Our Business Units

Origination, Research, Design and development, funding and procurement

UPP has brought together all of its key commercial functions in one place, with the aim of developing a Centre of Excellence with the aim of delivering sustainable commercial advantage in our market.

The Commercial function has responsibility for the origination of new business with new and existing partners. The team has expertise in the design, development and funding of our accommodation. It has extensive experience in working with award-winning architectural practices and top-tier construction contractors to deliver high-quality residential and academic accommodation.

This team is responsible for the:

• Research
• Proactive origination activity
• Development of the product and service offer
• Commercial and legal negotiations for each new project and partnership
• Consultation and planning process
• Origination of all debt and equity financing
• Financial analysis and modelling
• Procurement
• On-going development of the overall cost model

Our Residential Services business unit delivers a full range of facilities management services including cleaning and reactive maintenance, front of house and post room services, implementation of planned maintenance and sinking fund works and along with our regional Student Experience teams the delivery of initiatives developed alongside our partners.

With well over 15 years’ experience in delivering high-quality specialist services to the HE sector, our team has a proven track record in delivering step-changes to the quality of services our partners offer their students, while transferring delivery risk away from each university – based on an agreed payment mechanism both for availability and performance.

The team manages the operational mobilisation of each new partnership, ensuring that all services are in place for the start of the academic year; as well as expertly managing each annual intake of new students and their departure at the end of the academic year.

Our Asset Management business unit is responsible for developing and implementing a long-term asset management plan to manage UPP’s investments and ensure the accommodation remains attractive to students throughout each concession. This includes management of lifecycle expenditure and procurement and oversight of works.

The Asset Management team is also accountable for managing each of our partnerships. Acting as the day to day contact with each university, it is tasked with ensuring the rights and obligations of both parties within each Project Agreement are being adhered to. This includes responsibility for rent setting and revenue delivery.

Responsibility for construction delivery, health and safety compliance and wellbeing also form part of the remit of this team.

Asset Management is responsible for the performance of each project company and more specifically for:

• Developing and implementing long-term strategic asset management plans across the portfolio
• Developing timely and strategic engagement with each of our university partners
• Ensuring new developments are constructed on time, to quality and to budget
• Continuing to secure sector-leading occupancy, typically in excess of 99%
• All health and safety compliance
• Management of lifecycle funds and works
• The quality of asset management services to each of our partnerships
• Developing the range and quality of other commercial revenues