What Volunteering Solutions does

Volunteering Solutions (VolSol), operated by UK-registered Impact Explorers Ltd., is an international volunteer travel organisation that places individual volunteers, students, gap-year travellers, families, schools, universities, and corporate groups in short- to long-duration programmes across 24 countries in Asia, Africa, Europe, South America, and the Pacific. Its core offering comprises 114 volunteer abroad programmes spanning 13+ cause areas including childcare, teaching, medical placements, wildlife conservation, environment conservation, community development, construction, special needs care, and sports coaching, supplemented by international internships and combined volunteer-travel packages called VolunTrips. Pricing is structured as all-inclusive per-programme unit fees ranging from approximately $300 to $480+ plus a one-time application fee of $249 USD / £179 GBP, with ancillary revenue from optional add-ons including flight booking (Skyscanner partnership), travel insurance, online TEFL certification, the Diploma in International Volunteering, and weekend excursions.

The company runs no proprietary technology platform; operations are delivered through a web-based booking system (book.volunteeringsolutions.com) and a multilingual website supporting 10 languages, backed by own local in-country teams across all 24 destinations that provide 24/7 coordinator support. The go-to-market combines sales-led conversion through dedicated Programme Advisors and a Partnerships Coordinator targeting institutional buyers, with self-serve digital booking and community-led growth via a Campus Ambassador Programme and an alumni network of 25,000+ past volunteers. Distribution is also extended through a separate branded MedTrips division (medtrips.co.uk) serving healthcare students and professionals. The business is privately held, bootstrapped with no disclosed external funding, B Corp certified, a member of WYSE Travel Confederation, and compliant with UK Package Travel Regulations 1992, providing financial protection on all bookings. CEO and founder Saurabh Sabharwal leads the organisation from its UK headquarters in Wallington, London Borough of Sutton.

Name

Volunteering Solutions

Legal name

Impact Explorers Ltd.

Website

https://volunteeringsolutions.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Volunteering Solutions (VolSol), operated by Impact Explorers Ltd., is a UK-based volunteer travel organisation placing individuals, students, families, schools, and corporate groups in ethical, all-inclusive programmes across 24 countries, supported by local in-country teams and a 25,000+ alumni network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Volunteer Travel Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Education & Teaching Volunteer Programs (EDAIAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Health & Medical Volunteering Programs (EDAIAGAC), Unpaid/Volunteer-Linked Work Placement Programs (EDAIAFAE), Environmental Conservation & Sustainability Volunteering (EDAIAGAB), Wildlife & Animal Care Volunteering (EDAIAGAE)

Keywords

• Volunteer abroad programs
• International internships
• Group volunteering trips
• Volunteer travel packages
• Community service placements

Headquarters

HQ city

Gurugram

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Volunteer Programme Fees: Primary revenue stream from programme fees charged to volunteers for participation in overseas programmes. Fees cover accommodation, meals, airport pickup, in-country support and a contribution to the project itself. Price points range from approximately $300 to $480+ depending on programme type and destination.
2. Application/Booking Fees: An application fee (249 USD / 179 GBP / 350 AUD / 229 EUR) is charged to process volunteer applications and confirm placements.
3. Ancillary Services: Additional revenue from optional add-ons including flight booking, travel insurance, weekend excursions, language courses, online TEFL certification, and the Diploma in International Volunteering.
4. Group and Corporate Bookings: Tailored group programmes for universities, schools, families, and companies generate revenue through bespoke package bookings at potentially higher per-person rates.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Volunteering Solutions arranges and delivers ethical, community-led volunteer abroad and internship programs across 24 countries, with participants placed in projects such as childcare, teaching, medical volunteering, wildlife conservation, environment conservation, community development, construction, special needs care, and sports coaching for durations of 1 to 24 weeks. Each programme is an all-inclusive package covering placement matching, vetted accommodation, meals, airport pickup, orientation, 24/7 in-country coordinator support, and a contribution to the host project, priced from roughly $300 to $480+ plus a separate application/booking fee.

Product overview

Volunteering Solutions operates as a unified volunteer abroad placement platform offering ethical, community-led volunteer and internship programs across 24 countries. The core offering consists of volunteer abroad programs (including childcare, teaching, medical, wildlife conservation, environment conservation, community development, construction, special needs care, sports coaching, and more), internships abroad, and VolunTrips (combined volunteer-travel packages). Supporting the core programs are add-on services including a Diploma in International Volunteering (accreditation), Online TEFL Course (certification), Campus Ambassador Program, flight booking, insurance coverage, and fundraising support. A specialized medical internship division operates under the Med Trips sub-brand. Group volunteering options serve universities, schools, families, and corporate clients. The company is B Corp certified and operates locally supported teams in each destination country.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• VolSol: Shortened brand name used for the Volunteering Solutions organization and its services including VolSol Online Shop, VolSol flight booking services, and VolunTrips package offerings.

