The Access Project and Impetus

Young people from disadvantaged backgrounds are significantly under-represented at top universities, making up only 6% of the intake.

The Access Project (TAP) works with high-potential students from disadvantaged backgrounds, providing tutoring and intensive support to help them get into top universities. With our support, The Access Project developed an evaluation strategy, strengthened their leadership, and designed what is recognised as one of the best-evidenced interventions in the university access sector.

Since 2014, our collaboration with TAP has resulted in them expanding their reach from 700 to 2,000 young people per year, who are 50% more likely to achieve a place at a top 3rd UK university after completing TAP’s programme.

Their programme is recognised as one of the best-evidenced interventions in the university access sector, so we can be confident that these outcomes wouldn’t have happened otherwise.

Our work together in numbers

Since 2014 we have invested £2.1 million in direct grants, £1 million in co-investment, and £1.3 million in pro bono support.

Over 10 years, our Investment Team worked closely with The Access Project to help build a highly effective programme and embed a true impact culture within the organisation, alongside helping develop their senior leaders and grow income by six times.

Donor and pro bono partnerships

None of this work would have been possible without the support of our wonderful donors and their commitment to deep, lasting partnerships with Impetus and our partner organisations – providing not just funding but practical and strategic guidance through their pro bono networks.

During our our 10-year partnership we worked with a number of organisations to support The Access Project, including: Bain, OC&C, PwC and various individual philanthropists.

Examples of pro bono projects:

• CEO and senior management team coaching
• Strategy reviews
• Commissioning of a CRM system
• Organisation structure review