What Projects Abroad does

Projects Abroad (UK) Ltd, founded in 1992 and headquartered in Brighton, United Kingdom, is a private limited company operating as what it describes as the world's largest provider of international volunteering, internships, and meaningful travel experiences. The company organizes and sells structured volunteer and internship placements across 27 destinations spanning Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the South Pacific, serving participants aged 14 through 75+ across consumer segments including high school students, gap year travelers, university students, career breakers, retirees, and institutional groups. Its core offering is organized as trip formats (Flexi Trips, High School Specials, Gap Programmes, Grown-up Specials, Global Gap Year, Study Abroad, Group Trips) layered over project categories (Childcare, Conservation, Teaching, Medicine, Law & Human Rights, Micro-finance, Journalism, Veterinary Medicine, Business, Sports, Archaeology, Refugee Support). All programs are anchored to United Nations Sustainable Development Goals via formal Management Plans with documented impact assessments and annual reporting.

The company operates a proprietary online platform, MyProjectsAbroad, which functions as the operational backbone for participants following acceptance — providing emergency contacts, project profiles, accommodation details, packing lists, visa guidance, payment management, and flight arrangement functionality. Underlying technology is largely transaction and workflow oriented: the application and booking process sits on a custom online form (with Visa, Mastercard, and PayPal payment integrations) feeding into the MyProjectsAbroad portal. There is no public or partner-facing API and no disclosed AI/ML components. Safety infrastructure includes BS8848 risk assessment compliance, an in-house medical advisor, and 24/7 in-country support staff. The platform also accumulates longitudinal impact data via community needs assessments and annual Global Impact Reports, which the company uses to defend a quality-and-safety positioning versus lower-cost competitors.

Projects Abroad is a direct-to-consumer business with no intermediaries, deriving revenue from one-time program fees that bundle accommodation, food, airport transfers, in-country support, project materials, and certification. Pricing is modular: from £1,695 for a two-week Flexi Trip, £2,455+ for a four-week internship, with longer programs like the seven-month Global Gap Year priced at a substantial premium. A £195 deposit secures placement, with interest-free flexible payment plans up to three months before departure. The customer acquisition mix is sales-led with strong community/alumni referral mechanics: the company operates a website-driven and call-center-supported application process, supplements this with career fair attendance, school presentations, and online webinars, and overlays a formalized alumni referral program (£75 per successful referral) leveraged on a 140,000+ alumni base. There is no disclosed revenue, no external funding, and ownership remains private.

Name

Projects Abroad

Legal name

Projects Abroad (UK) Ltd

Website

https://projects-abroad.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Projects Abroad, founded 1992 in Brighton, UK, is a private direct-to-consumer provider of international volunteer programs, internships, and structured travel experiences for teenagers, students, gap-year travelers, and professionals across 27 destinations worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Volunteer and Internship Travel Services

NAICS

Tour Operators (56152)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Provider-Run International Internship Programs (Multi-Country/Multi-Industry) (EDAIAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Unpaid/Volunteer-Linked Work Placement Programs (EDAIAFAE), Gap Year + Study Abroad Hybrid Programs (EDAIAAAG)

Keywords

• International volunteering programs
• Volunteer abroad experiences
• Internship abroad programs
• Meaningful travel services
• Gap year programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Brighton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Volunteer Program Fees: Participants pay a program fee that covers accommodation, food, airport transfers, in-country support, project materials, and certification. A deposit of £195 secures placement, with flexible payment options (weekly, monthly) until 3 months before departure. No interest, no credit checks, no hidden fees.
2. Internship Program Fees: Structured internship programs with similar fee structure to volunteer programs, targeting university students and recent graduates seeking practical work experience in fields like Business, Medicine, Journalism.
3. Gap Year Programs: Longer-term structured programs including the Global Gap Year (7 months, 6 countries) with all-inclusive pricing covering multiple projects and destinations.
4. High School Specials: Fully supervised trips for 14-18 year olds with extra staff support and structured itineraries during school holidays.
5. Study Abroad Programs: Educational programmes in Costa Rica for university students aged 18+ seeking academic credit.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Projects Abroad organizes and delivers paid international volunteer placements, professional internships, and structured educational travel programs in 27 destinations across Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the South Pacific. Each program bundles placement, accommodation, meals, airport transfers, in-country 24/7 staff support, project materials, and certification into a single fee, and is delivered through defined trip formats such as Flexi Trips, High School Specials, Gap Programmes, Grown-up Specials, Global Gap Year, Language Courses, Study Abroad, and bespoke Group Trips.

