Business units

Find out what each of our business units do.

Digital Delivery

The Digital Delivery business unit runs UCAS’ day-to-day frontline services, digital products and technical infrastructure for all customers, including applicants and providers. The unit is also responsible for developing and improving customer-centric products in close collaboration with UCAS’ product function.
Services to customers include the Customer Experience Centre, providing comprehensive high quality services to support applicants in their journey into university and other higher education provision. Digital Delivery is responsible for running UCAS’ Confirmation and Clearing service, and logistics related to key deadlines in the cycle. 

Working in cross-company multi-disciplinary teams comprising customer insight, product managers, architects, developers, testers, and data scientists, the Digital Delivery business unit ensures that UCAS is a customer-centric, product-focused digital business, connecting students with their next opportunity.


Finance and Corporate Services

Our Finance and Corporate Services business unit is a fusion of multiple functions — financial planning and accounting, facilities and building management, procurement, programme and project management, corporate governance and performance, organisational development, enterprise architecture, legal and compliance, and the CEO Office.

The Finance Team also defines UCAS' financial strategy.


Sales and Marketing

The Sales and Marketing business unit takes responsibility for successfully and sustainably launching and growing products and services that respond to UCAS’ customer needs. 

Through UCAS Media (UCAS' commercial subsidiary), we connect clients to our engaged audiences and offer data-led consultancy and insight services to the HE sector and associated markets.

UCAS Media provides consultancy, insight, and marketing solutions for higher education providers wanting to improve their position in the market, and for commercial brands wanting to reach students. With our highly engaged audience, we’re in the perfect position to support our customers with what they need to identify, engage, and convert. All our profits are gift-aided back to UCAS, the charity.

Through our marketing functions we manage and provide content across the all of UCAS channels including ucas.com, our social channels, emails, and our network of face-to-face events.


Strategy, Policy and Public Affairs

The Strategy, Policy and Public Affairs business unit turns UCAS’ data, insight and expertise into impact. Teams in the unit (Strategy and Reform, Policy, Public Affairs, and Data Research and Reporting) work together to develop and maintain external stakeholder relations and a data-led evidence base to ensure that UCAS has a credible and influential voice in higher education access, progression, and admissions matters. The Unit’s interests include all forms of higher education, including apprenticeships and options for international students. This shapes internal and external UK policy, and underpins UCAS’ Corporate Strategy and measurement of success against our strategic objectives.   


Customer Insight and Product

The Customer Insight and Product business unit is at the heart of ensuring that UCAS delivers lasting and sustainable change and value in line with corporate strategy and customer needs.  Leveraging customer and market insight and championing customer voices, we create and grow products and services that meet the needs of our markets now and in the future.  Working closely with the wider organisation, we design and manage UCAS’ architecture to support our ambitious business goals.


People

The purpose of our Human Resources (HR) department is to help both our people and the company develop faster than the world changes, so we can stay ahead of our customer expectations and deliver an exceptional service. As an HR team, we aim to create an environment where a diverse group of innovative and passionate people can work together and be their very best. We shape what makes UCAS a great employer by fulfilling the short and long-term requirements of UCAS’ strategy in a dynamic labour market, through strategic workforce and talent planning, and recruitment. We help our people discover their own strengths and potential, and offer a range of learning interventions that support personal and professional development.