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| Million+ | |
|---|---|
| Name | Million+ |
| Founded | 1997 |
| Type | Think tank |
| Location | United Kingdom |
| Headquarters | London |
Million+ is a United Kingdom-based association representing large modern universities formed in 1997. It advocates for policy affecting higher education institutions, engages with UK political parties, and participates in debates on funding, research, and access. Million+ acts as a collective voice for member universities in discussions with bodies across the higher education sector, influencing policy proposals, parliamentary inquiries, and public discourse.
Million+ was established in 1997 following changes in legislation and the expansion of the higher education sector in the 1990s, notably after the Further and Higher Education Act 1992 and the creation of new universities from polytechnics. Early activity connected the group with debates around tuition fees introduced following the Teaching and Higher Education Act 1998 and later reforms such as the Higher Education Act 2004. Throughout the 2000s Million+ engaged with inquiries by the House of Commons Education Select Committee and interacted with offices such as the Department for Education and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. The organisation published position papers responding to reviews like the Browne Review and participated in consultations during the Coalition Government period, including discussions around the Higher Education and Research Act 2017. Over time Million+ aligned itself with stakeholder groups including the Russell Group, Universities UK, the Higher Education Policy Institute, the National Union of Students, and research councils such as UK Research and Innovation.
Million+ aims to promote the interests of large modern universities in policy debates on funding, access, teaching excellence, and research capacity. It produces research briefings, policy proposals, and evidence submitted to select committees, including the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee and the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee. The organisation organises events and roundtables with parliamentarians from parties such as the Conservative Party, Labour Party, Liberal Democrats, and Scottish National Party, and engages think tanks like the Institute for Fiscal Studies, Policy Exchange, and the Resolution Foundation. Million+ champions widening participation initiatives comparable to strategies advanced by the Office for Students, the Equality and Human Rights Commission, and local enterprise partnerships. It also publishes reports on topics intersecting with funding councils such as the Higher Education Funding Council for England and research assessment exercises like the Research Excellence Framework.
Membership comprises predominantly post-1992 universities and large institutions with significant undergraduate and postgraduate cohorts, similar in profile to members of the University Alliance and the Association of Colleges. Member institutions have included universities that feature in national lists alongside institutions represented by the Russell Group, the Catapult network, and regional combined authorities. The membership base spans campuses across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, interacting with devolved administrations including the Scottish Government and the Welsh Government. Individual members are universities with faculties and departments that align with professions regulated by bodies such as the General Medical Council, the Solicitors Regulation Authority, and the Nursing and Midwifery Council, contributing vocational and applied research strengths.
Million+ operates under a governance structure with a board of vice-chancellors and senior university leaders who set strategic direction, akin to governance models seen at Universities UK and the Committee of University Chairs. Its executive team manages day-to-day activities, liaising with parliamentary offices at the Palace of Westminster and agencies such as the Office for Students and UK Research and Innovation. Funding is primarily derived from subscriptions paid by member institutions, supplemented occasionally by commissioned research grants and events income. This model of funding resembles arrangements used by sector organisations like the Higher Education Policy Institute and professional associations such as the Association of Colleges. Million+ maintains financial reporting to member boards and engages auditors and legal advisers in line with Charity Commission guidance where applicable.
Million+ has influenced policy debates on tuition fee structures, research funding allocations, and widening participation metrics, contributing evidence to inquiries by the House of Commons and influencing reports by think tanks including the Sutton Trust and the Institute for Public Policy Research. Its advocacy has been cited in parliamentary debates and by ministers in statements to the Department for Education and the Department for Business and Trade. Critics, including commentators associated with the Russell Group or market-oriented think tanks like Policy Exchange, have argued that Million+ represents institutional self-interest and have questioned its positions on funding redistribution and research assessment. Other critics from student organisations and campaign groups have scrutinised its stance during fee increases and employer-engagement strategies promoted in collaboration with industry partners such as the Confederation of British Industry. Supporters point to Million+’s role in highlighting regional access issues and promoting applied research that benefits local economic strategies coordinated with combined authorities and Local Enterprise Partnerships.
Category:Higher education organisations based in the United Kingdom