Following successful work engaging with Scotland’s widening access sector to agree inclusion criteria, our Open University (OU) -led mapping project has now entered its second phase, data collection. 

We are grateful to the more than forty organisations who have provided their views and experience so far, including at the initial workshop on 30 October 2025. 

Using the agreed criteria, the OU team is undertaking desk research to gather information on all existing fair access provision. All data collected will be catalogued and will then be used to create the mapping resource. 

Following this exercise, the OU team will reach out to stakeholders and practitioners across the country to identify both national-level and localised initiatives that may otherwise be missed.  

As the OU team reaches out to relevant organisations, we would be grateful if you could please share among your networks and remain ready to respond as messages are sent. 

Continued positive engagement from the sector across this period and into the future will be integral to the success of the project, particularly following the eventual launch of the output. 

Funded by the Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland (CTUS) and The Robertson Trust, the Fair Access Mapping project aims to create an accessible, digital, online resource that includes all such provision in Scotland.  

The intention is that the finished output will be used by policy and fair access professionals to inform decision-making when planning future provision to avoid duplication. 

For the latest project news, visit: News – The Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland

Have any questions? Reach out to us at: communications@carnegie-trust.org