What Barefoot Coaching does

Barefoot Coaching Ltd. is a privately held UK-based coaching education and workplace coaching provider founded circa 1995 and headquartered in Castle Donington, Derbyshire. The company's core offering is ICF Level 2 accredited coach training programmes that combine psychological insight drawn from Humanistic, Psychodynamic, Gestalt, and Psychosynthesis traditions with practical coaching practice; students can additionally obtain a Postgraduate Certificate in Business and Personal Coaching through a University of Chester academic recognition pathway. The product portfolio spans aspiring-coach training, workplace coaching solutions (Leader as Coach, Team and Group Coaching, 121 Coaching), specialist certificates (Coaching Supervision, Grief and Loss, Team Coaching Practitioner), and women's leadership development programmes.

The firm operates a sales-led, hybrid-delivery GTM with free taster sessions and direct website enrolment for individual buyers, plus direct enterprise sales for organisational clients. Programmes are delivered both virtually via Zoom and in-person at venues. Revenue is generated from one-time course fees (e.g., £800+VAT per delegate for the Women's Development Programme, £1,000 deposits on flagship programmes), enterprise workplace coaching contracts, and continuing professional development short courses that carry ICF CCE points. The company reports 7,000+ trained coaches globally, 200+ organisational clients including Lloyds, Coca-Cola, NHS, Bentley, BT, and John Lewis Partnership, and a 95% referral rate from attendees.

Operationally, Barefoot is a bootstrapped, founder-influenced SME led by CEO Andy Chandler (MBA, PCC) following founder Kim Shaw. No funding rounds, external shareholders, M&A activity, or headcount disclosures are present in the source material, and revenue is not publicly disclosed. Marketing relies on content (blog, webinars, podcast), organic social, and ethical-marketing positioning rather than paid acquisition.

Name

Barefoot Coaching

Legal name

Barefoot Coaching Ltd.

Website

https://barefootcoaching.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Barefoot Coaching Ltd. is a UK-headquartered, ICF Level 2 accredited coach training and workplace coaching provider founded circa 1995. It serves aspiring professional coaches, organisations, women leaders, and practising coaches via university-approved programmes, enterprise coaching engagements, and continuing education certificates.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Coaching Training and Services

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Professional and Management Development Training (61143)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Training Delivery Services (Onsite/Virtual Instruction, Workshops, Coaching) (BPAEANAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Study Skills & Learning Strategies Coaching (EDAMAIAA)

Keywords

• Coach training programmes
• Workplace coaching services
• Executive leadership coaching
• ICF accredited training
• Professional coaching certification

Headquarters

HQ city

Castle Donington

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Coach Training Programmes: Revenue from ICF-accredited coach training programmes including the Postgraduate Certificate in Business and Personal Coaching with University of Chester recognition.
2. Workplace Coaching Services: Organisational coaching programmes for leaders, teams and organisations including Leader as Coach, Team Coaching, and 121 Coaching.
3. Women's Development Programme: Group coaching programme at £800 + VAT per delegate for personal and professional development.
4. Coach Development Courses: Continued professional development for existing coaches including supervision, group coaching, and specialist certificates.
5. Up & Running Programme: Year-long programme supporting accredited coaches to launch and grow their coaching business, with £250 deposit required.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Barefoot Coaching trains professional coaches through ICF Level 2 accredited diploma and certificate programmes and delivers workplace coaching for organisations. Offerings span individual coach training (diploma, certificate, skills foundation), women's leadership development, and corporate programmes including Leader as Coach and Team Coaching, all built on a psychology-informed methodology with University of Chester academic recognition.

