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Track Record

RCU has been providing and developing research and consultancy to the education and training sector since 1987 and has established a national reputation for data analysis and the development of strategic recommendations.

RCU was set up in its current format by a consortium of colleges in 1993, at the time of FE incorporation, in order to provide a specialist research facility for the sector. The client base quickly spread both geographically and in terms of client type. RCU is now a free-standing company owned by its staff.

We have been recognised as an Investor in People since 1994 and in 1997 we were elected to membership of the British Market Research Association (now merged with the Market Research Society). During 2001 RCU became one of the first companies in the country to successfully undergo assessment for the market research industry kitemark quality standard, BS7911 and this was repeated in 2007 for the new international standard ISO 20252. In 2010 RCU was accredited under the stringent ISO 27001 Data Security standard.

All RCU work is covered by the Market Research Society codes of conduct and the company is registered under the Data Protection Act.

 

Videos

Testimonial by Richard Atkins, Principal, Exeter College

Testimonial by Richard Atkins, Principal, Exeter College

Frequently Asked Questions

How long has RCU been in business?

We first started out in the mid-eighties and became a private company in the early 1990's.

I see you're based in Preston - is your market mainly North West?

Our base is in the North West, but our client base is all around the UK.

What does "RCU" stand for?

Originally, it stood for Responsive College Unit. In the mid 1980's there was an initiative to make colleges more responsive to their local communities. That is where we started. Since then we've continued to do work in the education sector but have widened our client base and our range of services considerably since those early days.

What is the ISO 20252 standard?

It is the benchmark international standard for market research organisations and you should make sure that whoever carries out research on your behalf has been assessed against this standard. RCU was one of the first UK organisations to achieve the standard and it ensures the right things happen at each stage of a research project.

What is the ISO 27001 standard about?

It's a rigorous standard about how we, as individuals and as an organisation, handle data (of all sorts, not just data on computers) to ensure it is safe from theft, loss or corruption.

What sets RCU apart from other research and consultancy organisations in the sector?

Most organisations talk about quality assurance as a differentiator. By definition, if most people argue they are different because of their quality, the statement is out of line with the facts. Sure, we achieved the international standard for market research organisations (ISO 20252) as one of the first in the UK to do so and also have the stringent Data security standard (ISO 27001). The key thing about ourselves is that all employees are shareholders. There aren't many organisations where you find yourself speaking to someone who actually owns the business. That gives us a special perspective and we believe this a genuine  difference which clients notice.