Who We Serve
Professional Bodies and Awarding Organisations
Professional bodies need trusted international partners to deliver their qualifications and expand their memberships in new markets.
First Mile identifies and vets potential partner training centres, structures partnership agreements, and designs quality assurance frameworks that protect your brand standards across borders.
We enable you to expand globally without hiring permanent international staff or building costly overseas infrastructure. From market research through to operational handover, we manage the complexity so you can focus on your core objectives.
Training Providers
Training providers looking to expand internationally face the challenge of finding credible partners and navigating unfamiliar markets.
First Mile connects you with approved universities, training centres, and institutes in target regions, then structures commercial agreements that work for both parties.
Whether you’re entering your first international market or scaling to new territories, we provide the optimal operational frameworks, compliance guidance, and partnership structures. Our proven approach reduces risk and accelerates your international growth timeline from years to months.
Universities & Higher Education Institutes
UK universities and HE Institutes expanding professional education programmes internationally need partners who understand both academic standards and commercial realities.
First Mile brokers partnerships with international institutions and training providers, ensuring alignment with your quality requirements and regulatory obligations.
We design delivery frameworks that maintain academic integrity while achieving financial viability. From validating international partners to structuring multi-party agreements, we bridge the gap between academic excellence and successful international operations.
What We Do
We broker international education partnerships by connecting UK qualification bodies and training providers with accredited delivery partners worldwide. Our comprehensive service takes you from market identification through to fully operational partnerships, removing the risk and complexity of international expansion.
Here’s how we do it:
Why First Mile
We don’t just advise on international expansion – we’ve built and operated what you’re planning to do. First Mile brings 20 years of hands-on experience establishing education partnerships, running examination centres, and managing international operations across six countries.
Our track record speaks for itself:
20 years international education experience – Building partnerships and operations from startup to scale
Established operations across UK, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Mexico and other countries – Real experience in diverse markets and regulatory environments
Managed 5,000+ exams annually as Director of international examination centre – Proven expertise in assessment logistics and quality assurance
Built partnerships with 70+ qualification bodies – Including CIPD, CIMA, CIPS, University of London, Nottingham Trent & Portsmouth Business School
Risk mitigation through proven frameworks – Learn from our experience, not your own expensive mistakes