I CAN

What I CAN does

I CAN is a UK-registered children's charity, founded in 1888 and operating under the trading name Speech and Language UK, headquartered in London (Unit A, The Cube Building, 17-21 Wenlock Road, N1 7GT). The organisation works to ensure every child develops the speech, language and communication skills they need, citing that two million children in the UK currently struggle with talking and understanding words. It is structured as a company limited by guarantee with charitable registration in England and Wales (210031) and Scotland (SC039947), and operates a wholly-owned trading subsidiary, Speech and Language UK Services Ltd (00890517), which runs two specialist schools for children with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN): Dawn House and Meath.

I CAN's product portfolio spans direct family support, educator professional development, and statutory-sector delivery. Core products include the What Works evidence-based intervention database (registration-gated), training courses and the Learning Centre, resource libraries for both families and educators, Speech and Language UK assessments, a child's progress checker tool, programmes for nurseries and schools, a Talk to a Speech and Language Advisor service, and the Talking with Your Toddler webinar series. GTM is hybrid: community-led campaigns (VoicesForDLD, The Big Silence) and event-driven fundraising are paired with direct enterprise sales into local authorities and direct-to-family service delivery.

Revenue is generated across five streams: charitable donations and philanthropy (including major gifts and wills), a weekly lottery, trading income from the two schools via the subsidiary, training and programme fees from nurseries, schools and educators, and local authority contracts for speech and language services. The organisation targets families/parents, educators and SEN professionals, local authorities and government, and young people with SLCN (including those with Developmental Language Disorder) as its principal user segments, and is governed by an independent board of trustees with no parent company or external equity ownership.

Name

I CAN

Legal name

I CAN Charity

Website

https://ican.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1888

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

I CAN (operating as Speech and Language UK) is a UK children's charity that supports speech, language and communication development for the two million UK children affected. It serves families, educators and local authorities through resource libraries, training programmes, assessments, and two specialist schools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Speech and Language Charity Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Child and Youth Services (624110)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Language Disorders Intervention (Receptive/Expressive, Morphology/Syntax/Semantics) (EDAKAEAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

IEP Speech/Language Evaluation, Goal Setting & Compliance Documentation (EDAKAEAC), Speech & Language Therapy (Early Intervention) (EDACAFAB), Specialized Learning Support (Dyslexia/LD Coaching, Assistive Strategies) (EDAJALAJ), Accessible Testing, Accommodations & IEP/504 Management Platforms (EDAFAKAF)

Keywords

• Children's speech and language
• Specialist education services
• Professional training programmes
• Developmental language disorder
• Family support services

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Philanthropy: Charitable donations from individuals, major gifts, and planned giving through wills
2. Lottery: Speech and Language UK Weekly Lottery providing regular fundraising income
3. Trading Operations: Speech and Language UK Services Ltd operates two schools (Dawn House and Meath) as a trading subsidiary generating revenue
4. Training and Programme Fees: Revenue from training courses and programmes for nurseries, schools, and educators
5. Local Authority Contracts: Partnerships with local authorities for delivery of speech and language services

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

I CAN (operating as Speech and Language UK) is a UK children's charity that supports children's speech, language, and communication development through evidence-based resources, training courses for educators, assessments, family advisory services, and two specialist schools. The charity raises awareness of Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) and provides tools, programmes, and direct services to families, schools, nurseries, and local authorities across the UK.

Product overview

I CAN (operating as Speech and Language UK) offers a portfolio of interconnected programmes and services focused on supporting children's speech, language, and communication development. The core offerings include the What Works Database (evidence-based intervention resources), professional Training Courses, Resource Libraries for both families and educators, Speech and Language UK Assessments, and the Child's Progress Checker. These are complemented by Programmes for Nurseries and Schools, the Learning Centre for professional development, and advisory services including Talk to a Speech and Language Advisor and Talking with Your Toddler Webinars. The organisation also operates two specialist schools—Dawn House and Meath—through its trading subsidiary, Speech and Language UK Services Ltd. The portfolio spans direct family support, educator professional development, and specialist educational services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• What Works Database

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Speech, Language and Communication AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition/ alliance bringing together organizations working in the speech, language and communication field to coordinate efforts and amplify impact
• Dawn House SchoolcoreOthersSpecialist school operated by Speech and Language UK Services Ltd for children with speech and language difficulties
• Meath SchoolcoreOthersSpecialist school operated by Speech and Language UK Services Ltd for children with speech and language difficulties

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Afasic: A UK charity specifically supporting children and young people with speech and language impairments. Highly comparable in mission, beneficiary base, advocacy posture, and reliance on donations and grants.
• Nasen (National Association for Special Educational Needs): UK membership organisation supporting children and young people with special educational needs including SLCN. Directly comparable in delivering training, resources, and policy advocacy to schools and local authorities.
• Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT): The UK professional body for speech and language therapists, directly comparable as it sits in the same speech, language and communication sector, works on DLD/SLCN standards and training, and shares an audience of educators, professionals, and families.
• Makaton Charity: UK charity behind the Makaton language and communication programme used by families and educators. Comparable in producing training, resources, and digital tools targeting children's communication needs.

Emerging players

• British Dyslexia Association: UK charity focused on dyslexia and other specific learning difficulties that frequently co-occur with DLD. Comparable in educator training, screening tools, and family-facing resources within SEND.
• Down's Syndrome Association: UK charity for people with Down's syndrome, a population with high incidence of speech and language difficulties. Comparable in family support, education resources, training, and information services.
• National Deaf Children's Society (NDCS): UK charity supporting deaf children, many of whom have speech, language and communication needs. Comparable in operating family support services, training for educators, and policy advocacy on communication-related SEND.
• Communication Matters: UK charity for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), overlapping with I CAN's SLCN remit. Comparable in providing professional training, family-facing resources, and sector advocacy.

Broad incumbents

• Mencap: Large UK learning disability charity with overlapping SLCN family support, education advocacy, and local authority engagement. Comparable as a broader SEND incumbent covering speech and language among wider disability needs.
• NHS Speech and Language Therapy: State-provided speech and language therapy services that share the same beneficiary population of children with SLCN and overlap with I CAN's assessment and family-facing work. Comparable as the dominant UK provider of clinical speech and language services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ICANcharity
• Facebookfacebook.com/icantalk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/speechandlanguk
• Instagraminstagram.com/speechandlanguk
• TikToktiktok.com/@speechandlanguk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 I CAN