AoC Finance Conference and Exhibition 2026

PaySuite is an AI-powered income management solution built for the education sector. We help colleges take control of their funding streams — reducing admin, improving accuracy, and giving finance teams the real time insight they need to make smarter decisions. With pressures on budgets and compliance showing no signs of easing, PaySuite gives your team the intelligent tools to stay ahead. Come and find us — we'd love to talk.

Access PaySuite

Come and say hello on your arrival to Nottingham and meet other conference attendees in an informal setting before the conference opening. For over 20 years AoC has been a leader in providing recruitment and consultancy support in the further education (FE) sector. With a reputation built on trust, and providing a quality and cost effective service with lasting impact, we are proud to be the only FE recruitment provider to reinvest all profits straight back into the FE sector. To work with AoC means you will join us on a mission to make further education a better, stronger and more sustainable sector.

Association of Colleges

With more than 50 years of experience working with charities and not-for-profits, we combine our deep-rooted understanding of the sector with technical expertise to provide tailored and robust audit and assurance services that enable your mission and go beyond basic compliance.

Buzzacott

Crescent Purchasing Consortium (CPC) is a not-for-profit registered charity, public sector buying authority that services the education sector. CPC’s portfolio of services provides its 10,500+ members with a one stop procurement shop for all buying and consultancy needs. CPC provides 80+ bespoke education sector compliant purchasing frameworks, with 24 being recommended and approved by the Department for Education. Its team of procurement specialists can provide onsite and offsite support, expert consultancy and advisory services.

Crescent Purchasing Consortium

The Department for Education is here to engage with colleges on the data collection requirements following ONS reclassification. Our team will explain what the changes mean in practice, how they support effective oversight, and what colleges need to do to stay compliant. We’re keen to hear your feedback, answer questions, and discuss how we can make data returns process clear and efficient.

Department for Education

Specialists in software solutions, training and consultancy for the FE Sector. We work with a full range of organisations, including colleges, independent training providers, local authorities and HEI’s. Our market leading products include: 4CAST – Curriculum and financial planning / costing software SCORE – ILR and data management / funding optimisation software SCORE CA – Provider data management toolkit for devolved adult skills authorities.

Drake Lane Associates

The #1 education energy-upgrades provider: zero-upfront LED and controls, solar PV and EV charging, funded via our £100m fund, delivered across single and multi-site estates.

eEnergy 

The friendly face of audit, tax and financial expertise, HaysMac combines personality, positivity and proven market insight to help clients seize opportunities and tackle challenges head-on. With specialist teams offering deep sector knowledge, we support clients at every stage of their journey. With over 650 partners and staff, we’re an award-winning, top 10 London firm of chartered accountants and tax advisers, with a key focus to serve and support further and higher education providers across the UK.

HaysMac

Insignis is a Department for Education approved platform provides a savings platform that helps individuals, businesses, charities, schools and colleges. We provide Colleges with access to a range of savings deposit accounts from a panel of UK banks and building societies, all through a single platform. Colleges can optimise returns and reduce risk by using Insignis.

Insignis Asset Management Limited

ION provides specialist financial management and procurement solutions for the education sector. Working with colleges, schools and multi-academy trusts across the UK, ION helps organisations gain greater visibility and control over their finances, improve efficiency and make better strategic decisions. Our software brings together budgeting, reporting and procurement in one place, enabling finance teams to save time and reduce risk. ION is also proud to be recognised as Sage UK Partner of the Year, reflecting our expertise and commitment to supporting education finance teams.

ION

At Mindful Education, we produce flexible, award-winning, blended learning courses and apprenticeships that continue to set new standards in digital education. Designed and built by in-house teams, our courses deliver a compelling mix of academic expertise, technology and creativity, bringing learning to life and achieving outstanding results. Working in partnership with hundreds of colleges and employers, we support thousands of learners each year, helping people to take the next step in their careers.

Mindful Education

TechnologyOne is a global Software as a Service (SaaS) provider delivering enterprise solutions that simplify and transform operations. With offices across six countries, our deeply integrated SaaS platform supports over 1,300 organisations worldwide. Our solution provides deep functionality for the markets we serve, including local government and higher education in the UK. We leverage our unique domain experience and our unwavering commitment to the industries we serve by taking complete responsibility to deliver outcomes with our best-in-class SaaS ERP. With SaaS Plus, TechnologyOne takes full responsibility for the complete outcome of the solution experience, not just the software.

