Northumbria University is the ‘parent’ of a number of wholly or majority-owned subsidiary companies. The companies which the University have incorporated under UK company law, are for specific activities which the University operates which it wishes to be distinct from its legal structure as a Higher Education Corporation (HEC) and an exempt charity under charity law in England and Wales.
Setting up a separate company means that the University can operate a range of non-charitable and commercial activities, ring fenced from the University’s charitable status, without compromising the charitable ‘objects’ of the University, the principal one of which is the ‘advancement of education’. However, this does not mean that the activities of each subsidiary company is wholly commercial. Each company supports an aspect of the educational experience, either directly or indirectly. In circumstances where one of the University’s companies generates surplus income, unless a separate agreement is in place, the distributable profits are donated back to the University to invest in its core educational activities.
Each of the University’s subsidiary companies (with the exception of its Netherlands-based entity) is a company limited by shares under UK company law, which means that they have a separate legal ‘personality’ and structure from Northumbria University, but they report into the University as a parent undertaking, and constitute our ‘Group’ structure. We undertake external audits of all of the University’s companies, produce annual accounts and file all returns to Companies House. The Directors of all companies are appointed by and are drawn from senior management or the Governors/Trustees of the University (with the exception of Northumbria London Campus Limited and Northumbria University Amsterdam).
The University has the following subsidiary companies:
Company Name | Company Registration Number and Link to Companies House Details | Share Capital | Directors |
| University of Northumbria at Newcastle Developments Limited (Dormant) | 03362064 (Incorporated 29.04.97). The Company is dormant as of 2018. | 2 £1 Ordinary Shares (100% holding) | Ms Georgina Bailes |
| Northumbria University Digital Services Limited | 16054588 (Incorporated 01.11.24) | 1 £1 Ordinary Shares (100% holding) | Dr Simon Corbett Mr Mark Gill Mr Alex Robinson |
| Northumbria International Limited | 04333222 (Incorporated 03.12.01) | 1 £1 Ordinary Shares (100% holding) | Mr Robert Carthy ProfessorJohn Woodward |
| Northumbria University Nursery Limited | 07942799 (Incorporated 09.02.12) | 1 £1 Ordinary Shares (100% holding) | Ms Tessa Assadian Ms Deanne Cook Dr Simon Corbett Professor Karen Hudson Ms Vicky Petersen |
| Northumbria University Services Limited | 10167191 (Incorporated 06.05.16) | 1 £1 Ordinary Shares (100% holding) | Ms Jane Embley Mrs Gillian Hitchenes Mrs Lianne Hurford Mr Alex Robinson |
| Northumbria London Campus Limited | 08846878 (Incorporated 15.01.14) | 501 £1 Ordinary Shares (50.1% holding) | Professor Thomas Lawson Mr Simon Nelson Mr Tim Slater Professor John Woodward |
| Northumbria University Amsterdam BV | Company registered with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce (company number 70764441) Incorporated 29.01.18 | 1000 1 euro Ordinary Shares (100% holding) | Dr Guy Brown Ms Carina Helsloot- van Riemsdijk |
The University’s Subsidiary Companies Policy and Procedure are available on the University Policies page
The registered address of each of the University’s subsidiary companies (with the exception of the Northumbria University Amsterdam) is:
Sutherland Building
College Street
Newcastle Upon Tyne
NE1 8ST
More information on each company (other than Northumbria University Amsterdam), including key documents filed, can be searched for on the Companies House website
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