Project Search

What Project Search does

Project SEARCH is a transition-to-work program founded in 1996 at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center in Ohio that serves young adults aged 18-30 with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The core product is a business-led, one academic year program that combines classroom instruction, career exploration, and hands-on training through three targeted worksite rotations, culminating in individualized job search, placement, and follow-up support. Programs operate at 800+ active sites across the globe and have served 55,000+ interns since inception, with a 72% graduate employment rate and a 92% program completion rate reported for 2023-2024.

The organization's supporting technology is the Project SEARCH Member Portal, a web-based platform used by licensed program teams to track intern enrollment, internship placements, employment outcomes, and to access training resources. Additional offerings include the Annual Conference (650+ attendees), the Project SEARCH Alumni Association, and a published methodology book. The organization's underlying technology footprint is modest — there is no proprietary AI/ML, no public API, and no mobile applications; the portal functions primarily as a data-tracking and coordination tool.

The business model is non-commercial in structure. Project SEARCH operates as a program within Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, generating revenue through licensing fees paid by partnering teams for use of the Project SEARCH model and brand, supplemented by donations through the Cincinnati Children's giving portal. Go-to-market occurs via licensed program sites established through multi-stakeholder steering committees that include host businesses, educational institutions, Vocational Rehabilitation Services, Developmental Disability organizations, and Supported Employment agencies. Customer segments span institutional licensees (businesses, schools, government agencies) rather than individual consumers, and pricing is not publicly disclosed.

Name

Project Search

Legal name

Project SEARCH

Website

https://projectsearch.us

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Project SEARCH is a transition-to-work program founded in 1996 at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center that prepares young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities for competitive employment through business-led, one-year internship programs at 800+ licensed sites globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Employment Services

NAICS

Employment Placement Agencies and Executive Search Services (56131)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Work-Based Learning Programs (Internships, Apprenticeships, Community-Based Instruction) (EDAKANAF)

Keywords

• Supported employment programs
• Disability transition services
• Vocational rehabilitation programs
• Developmental disability employment
• Workforce preparation programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Cincinnati

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Licensing Fees: Partnering teams pay required start-up and annual licensing fees to Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center to use the Project SEARCH model and brand.
2. Donations: Project SEARCH accepts donations through Cincinnati Children's Hospital donation portal to support program operations and expansion.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Project SEARCH is a business-led, one academic year transition-to-work program that takes place entirely at the workplace. The program combines classroom instruction, career exploration, and hands-on training through three targeted worksite rotations of 10-12 weeks each, culminating in individualized job search and placement for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Product overview

Project SEARCH is a single, unified program — the Transition-to-Work Program — focused on helping young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities achieve competitive employment. The organization also offers related supporting offerings: the Project SEARCH Annual Conference for education and best practice sharing, the Alumni Association for ongoing graduate support, the Member Portal for tracking intern data and providing team resources, and a published book documenting the Project SEARCH methodology. These offerings work together as an ecosystem centered on the core one-year internship program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Project SEARCH Transition-to-Work Program A unique, business-led, one academic year employment preparation program that takes place entirely at the workplace for young adults aged 18-30 with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Combines classroom instruction with hands-on training through three worksite rotations, followed by individualized job search, placement, and long-term follow-up support. Licensed to partnering teams through Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.
• Project SEARCH Annual Conference An annual conference that brings together over 650 experts and leaders to share best practices and insights on the Project SEARCH Model. The 19th Annual Conference is scheduled for July 13-17, 2026 in St. Louis, Missouri.

Quantifiable outcome

• 72% of graduates achieve employment
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Coleg CambriacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 May 2026Educational institution partnership in Wales, UK. Coleg Cambria partnered with DFN Project SEARCH and Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board to launch a supported internship programme at Ysbyty Wrexham Maelor. The one-year programme offers six intern places for young people with additional learning needs.
• Betsi Cadwaladr University Health BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 May 2026Healthcare partner providing the host business site for the supported internship programme at Ysbyty Wrexham Maelor. The health board offers various hospital roles for intern rotations while providing tailored support from employability mentors and job coaches.
• Cintas (Little Rock, Arkansas)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness partnership providing internships and jobs for young adults with developmental disabilities. Cintas has achieved zero turnover among Project SEARCH hires over five years. Mathew Hoppis, General Manager, notes the initiative has enhanced company culture and community outreach while fostering success for all involved.
• LEGOLAND CaliforniacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEntertainment partner fostering inclusive workplace culture through Project SEARCH internships. As highlighted in Ramon's Story, the partnership enhances guest experience and creates career opportunities, resulting in a motivated workforce.
• Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOriginal founding institution where Project SEARCH originated in 1996. Continues to serve as the organizational headquarters and licensing authority for the international network of Project SEARCH programs.
• Great Oaks Career CampusescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational institution partnership from the original founding. Susie Rutkowski, the special education director at Great Oaks Career Campuses, partnered with Erin Riehle to launch Project SEARCH in 1996.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• National Industries for the Blind (NIB) / AbilityOne: NIB and the AbilityOne program are established federal contractors providing employment for people with disabilities, including blindness. While focused on manufacturing and services contracts rather than transition-to-work, NIB is a broad incumbent in the disability-employment ecosystem and competes for employer mindshare and policy attention.
• Goodwill Industries International: Goodwill is a large national nonprofit that runs employment, training, and placement programs, including substantial services for people with disabilities and other barriers to employment. It is a broad incumbent competing with Project SEARCH in transition-to-work, supported employment, and employer partnership programs across many U.S. markets.
• The Arc of the United States: The Arc is a national advocacy and service organization for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, with a federated network providing employment, transition, and community-based services. It is a broad incumbent whose chapters often operate competing or complementary transition-to-work programs to Project SEARCH.
• Best Buddies International: Best Buddies runs employment, leadership, and inclusion programs for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It overlaps with Project SEARCH's mission of competitive integrated employment, though Best Buddies operates a broader portfolio of programs and a different mix of volunteer-driven and corporate partnerships.

Direct peers

• Bayaud Enterprises: Bayaud Enterprises is a Colorado-based nonprofit that operates employment and training programs for people with disabilities, including supported employment and internships. It is a direct regional peer with similar employer-hosted models and transition services.
• AHRC New York City: AHRC NYC delivers a broad portfolio of services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including employment and transition programs. It is a direct peer in the supported-employment and school-to-work space, particularly in the New York metro market.
• Viability, Inc. Viability is a multi-state nonprofit providing employment, workforce, and behavioral health services for people with disabilities. It directly competes with Project SEARCH in supported employment and vocational training, with overlapping employer-partnership and community-based delivery models.
• YAI (Young Adult Institute): YAI is one of the largest U.S. nonprofits serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, with extensive employment, day habilitation, and transition services. It directly competes with Project SEARCH in supported employment and vocational services in overlapping geographies such as New York and New Jersey.
• Melwood: Melwood is a large nonprofit providing employment, training, and support services for people with disabilities across the Mid-Atlantic. It directly competes with Project SEARCH in transition-to-work and supported employment, offering similar school-to-work pathways and employer partnerships.
• SourceAmerica: SourceAbility/SourceAmerica is a national nonprofit that connects people with disabilities to employment through AbilityOne and other federal-contract programs. It is directly comparable to Project SEARCH as a mission-aligned, multi-stakeholder employment pipeline for individuals with significant disabilities, with similar employer partnership and government contracting models.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ProjectSEARCHHQ

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Project Search