NatWest Invests in JS Group to Enhance the Delivery and Impact of Student Financial Support

NatWest today announced a minority investment in JS Group to support the wider adoption of its Aspire platform.

Aspire is designed to deliver measurable improvements by simplifying the distribution of student financial aid, ensuring recipients receive funds quickly and securely while significantly reducing the administrative burden and costs for funders.

JS Group currently specialises in enabling universities to efficiently distribute financial support such as bursaries, scholarships and hardship grants to students.

This strategic investment will initially focus on transforming how financial support is delivered across the higher education sector. It aims to improve social inclusion by breaking down barriers so that students from disadvantaged or underrepresented backgrounds can access and succeed at university.

Beyond higher education, the investment will also accelerate the uptake of Aspire in other sectors, including charities as well as local and central government, where efficient and impactful delivery of financial aid is vital for promoting social mobility.

The investment highlights NatWest’s ongoing commitment to championing innovative solutions that enhance financial accessibility and provide funders with more effective, technology-driven ways to manage disbursements.

NatWest and JS Group have an established relationship. In 2022, JS Group integrated Payit by NatWest into the Aspire platform to enhance the ‘last mile’ of payment delivery. This partnership improved the way universities could transfer bursary and hardship funds to students – reducing the time from days to just minutes – creating a better experience for both students and institutions.

This service streamlined access to funds, helping students overcome financial hardship with faster direct payments into their bank accounts. The solution has since been implemented by universities across the UK.

Building on this partnership, NatWest’s new investment in JS Group reflects its ambition to further empower key sectors of the economy with reliable and efficient financial services. The minority stake represents a significant step in NatWest’s drive to collaborate with innovative companies to advance payment solutions.

Barrie Davison, National Sector Head at NatWest, comments:

“Building on the well-established partnership between Payit by NatWest and JS Group, this investment enables us to work towards a shared goal of accelerating the adoption of open banking technology.

“We are excited to support JS Group in their mission to simplify and improve the way universities and other funders manage and distribute financial support while being at the forefront of the payments industry. This investment aligns with our goal of fostering innovation and providing financial solutions while supporting the higher education sector. It is a key opportunity to advance payment innovations and shape the future of the payments landscape while improving customer experience.”

Peter Gray, Chairman and CEO at JS Group, comments:

“We are thrilled to welcome NatWest as an investor in JS Group to drive our mission of transforming the delivery and impact of financial support. Aspire gives funders greater optionality over the delivery of financial support and gives beneficiaries agency over how they receive funds. This investment will enable us to further develop our platform and expand our reach, ensuring that more universities, more sectors and more beneficiaries can take advantage of our efficient and secure payment services. We look forward to working closely with NatWest as we continue innovating. Their expertise will be invaluable as we seek to scale our platform and accelerate our venture into new sectors.”

JS Group was advised during the transaction by FRP Corporate Finance (Lead Corporate Finance Advisers) – Simon Davies and Darren Miller; Shoosmiths (Legal Advisers) – Steve Porter, Lisa Sigalet and Lawrence Renny; and DSA (Transaction Tax Advisers) – Nick Byfield and Doug MacLeod.