TechnologyOne

The Beattie Partnership is a firm of chartered surveyors with over 30 years of experience, primarily supporting clients in the education sector. Our practice focuses on identifying and securing business rates savings for further education institutions through careful review and challenges where appropriate. With a new 2026 Rating Revaluation resulting in many institutions facing increased rates bills, occupiers are encouraged to get in touch to explore potential business rates savings over the next 3 years with some historic potential scope too.

The Beattie Partnership

We're ending a legacy of under-utilised resources in Further Education. We equip Further Education leadership with the insights, to deliver world-class vocational learning, that meets the demands of tomorrow’s industries, through our CORE methodology.

VITTA Group

Xledger offers a comprehensive financial management solution for multi-academy trusts, LEAs, independent schools, early years, colleges & higher education institutions across the Education sector. Real-time insight and live reporting empower finance teams with enhanced budgetary management and financial control. In addition, devolved purchasing through managed approval workflows can balance control and efficiency across your entire organisation, leading to more effective decision-making.

Xledger

Becky has been a member of the FE Commissioner Team since March 2020, specialising in finance. She has served as a Deputy FE Commissioner since September 2023. Prior to this, she worked in the further education sector for 26 years, including roles as Executive Director of Finance at City of Bristol College and Strode College.

Corrie Harris is the CEO at Loughborough College Group and brings 35 years of experience in the Further Education sector. She is deeply committed to delivering an outstanding learning experience for students, whilst meeting the needs of local communities and employers. Corrie has led transformational change throughout her career, with particular strengths in teaching and learning, cultural development, and organisational leadership. Corrie also has extensive expertise in the land-based sector, and has played a key role in the success of two previous college mergers. 

Catherine Hayes is Head of Adult Further Education Funding at the Department for Work and Pensions. She is responsible for the development of funding policy in non-devolved parts of England, as well as working with Strategic Authorities (largely Mayoral Combined Authorities) on the national picture. 

Carey Hornby job shares with Isabel Evans to lead the Department for Education’s Further Education capital strategy and the delivery of FE capital funding. She has held this role for six years, building insight from the design and delivery of major capital programmes across the sector. Carey has worked across a range of policy roles in central government, including at the Department for Education and HM Treasury. She is particularly passionate about using public investment to improve educational environments and outcomes for young people.

Heather has worked in Further Education for over 30 years.  Initially she was the College Accountant at East Birmingham College setting up the systems and processes for incorporation in 1993 progressing to Vice Principal following the merger with South Birmingham College in 1998.

Heather did a period of interim management supporting colleges in financial difficulties before joining Solihull College & University Centre in 2005. Her role has developed over the years, and Heather is currently Deputy Principal & CFO with responsibilities for Finance, MIS, IT, Learning Technologies, Estates and Legal. 

Stephen is a chartered public finance accountant and has worked in the FE sector since 1998 and been a senior leader with a portfolio of responsibilities for Finance, Estates, IT and MIS since 2013 in 3 different GFE colleges. Stephen also worked as a CFO of a multi academy trust for 6 years. He has been Deputy Principal Finance & Resources at Cambridge Regional College since 2021 and chairs the AoC East FD’s network and has been one of the eastern region representatives to the national AoC College Finance Directors Group since 2015.

Hari Khurmi is an experienced executive leader with nearly 25 years of senior leadership in Further Education. As CFOO of the newly formed £83m Loughborough College Group, he leads Finance, Estates, MIS, and IT, shaping the Group’s strategic and operational direction. Hari played a central role in delivering the successful merger with the former SMB College Group, securing financial sustainability and operational resilience. His leadership has been pivotal in aligning systems, processes, and infrastructure across the organisation, ensuring the merged Group is fully integrated, efficient, and future ready.

Rachel Mallaband is lead for 16 to 19 funding at the Department for Education. She is responsible for the development and maintenance of funding policy for this age group, which includes young people up to age 25 where they have an Education, Health and Care Plan. Rachel works closely with DfE operational funding colleagues to ensure policy and delivery work is aligned.  

Mark is a chartered procurement professional and Procurement Act 2023 ‘Advanced Practitioner’ with 35 years’ private/public sector procurement experience.  His career includes twenty years in private practice as a chartered quantity surveyor and dispute resolution practitioner. He moved to the public sector in 2010, initially working in local government, Mark joined CPC in 2019, working with clients at the procurement coalface, before promotion into his current Procurement L&D Lead role in early 2024.  Mark’s remit is to develop procurement best practice, supporting CPC’s education-sector-wide membership with the knowledge and tools needed for successful procurement planning, preparation, tendering/award and contract management.