingham
- The University of Bradford
- The University of Chichester
- The University of East Anglia
- The University of Essex
- The University of Huddersfield
- The University of Hull
- The University of Lancaster
- The University of Leicester
- The University of Liverpool
- The University of Manchester
- The University of Sheffield
- The University of Surrey
- The University of Warwick
- The University of West London
- The University of Westminster
- Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance
- Truro and Penwith College
- University College Birmingham
- University College London
- University College of Osteopathy (The)
- University of Bedfordshire
- University of Brighton
- University of Bristol
- University of Cambridge
- University of Central Lancashire
- University of Durham
- University of East London
- University of Exeter
- University of Gloucestershire
- University of Greenwich
- University of Hertfordshire
- University of Keele
- University of Lincoln
- University of Newcastle upon Tyne
- University of Northampton, The
- University of Nottingham, The
- University of Oxford
- University of Plymouth
- University of Portsmouth
- University of St Mark & St John
- University of Suffolk
- University of Sunderland
- University of Sussex
- University of the Arts, London
- University of York
- Warwickshire College
- Waverley Abbey Trust
- West Suffolk College
- Weston College of Further and Higher Education
- Wigan and Leigh College
- Wirral Metropolitan College
- Yeovil College
- York College
- York St John University
We anticipate that remaining providers will not be required to submit a new access and participation plan until 2025, which would, if approved, take effect for the 2026-27 academic year onwards. We have notified a small number of providers where this expectation applies.
Guidance documents
Regulatory notice 1: Access and participation plan guidance
Regulatory notice 1 sets out our regulatory requirements for access and participation plans. Providers should use this document to understand what must be included in all plans and how plans will be assessed by the OfS.
Regulatory advice 6: How to prepare your access and participation plan
Regulatory advice 6 offers further guidance to providers on how to write an access and participation plan. Providers should use this document to support them to develop an access and participation plan.
The OfS will share details of any additional provider support available in due course.
Student engagement
All providers are expected to engage with students in the development of their access and participation plan. Providers should demonstrate in their plan how students have had the opportunity to express their views about the content of the plan, and what steps were taken as a result.
Providers should review the information on student consultation in Regulatory advice 6 when developing their plan.
Students' unions and representatives can submit a student submission to comment on how they have been consulted with and involved in their provider's access and participation work. Providers are expected to support student representatives if they choose to produce a student submission. Guidance on student submissions and student consultation is available in Regulatory advice 6.
If you are a student or student representative interested in access and participation, please see our information for students on improving equality of opportunity.
The OfS will share details of any additional student support available in due course.
How to submit your plan
Use the OfS portal to submit the following:
- Your access and participation plan
- Fees, investment and targets document
- Annex A assessment of performance
- Annex B evidence base and rationale for intervention strategies.
Submissions via email will not be accepted.
Annexes A and B are exempt from the 30-page limit. Read more about how to submit data through the OfS portal.
Wave 2 providers can download their empty Fees, Investments and Targets (FIT) template for access and participation plans starting in 2025-26 from the OfS portal. There is one area to download and upload the FIT template, and a separate area to upload the written access and participation plan. Both can be found under the ‘Access and participation plan 2025-26’ heading of this portal page: Access and participation plan area - Office for Students.
For any queries about the FIT templates, please contact [email protected].
Any questions regarding the portal or the submission process can be directed to [email protected].
10 April 2024 - Updated with information about FIT documents
08 February 2024 - Updated to reflect changes for 2024-25 academic year,
07 December 2023 - Updated to reflect the new access and participation plans.
29 March 2023 - Page refreshed in line with our new approach to equality of opportunity
08 March 2023 - Details of our staggered approach to the submission of access and participation plans in 2023
15 March 2022 - Page updated with submission dates for 2023-24 to 2027-28 plans, and a notice about submitting a new plan in summer 2023
05 March 2021 - Updated to include 2021 deadlines
20 April 2020 - Information updated to include 2021-22 to 2025-26 access and participation plans
10 December 2019 - Minor text amendment
03 December 2019 - Submission deadline updated
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