Products and services

• Volunteer Abroad Programs Affordable, ethical volunteer abroad placements across 24 countries covering childcare, teaching, medical, wildlife conservation, environment conservation, community development, construction, special needs care, sports coaching, senior volunteering, teen and high school programmes, summer programmes, mission trips, and short-term opportunities for individuals, gap year travellers, career breakers, and students.
• Internships Abroad International internship placement programmes enabling participants to gain professional experience while contributing to communities in healthcare, education, wildlife conservation, and community development sectors.
• Medical Internships (MedTrips) Specialized medical internship division for healthcare students and professionals, hosted at medtrips.co.uk as a wholly-owned adjacent operating subsidiary under Impact Explorers Ltd., offering supervised placements in medical volunteer programmes abroad.
• VolunTrips Combined volunteer and travel packages including 2-week specials and 1-week specials across multiple destinations in Asia, Africa, Europe, and Latin America, designed for participants who want a fixed-duration programme plus structured travel.
• Group Volunteering Programs Tailored group volunteer trips for university societies, schools, families, and corporate clients including CAS Expeditions, Corporate Volunteering, Family Volunteer Abroad, School Group Trips, Turing Scheme Trips, University & College Groups, and Faculty-Led Group Trips, with age-appropriate projects and supervision.
• Diploma in International Volunteering Accredited learning qualification that allows volunteers to turn their placement into a recognized credential for university applications and CV enhancement, sold as a standalone programme component with its own product page.
• Online TEFL Course Online Teaching English as a Foreign Language certification course co-developed with TEFL UK, enabling participants to obtain accredited TEFL qualifications for teaching English abroad and international job applications, sold as a standalone offering with its own product page.

Quantifiable outcome

• 25,000+ volunteers placed since 2007 across 24 countries and 114 programmes
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• SkyscannerminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for flight booking integration, offering volunteers access to affordable flights to their programme destinations through Skyscanner's search platform. Positioned as a value-added service within the VolSol ecosystem.
• TEFL UKminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the delivery of an online TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certification course, co-branded and co-developed with TEFL UK. Enables volunteers to obtain accredited TEFL qualifications before or after their placement.
• WYSE Travel ConfederationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive membership in the global nonprofit dedicated to youth travel and educational travel. Provides industry credibility, networking, event access, and recognition including the British Youth Travel Awards. Volunteering Solutions is a recognised member in good standing.
• Forum on Education AbroadcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMembership in the leading US professional association for education abroad, lending credibility to the company's academic credibility and standards for university and school group programmes.
• Year Out GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMembership in the UK network of organisations providing structured year-out experiences. Supports the gap year and career-breaker volunteer demographic.
• British Educational Travel Association (BETA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMembership in the UK association for educational travel providers, enhancing industry standing and networking within the UK and European market.
• Pharos ResponseminorOthersListed as a support partner on the website footer, suggesting emergency response or travel security support capability.
• MedTrips (medtrips.co.uk)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA separate branded division of Volunteering Solutions focused exclusively on medical internships and healthcare professional placements. Operated under the same parent company (Impact Explorers Ltd), targeting healthcare students and professionals as a specialised vertical.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Global Volunteers: Long-established (since 1984) US-based nonprofit volunteer travel operator with a broader institutional and service-trip focus. Comparable on cause-area coverage but with a more mission-driven, fee-based operating model and longer program durations.
• Raleigh International: Established UK-based youth development charity operating structured volunteer expeditions (often fully funded) for young people globally. Overlaps on volunteer abroad and youth-development positioning but differs on charitable funding model and expedition style.

Direct peers

• LoveVolunteers: International volunteer placement organisation operating across 30+ countries with similar cause-area coverage and affordable programme pricing. Comparable on target customer (students, career breakers) and operational model.
• Projects Abroad: Established volunteer abroad operator offering programmes in 30+ countries with strong institutional (school/university) partnerships and a dedicated medical internships division. Closely comparable on cause-area breadth, group programmes, and MedTrips-equivalent offering.
• IVHQ (International Volunteer HQ): IVHQ is the largest and most direct competitor, offering affordable volunteer abroad programs across 50+ destinations with a similar one-time programme fee model. Compares on core product, customer segments (gap year, students), and global multi-cause footprint.
• Plan My Gap Year: UK-based gap year volunteer placement specialist with affordable programmes across Asia, Africa and Latin America. Direct competitor on student/gap year demographic, pricing tiers (£200-£600), and duration flexibility.
• GoEco: Eco-focused volunteer abroad operator with programmes in 40+ destinations emphasising wildlife, conservation, and community projects. Comparable on cause-area mix (especially wildlife/environment) and ethical positioning.
• Kaya Responsible Travel: Responsible volunteer travel operator offering programmes across multiple continents with a strong focus on ethical standards and professional/elective placements. Comparable on positioning, cause-area mix, and medical/internship verticals.

Others

• GoOverseas: Community-driven reviews and listings platform for volunteer abroad, teach abroad, and gap year programmes. Functions as a discovery channel rather than direct competitor; Volunteering Solutions is itself listed and awarded on GoOverseas, indicating both partnership and indirect competitive overlap.

Emerging players

• Volunteer World: Digital marketplace/aggregator for volunteer placements globally, listing 2,000+ projects across 90+ countries. Represents a platform-based competitive threat rather than a direct operator, but overlaps on volunteer placement supply and demand discovery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/volsol
• Facebookfacebook.com/VolunteeringSolutions
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/volunteering-solutions

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Volunteering Solutions