How a free UK Company Data pilot works in a university module
What a pilot is
A pilot is a free trial of UK Company Data in real teaching, not an open trial for the whole campus. It runs for 6 to 8 teaching weeks in one named module, led by a named lecturer, with an agreed group of students and a decision date fixed before it starts. Success criteria are agreed in advance, so at the end both sides can see whether the service did what the module needed.
Running it inside a module gives a clear answer quickly. Students use the data for an assessed task or a seminar exercise, the lecturer sees whether it saves time, and the library gets usage figures it can compare with its other company data resources.
Which modules suit a pilot
Good candidates are modules where students need structured figures for many UK companies, for example:
- accounting and finance modules analysing balance sheets across an industry
- business and management dissertations comparing companies in a sector or region
- economics or regional studies work on company populations by SIC code, town or postcode
- data analysis or research methods modules that teach building and documenting a dataset
Before choosing a module, check the coverage and limitations. Balance sheet fields are widely available; turnover and profit are mostly published only by medium, large and group companies.
What we need from the lecturer
- The module name and code, and the weeks in which students will use the data.
- The student group: which cohort or seminar groups take part and roughly how many students.
- The task: what students will do with the data, for example build a peer group dataset or compare net assets across a sector.
- Success criteria: two or three measures you will judge the pilot by (see below).
- Feedback at the end: a short conversation or a few written answers on what worked and what did not.
If the module uses the REST API, the module leader can ask us for API keys for the module.
What we need from the library
- Campus IP ranges (CIDR) and the outgoing IP address of your EZproxy server, so students get access on and off campus without accounts. The setup is on the EZproxy and access page.
- A library contact who adds the resource to the module reading list or LibGuide and receives the usage report.
- The decision date and who makes the decision on the campus licence.
Timeline
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| Before teaching starts | Agree module, lecturer, student group, success criteria and decision date. Library sends IP ranges and EZproxy address. We switch on access and you check the "Access provided by" banner. |
| Week 1 | Lecturer introduces the service in class, using the dataset builder and a worked example. |
| Weeks 2 to 6 or 8 | Students use the data for the agreed task. We answer questions from the lecturer and library by email. |
| End of pilot | We send the usage figures for the pilot period. Lecturer gives feedback against the success criteria. |
| Decision date | The library decides whether to take the campus licence. |
Success criteria
Criteria are agreed in advance and should be things you can check. Examples:
- a set share of the student group exports at least one dataset
- students complete the task without buying data elsewhere or copying figures from PDFs by hand
- the lecturer judges the data good enough to use in the module again
- the library judges the cost per use acceptable, based on the usage report
The monthly usage report counts searches, company views, history views, dataset previews, exports, rows exported and API calls. It is institutional usage reporting, not COUNTER-certified, and contains counts only, no IP addresses or individual queries.
What the pilot includes
Access during the pilot works in the same way as for a licensed institution: by campus IP range and EZproxy, without student accounts. The exact scope (for example dataset row limits and full company histories) is confirmed when the pilot is agreed.
What happens after the pilot
If the library decides to go ahead, it raises a purchase order for the campus licence at GBP 2,400 plus VAT per year, covering unlimited students and staff. For the first partner institutions the price is fixed for two years. See supplier information and the licence terms.
If the library decides not to go ahead, pilot access ends after the decision date. There is no charge for the pilot.
To start a pilot, email info@globalmindsetmarketing.co.uk with the module, the lecturer's name and the term you have in mind.
FAQ
How long does a UK Company Data pilot last?
6 to 8 teaching weeks in one named module.
Does the pilot cost anything?
No. The pilot is free.
Do students need accounts during the pilot?
No. Access is by campus IP range and EZproxy, as for a licensed institution.
How is success measured?
Against criteria agreed with the lecturer and library before the pilot starts, using the usage report and the lecturer's feedback.
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