Enter the portal

Member services

Providers that deliver alongside the pathway

Training and CPD organisations, technology and data suppliers, professional advisers and employer networks. Every member comes through the same selection process, then works to one shared evidence language.

Apply to become a member How selection worksEmployers and sponsors

Categories

Four kinds of member

Members are not subcontractors. They keep their own brand, their own clients and their own accreditation, and they plug a defined capability into the Foundation to Gold spine.

Training and CPD providers

3 listed

Independent trainers, institutes, awarding bodies and CPD organisations mapping accredited content onto the pathway.

Map existing accredited content to Foundation to Gold outcomes, keep your own brand and assessors, share one evidence language.

Tech, data and AI vendors

3 listed

Platform, tooling, data and AI capability suppliers supporting delivery and live briefs.

Provide safe sandboxes, tooling access and technical mentoring, without turning the curriculum into a product demo.

Professional and advisory services

3 listed

Governance, compliance, legal, finance, ESG and assurance specialists.

Bring regulated-context realism to Silver and Gold, review governance evidence and sit on assessment panels.

Employer and sector bodies

3 listed

Chambers, trade associations and employer networks providing briefs, placements and reach.

Recruit employers, source live briefs and carry the pathway into member organisations across a sector.

Directory

Approved member services providers

Training and CPD providersApproved member

Northcode Learning

Independent digital skills trainer delivering short-course AI literacy across the North East.

  • Mapped Foundation and Bronze delivery
  • Tutor calibration
  • Evening and weekend cohorts

Region. North East England

Levels supported. Foundation, Bronze

Member since. 2026

Training and CPD providersApproved member

Institute of Applied Analytics

Professional body running data and analytics CPD for finance and public sector members.

  • Accredited CPD mapping
  • Assessor supply
  • Member CPD points recognition

Region. UK wide

Levels supported. Silver A, Silver B

Member since. 2026

Training and CPD providersPilot delivery

Tyne Trades Academy

Trade skills provider bringing AI-assisted estimating and site practice into plumbing and construction.

  • Themed trades modules
  • Workshop-based delivery
  • Employer taster sessions

Region. Tyne and Wear

Levels supported. Foundation, Bronze, Silver A

Member since. 2026

Tech, data and AI vendorsApproved member

Quaystack

Cloud and data engineering firm supplying sandboxes and technical mentoring for capstone work.

  • Governed AI sandbox
  • Data engineering mentoring
  • Capstone technical review

Region. Newcastle

Levels supported. Silver B, Gold

Member since. 2026

Tech, data and AI vendorsApproved member

Orbit Model Labs

Applied AI studio building evaluation harnesses and model assurance tooling.

  • Model evaluation tooling
  • Prompt and agent testing clinics
  • Gold assurance briefs

Region. UK wide

Levels supported. Gold

Member since. 2026

Tech, data and AI vendorsPilot delivery

Harbour Data Collective

Data quality and stewardship specialists working with regional public bodies.

  • Data readiness diagnostics
  • Stewardship workshops
  • Open data live briefs

Region. North East England

Levels supported. Silver A, Silver B

Member since. 2026

Professional and advisory servicesApproved member

Meridian Governance

Risk, compliance and AI governance consultancy working with regulated firms.

  • Governance evidence review
  • Regulated-context scenarios
  • Assessment panel seats

Region. UK wide

Levels supported. Silver B, Gold

Member since. 2026

Professional and advisory servicesApproved member

Coastline Legal

Commercial and technology law practice covering data protection and AI contracting.

  • Data protection clinics
  • Contracting and IP guidance
  • Policy review for live briefs

Region. North East England

Levels supported. Silver A, Silver B, Gold

Member since. 2026

Professional and advisory servicesPilot delivery

Greenmark ESG

Sustainability and ESG assurance advisers supporting green finance and retrofit work.

  • ESG measurement coaching
  • Sustainable finance briefs
  • Impact reporting templates

Region. UK wide

Levels supported. Silver A, Gold

Member since. 2026

Employer and sector bodiesApproved member

North East Chamber Network

Regional employer membership body with reach into several thousand businesses.