Product overview

Projects Abroad operates as a portfolio of international volunteering, internship, and educational travel programs organized as trip formats and project types. The core trip formats include Flexi Trips (flexible year-round volunteering for ages 16+), High School Specials (structured programs for ages 14-18), Gap Programmes (adventure-focused trips for ages 17+), Undergraduate Medical Internships, Grown-up Specials (50+ travelers), Global Gap Year (seven-month multi-country program), Language Courses, Study Abroad (Costa Rica), and Group Trips for schools/universities/corporations. These trip formats serve as the delivery vehicle for project work across two main categories: Volunteer Abroad Programs (Childcare, Conservation, Marine Conservation, Animal Care, Teaching, Building, Women's Empowerment, Sports Coaching, Archaeology, Refugee Support) and Intern Abroad Programs (Medicine, Law & Human Rights, Micro-finance, Business, Journalism, Veterinary Medicine, Social Work, International Development). The proprietary MyProjectsAbroad portal serves as the operational platform managing participant information, payments, and logistics. Programs span over 20 destinations across Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and South Pacific.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Flexi Trips Year-round volunteer and internship trips with flexible start dates and durations, designed for participants aged 16-75+ to join ongoing projects tailored to their interests across multiple destinations.
• High School Specials Fully supervised, structured volunteer and internship projects for students aged 14-18 during school holidays, including extra staff support and a planned itinerary.
• Gap Programmes Group trips for ages 17+ combining exploration with meaningful service work, featuring extra staff support and structured itineraries across multiple destinations.
• Undergraduate Medical Internships Medical internships designed for undergraduate students to gain healthcare exposure and develop clinical skills, including medical outreaches in underserved communities.
• Grown-up Specials Group trips exclusively for adults aged 50+ combining travel with meaningful service work alongside peers in a supported environment.
• Global Gap Year A seven-month comprehensive program traveling to six countries, working on diverse voluntary and internship projects and combining multiple project types and destinations.
• Language Courses Immersive language learning programs enabling participants to learn and practice new languages by living with local communities and immersing in the culture, available for ages 16+.
• Study Abroad Educational programmes in Costa Rica for university students aged 18+, combining academic credit with adventure and cultural immersion.
• Group Trips Tailor-made group volunteer trips for schools, universities, and organisations of five or more people, with bespoke itineraries including evening and weekend activities.
• Volunteer Abroad Programs General volunteer programs including Childcare, Conservation, Marine Conservation, Animal Care, Teaching, Building, Women's Empowerment, Sports Coaching, Archaeology, and Refugee Support, delivered on community-driven projects across 20+ destinations.
• Intern Abroad Programs Structured professional internships in fields including Medicine & Healthcare, Law & Human Rights, Micro-finance, Business, Journalism, Veterinary Medicine, Social Work, and International Development, providing practical work experience and CV building.

Quantifiable outcome

• 140,000+ participants served since 1992
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Local Partner Organizations (Childcare)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organizations must be legally registered to operate, sign agreements with Projects Abroad covering communication and health & safety, and allow regular staff visits for monitoring. Partners include daycare centres, kindergartens, schools, and support groups for elderly and mothers/babies.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• EF Education First: Global education company offering language courses, study abroad, and cultural exchange programs. Comparable to Projects Abroad's language courses and study abroad offerings, with much broader scale and a wider portfolio but less depth in volunteer-led travel.
• CIEE (Council on International Educational Exchange): US-based nonprofit operating study abroad, internships, and faculty-led programs globally. Comparable to Projects Abroad's Study Abroad and university-facing offerings, with deeper university partnerships but less specialization in the volunteer/internship space.

Direct peers

• Intern Abroad HQ: Specialist international internship provider across multiple industries and countries. Closely comparable to Projects Abroad's Intern Abroad Programs offering (Medicine, Law, Business, Journalism), targeting the same university-student segment seeking CV-building placements.
• GoEco: Israel-based volunteer abroad organization offering programs in wildlife conservation, community development, and education across 30+ countries. Direct competitor in the eco-focused and ethical volunteer abroad segment, with comparable age targeting and accreditation focus.
• Raleigh International: UK-based youth development charity running expeditions and volunteer programs for ages 17-24. Comparable on the youth-focused, structured, supervised volunteer experience model, particularly relevant for the Gap Programmes and High School Specials segments.
• Volunteering Solutions: India-headquartered provider of volunteer abroad and intern abroad programs across 25+ countries. Direct competitor in the same multi-country volunteer/internship category with overlapping destinations (Ghana, Kenya, Thailand, Peru, Costa Rica) and similar project typologies.
• Maximo Nivel: Latin America-focused provider of volunteer programs, internships, and Spanish language courses in Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Peru. Comparable on the internship/teaching/language immersion model Projects Abroad offers in Costa Rica, with a similar price-to-duration structure.
• International Volunteer HQ (IVHQ): New Zealand-based provider of international volunteer programs across 40+ countries. Direct competitor to Projects Abroad in the volunteer abroad category with a similar multi-country, multi-cause portfolio (childcare, teaching, conservation, healthcare) and a comparable price-to-participant model.
• Global Vision International (GVI): UK-based provider of volunteer programs, internships, and gap year experiences in conservation, education, and community development. Closely comparable on geography (also UK-headquartered), age segments (teens, gap year, university), and emphasis on impact measurement and ethics.
• LoveVolunteer: International volunteer program provider with a similar multi-country, project-based model. Direct competitor in the volunteer abroad category targeting students, gap year travelers, and adults seeking structured placements abroad.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/projectsabroad
• Facebookfacebook.com/projectsabroad
• Instagraminstagram.com/projectsabroadglobal
• TikToktiktok.com/@projectsabroad
• Xx.com/projectsabroad
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/projects-abroad

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Projects Abroad