Partnerships & rights
Market entry & growth
Leading Gulf+ expansion strategy, structuring and in-market execution for a UK university pathway consortium.
A consortium of UK universities sought to expand access to its international foundation programmes through Gulf study centres. North secured exclusive territorial rights, assessed local delivery partners and structured the commercial arrangements underpinning expansion, alongside regulatory authorisation for programme delivery.
Client
UK university pathway consortium
Sector
International pathways
Scope
Rights & partnership structuring
Duration
2023 – Present
Outcome
Exclusive rights secured to support regional expansion.
Regulator approval secured for programme delivery.
Delivery partners confirmed across the UAE, Oman, Kuwait and India.
The challenge
The consortium had an established pathway model and ambitions to expand across the Gulf, but lacked the local delivery network, regulatory approvals and market infrastructure required to do so. The challenge was to identify credible partners, establish the right route to market and create a repeatable model for regional expansion.
Our approach
Assessing local delivery partners
Prospective study centres in the UAE, Oman, Kuwait and India were evaluated on academic capability, regulatory standing and commercial fit. Selected partners were taken through formal approval against the consortium’s delivery requirements.
Establishing the territorial framework
An exclusive licence and distribution agreement established the rights underpinning regional expansion and created a consistent framework for progressing delivery partnerships.
Building the delivery model
North brought together the commercial, partner and regulatory requirements needed to move from regional expansion strategy to local programme delivery.
The result
North secured delivery partners across the UAE, Oman, Kuwait and India. This established a scalable model for further regional expansion and provided the foundation for local pathway delivery linked to progression to degree programmes at the consortium’s university partners.
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