  • Employer recruitment
  • Live brief sourcing
  • Member briefings and events

Region. North East England

Levels supported. Foundation, Bronze, Silver A, Silver B, Gold

Member since. 2026

Employer and sector bodiesApproved member

Made in the North

Manufacturing and engineering employer network focused on productivity and automation.

  • Manufacturing live briefs
  • Shop-floor placements
  • Sector overlay input

Region. North East England

Levels supported. Bronze, Silver A, Gold

Member since. 2026

Employer and sector bodiesPilot delivery

Finance North

Financial and professional services network supporting the Future Finance Academy overlay.

  • Fintech live briefs
  • Panel members
  • Graduate and apprentice routes

Region. North East England

Levels supported. Silver B, Gold

Member since. 2026

Selection

Three stages, about six weeks

The process is deliberately light touch. Enough diligence to protect learners and employers, not so much that good small providers are shut out.

  1. 1

    Expression of interest

    Week 1

    Tell us who you are, which category you fit and what you would contribute to the pathway. A short form, no paperwork pack.

    • Organisation details and a named contact
    • The category and levels you want to support
    • Two or three lines on the capability you bring
  2. 2

    Due diligence check

    Weeks 2 to 4

    A proportionate check on the basics. Trading status, insurance, safeguarding where learners are involved, data protection and any relevant accreditation.

    • Companies House or charity registration
    • Insurance and, where relevant, safeguarding and DBS position
    • Data protection approach and any existing accreditation
    • Two references from comparable work
  3. 3

    Onboarding and listing

    Weeks 5 to 6

    A short onboarding call, agreement on how your service maps to Foundation to Gold outcomes, then your listing goes live in the member services directory.

    • Mapping session against pathway outcomes
    • Signed member services agreement
    • Directory listing copy and contact route
Start an expression of interest

Standards

What every member signs up to

Enabling, not replacing

Members strengthen existing education and training. Nothing in the pathway is designed to displace a provider's own accredited offer.

One evidence language

Whatever you deliver, learner evidence is expressed in the same Foundation to Gold outcome language so employers can read it.

Safe and governed AI use

Members follow the same guardrails taught on the pathway. Data protection, provenance and declared AI-assisted work.

No product capture

Technology members provide access and mentoring. Curriculum content stays vendor neutral and is owned by the programme.

Open to review

Listings are reviewed each year against learner and employer feedback. Members can be paused or removed.

Members and the living pathway

Specialist contributors, not a supplier list

Members bring sector context, specialist knowledge and delivery experience into the pathway. That input keeps modules close to how AI, data and Smart Data are actually being used in real organisations.

Sector relevance

Members flag what is changing in their sector so modules reflect live practice rather than last year's tools.

Tutor support

Specialists co-deliver, brief tutors and supply worked examples that can be taught safely.

Assessment input

Members help define what good evidence looks like and sense-check learner outputs against industry expectations.

Advanced modules

Silver, Gold and future vocational modules are shaped with members around real job roles and projects.

Module review cycles

Each term

Foundation and Bronze content is checked for accuracy, tool changes and safe-use guidance.

Twice a year

Silver and Gold modules are reviewed with employers and members against current job roles and briefs.

As the market moves

New Smart Data, governance, security and sector modules are proposed, scoped and added.

Continuous improvement

Built to stay relevant

AI Edge Skills is designed as a living pathway, not a fixed course catalogue. Employers, members, sponsors, educators, tutors and learners continually feed into the programme so modules stay close to the labour market, real job roles, emerging AI practice and changing organisational needs.

Employers

Provide live briefs, job-role insight, skills gaps and feedback on what job ready means in practice.

Members and delivery partners

Contribute specialist knowledge, sector context and module updates.

Tutors and educators

Translate market needs into teachable, assessable learning experiences.

Learners

Provide evidence, reflections and practical feedback from real tasks, projects and placements.

Sponsors

Help extend reach, relevance, sector involvement and regional impact.

The demonstrator

See how the pathway works in practice

The portal is the working demonstrator behind the proposition. It shows the levels, sessions, module library and the evidence learners build. The public site explains why the programme matters. The portal shows how it runs.

Enter the portal demonstrator Discuss employer involvementBecome a member contributor