Standguide
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1990
- HeadquartersManchester, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
Standguide firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Standguide
- Legal name
- Standguide Group Limited
- Website
- https://www.standguide.co.uk/
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1990
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Standguide industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Employment Services and Workforce Development
- NAICS
- Employment Services (5613), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (6243)
- SIC
- Services-Employment Agencies (7361)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Workforce Support Services & Case Management (Coaching, Wraparound) (EDAAAOAK)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- General Permanent Placement (Multi-Industry) (BPACAFAA)
Keywords
Where Standguide is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Manchester
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Standguide business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Government Contracted Services: Standguide generates revenue through government-funded contracts with the Department for Work & Pensions, Department for Education, NHS, and local and combined authorities for delivery of employment, education and rehabilitation services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Fully funded qualifications for adults |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Standguide product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Standguide delivers contracted employment, education, and rehabilitation services across the UK on behalf of government bodies (DWP, DfE, NHS, local and combined authorities). Core offerings include Individual Placement and Support (IPS) employment programmes for people with health conditions, fully funded adult education qualifications, end-to-end recruitment solutions for employers, and business start-up support. The company operates both as direct deliverer and via a managed supply chain of partners spanning England, Scotland, and Wales.
Product overview
Standguide is an employee-owned organization providing employment, education, and rehabilitation services across the UK. The portfolio consists of core employment support services (helping individuals find jobs, gain qualifications, and start businesses) alongside employer-focused solutions (recruitment, workforce training). Key products include: Working Well East Midlands (IPS-based employment support for people with health needs), NHS Individual Placement & Support Cheshire & Merseyside (mental health employment support), Adult Education courses in Greater Manchester (funded qualifications in education, business, IT/cyber, skills, languages), Recruitment Made Easy (end-to-end recruitment with pre-employment training), and Funded Training for Workforce (employer training in social care, management, digital). The organization operates three sub-brands: Principally Health Limited (preventative health services), Staffroutes (commercial recruitment), and maintains an Employee Ownership Trust structure. Services are delivered both directly and through supply chain partnerships across England, Scotland, and Wales.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Standguide Employment Services Comprehensive employment support helping individuals find jobs, gain qualifications, and start their own businesses, alongside employer recruitment and workforce development services.
- Working Well East Midlands Employment support programme using the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) methodology to help people with physical and mental health needs find, return to, or keep employment. Delivered in Bassetlaw, Derby City and Mid Nottinghamshire on behalf of Nottingham City Council and partners.
- NHS Individual Placement & Support (Cheshire & Merseyside) NHS-funded supported employment service helping people with severe mental health difficulties find and sustain meaningful paid work. Employment Specialists work with individuals, treatment teams and employers to support mental health management while working.
- Adult Education Courses (Greater Manchester) Fully funded adult education qualifications in Greater Manchester covering Education, Business, IT & Cyber, Skills, and Languages — including Support Work in Schools, SEND, Cybersecurity, Business and Retail, Functional Skills (Maths, English), ESOL, and Community Interpreting.
- Recruitment Made Easy End-to-end recruitment solutions for UK employers including candidate screening, pre-employment training, managed interview processes, and full recruitment services aimed at delivering a job-ready workforce equipped for remote working.
- Funded Training for Workforce (GMCA) GMCA Adult Education Budget-funded training for Greater Manchester employers covering Adult Social Care (Mental Health, Autism), Education, Management, and Digital (Systems Infrastructure, Networking & Cyber Security).
- Business Start-Up and Growth Support New Enterprise Allowance Phase 2 support helping individuals produce a business plan and start trading, plus growth support to develop, expand and increase earnings of existing businesses.
- Principally Health Limited Not-for-profit preventative health services and bespoke support for vulnerable individuals to move closer to employment and independence, with specialities in wellbeing, autism, learning difficulties and disabilities, and social isolation. Wholly-owned subsidiary of Standguide.
- Staffroutes Commercial recruitment solutions ensuring businesses recruit the right people through a rigorous selection process, supporting career development in the workplace. Wholly-owned subsidiary of Standguide.
- Mental Health Awareness Training for Employers 3-hour mental health awareness session for employers delivered via Microsoft Teams, covering mental health basics, creating a supportive culture, and confidence in mental health discussions. Targeted at Cheshire and Wirral employers joining the IPS service.
Quantifiable outcome
- 119/125 IPS Fidelity Review score - highest nationally, graded Exemplary
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Standguide
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Standguide technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Standguide partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
17 partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and major.
