Our key partners
Register with us
Register with us to view a personalised homepage and to receive emails relating to your interests.
Register hereWe work in partnership with a wide range of partners and bodies, including those we fund, across all aspects of our remit.
We are directly accountable to Scottish Government Ministers and the Scottish Parliament. We work across many government portfolios and are sponsored by the Lifelong Learning and Skills Directorate within the Scottish Government.
Within Scotland
Within Scotland, we work in partnership with a number of organisations, including:
- Student representatives, student associations and the National Union of Students
- Universities Scotland, Universities UK and Colleges Scotland
- Trade unions including the University and College Union Scotland, Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS)
- Skills Development Scotland
- Scottish Enterprise
- Highlands and Islands Enterprise
- South of Scotland Enterprise
Statistical authority
We are the statistical authority for colleges, and work closely with the UK-wide Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), now part of Jisc, to provide insights about tertiary education and research for government, decision makers, and the wider public.
Quality
We have a statutory responsibility to ensure the quality of higher and further education provision in Scotland and we contract Education Scotland to provide external assurance on quality and support improvement in the college sector, and the Quality Assurance Agency Scotland to provide external assurance on quality and support improvement in the university sector.
Research
Given the dual funding arrangements for universities in relation to research and innovation across the UK, we work closely with the UK Government, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and other relevant bodies, to support mutually beneficial priorities and we are accountable for the distribution, from time to time, of specific UK government funds:
- Office for Students
- Research England
- Higher Education Funding Council for Wales
- The Department for Employment and Learning (Northern Ireland)
Other organisations and bodies
Other organisations and bodies we fund and/or work with include:
- Advanced Procurement for Universities and Colleges
- Association of University Administrators
- Bòrd na Gàidhlig
- British Council
- College Development Network
- Convention of Scottish Local Authorities
- Environmental Association of Universities and Colleges
- Scottish Qualifications Authority
- Scottish Trades Union Congress
- Arts & Humanities Research Council
- Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
- Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
- Economic and Social Research Council
- Medical Research Council
- Natural Environment Research Council
- The Royal Society of Edinburgh
- The Wellcome Trust
- Science & Technology Facilities Council
- Equality and Human Rights Commission
- NHS Education for Scotland
- Student Awards Agency for Scotland
- Student Partnerships in Quality Scotland
- Unistats
- Universities and Colleges Admissions Service
- Advance HE
- Association of University Directors of Estates
- Universities UK International
- Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework
SFC Strategic Plan 2022-27
Building a connected, agile, sustainable tertiary education and research system for Scotland.