- Department for Work & Pensions (DWP)coreGovernment department commissioning employment services including Working Well programmes across the UK
- Department for EducationcoreGovernment department for education and skills funding including Adult Education Budget provisions
- NHS Cheshire and MerseysidecoreNHS clinical commissioning group funding Individual Placement and Support services for people with mental health conditions
- Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA)coreCombined authority funding Adult Education Budget qualifications in Greater Manchester region
- Nottingham City CouncilcoreLocal authority commissioning Working Well East Midlands delivery in partnership with primary care teams
- IPS GrowcoreNational quality assurance body for IPS that conducted the Fidelity Review scoring Standguide 119/125 (highest nationally)
- Investors in PeoplesupportingAccreditation body for people management practices
- SeetecmajorCo-delivery partner for NHS Individual Placement and Support Cheshire & Merseyside alongside Standguide
- Transport Training AcademysupportingPartnership of over 5 years focused on development, capacity building and sharing of good practice in employment services
- Reed in PartnershipsupportingEmployability provider partnership network
- G4SsupportingSecurity and justice services provider with employment support capabilities
- NHS Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation TrustcoreNHS trust co-commissioning IPS services; recognised Standguide in 'Big Book of Best Practice'
- National Careers ServicesupportingGovernment careers service providing referral pathway for employment support
- OCSsupportingFacilities management partner
- Disability ConfidentsupportingGovernment scheme supporting disability employment; Standguide is Level 3 Leader
- Matrix StandardsupportingAccreditation for information, advice and guidance quality
- Connected Communities ConsortiumsupportingCommunity consortium partner for local service delivery
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Standguide competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Reed Talent Solutions: Major UK recruitment and outplacement services business; competes with Standguide's Staffroutes recruitment line and broader employer recruitment services across many UK regions.
- ManpowerGroup UK: Large global staffing and workforce-solutions provider; overlaps with Standguide's Staffroutes recruitment arm and employer-facing training services, but at far greater scale and breadth.
- Pertemps Network Group: UK recruitment and workforce-solutions firm; competes with Standguide on direct-hire and pre-employment training but with a much broader geographic and sector footprint.
Direct peers
- Reed in Partnership: UK welfare-to-work prime contractor delivering DWP, NHS and local-authority employment programmes. Directly competes with Standguide for the same government contracts; explicitly listed as a partner network member in Standguide's data.
- Seetec: UK welfare-to-work, skills and justice-services provider; co-delivery partner on NHS Cheshire & Merseyside IPS alongside Standguide. Directly comparable on DWP Working Well, IPS and recruitment programmes.
- Maximus UK: Major UK prime contractor for DWP, NHS and Home Office employment-and-health programmes. Closest direct peer in scale and contracted-service mix to Standguide's Working Well and IPS delivery.
- Ingeus UK: UK provider of welfare-to-work, health-employment (IPS) and skills programmes commissioned by DWP and NHS. Same primary funders and same core service line as Standguide.
- G4S Care & Rehabilitation Services UK: Listed as a Standguide partner in the data; G4S operates an employment-services and rehabilitation arm that delivers welfare-to-work and resettlement programmes for government commissioners.
- Realise (formerly Pluss): UK employment and training charity supporting people with disabilities, long-term health conditions and other barriers into work — directly comparable to Standguide's Principally Health subsidiary and IPS delivery.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Standguide social profiles
Digital presenceStandguide compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance14 records
Standguide financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Standguide leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Standguide subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Standguide funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Standguide M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Standguide
What does Standguide do?
Standguide delivers contracted employment, education, and rehabilitation services across the UK on behalf of government bodies (DWP, DfE, NHS, local and combined authorities). Core offerings include Individual Placement and Support (IPS) employment programmes for people with health conditions, fully funded adult education qualifications, end-to-end recruitment solutions for employers, and business start-up support. The company operates both as direct deliverer and via a managed supply chain of partners spanning England, Scotland, and Wales.
Is Standguide a public or private company?
Standguide is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Standguide founded?
Standguide was founded in 1990. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Standguide based?
Standguide is headquartered in Manchester, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Standguide make money?
One revenue line is on record: government Contracted Services.
Who are Standguide's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Reed Talent Solutions, ManpowerGroup UK and Pertemps Network Group. Direct peers are Reed in Partnership, Seetec, Maximus UK, Ingeus UK, G4S Care & Rehabilitation Services UK and Realise (formerly Pluss).
Does Standguide have an API?
No public API is recorded for Standguide.
What industry is Standguide in?
Standguide's product category is Employment Services and Workforce Development. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAAAOAK, Workforce Support Services & Case Management (Coaching, Wraparound), with a secondary code of BPACAFAA, General Permanent Placement (Multi-Industry). Its NAICS code is 5613 and its SIC code is 7361.