Product overview

Barefoot Coaching is a coach training and workplace coaching organisation offering a portfolio of ICF-accredited coaching programmes. The core offering includes ICF Accredited Coach Training (ICF Level 2) combined with optional University of Chester recognition, supplemented by specialist programmes including Team Coaching Practitioner Programme, Certificate in Coaching Supervision, and Certificate in Coaching for Grief and Loss. Workplace coaching services encompass Leader as Coach, Team and Group Coaching, and 121 Coaching. Development programmes include Women's Development Programme and Women's in Life and Leadership. All programmes are psychology-informed and grounded in established coaching theory and ICF principles.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ICF Accredited Diploma in Coaching ICF Level 2 accredited diploma programme for individuals training to become professional coaches, with University of Chester academic recognition and a pathway to PCC credentials.
• ICF Accredited Certificate in Coaching Shorter ICF-accredited certificate programme for individuals seeking an entry-level coaching qualification and pathway towards ACC credentials.
• Coaching Skills Foundation Foundation-level coaching skills course designed as an introduction to coaching for individuals not yet ready to commit to a full diploma.
• Women's Development Programme Coaching and leadership development programme specifically designed for women leaders seeking to build coaching skills and leadership confidence.
• Leader as Coach Corporate programme training leaders and managers in coaching skills to embed a coaching culture within their organisations.
• Team Coaching Structured team coaching engagement for organisations seeking to improve team performance, cohesion, and collective leadership capability.
• Workplace Coaching (Corporate Engagement) Bespoke workplace coaching engagements delivered to organisations to develop leaders and teams, with named clients including Lloyds, Coca-Cola, and the NHS.

Quantifiable outcome

• 95% of attendees recommend Barefoot to a friend or colleague
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• University of ChestercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partnership provides academic recognition for Barefoot's Postgraduate Certificate in Business and Personal Coaching and Certificate in Coaching Supervision programmes. Students can earn university credits and postgraduate-level qualifications alongside their ICF accreditation.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Coach U (by BetterUp): BetterUp acquired Coach U, combining traditional ICF coach training with a technology-enabled enterprise coaching platform. Comparable as a competing ICF-aligned coach training provider, but with a much broader corporate platform and significantly more capital.
• Henley Business School Coaching Programmes: UK business school offering postgraduate coaching qualifications and executive coaching programmes through university-accredited pathways. Comparable to Barefoot's University of Chester partnership in academic credentialing, but with broader brand and corporate relationships through the Henley parent.

Regional players

• Roffey Park Institute: UK-based organisational development and coaching education provider offering leadership and coaching programmes. Comparable to Barefoot in workplace coaching and leadership development focus, with an academic/research orientation that overlaps with Barefoot's psychology-informed approach.
• Shirley Anderson Coach Training: UK-based ICF-accredited coach training provider offering individual and corporate coaching programmes. Comparable as a UK-focused coach training peer with similar ICF accreditation pathways, though operating at smaller scale than Barefoot.

Direct peers

• Erickson Coaching International: Global ICF-accredited coach training provider offering solution-focused coaching programmes for individuals and organisations. Comparable to Barefoot in delivery model (online and in-person), curriculum depth, and ICF accreditation standards.
• Co-Active Training Institute (CTI): Global coach training organisation offering ICF-accredited programmes including Co-Active Coaching fundamentals, leadership, and team coaching tracks. Directly comparable to Barefoot's ICF Level 2 accreditation pathway and workplace coaching offering, with a broader international footprint.
• Meyler Campbell: UK-based coach training and executive coaching provider offering ICF-accredited programmes and corporate coaching solutions. Closely comparable to Barefoot in geography, target market (aspiring professional coaches and corporate clients), and ICF-aligned curriculum.
• Performance Consultants: UK-based pioneer of performance coaching and coach training, offering accredited programmes and corporate coaching engagements. Comparable to Barefoot as a long-established UK ICF-accredited provider serving both individual coach trainees and enterprise clients.
• Academy of Executive Coaching (AoEC): UK-based executive and team coach training organisation offering accredited programmes for aspiring coaches and corporate clients. Directly comparable to Barefoot's ICF-accredited coach training and workplace coaching portfolio, with overlapping customer segments in UK HR/L&D.

Others

• International Coaching Federation (ICF): Global professional body that accredits coach training programmes including Barefoot's Level 2 accreditation. Relevant as the standards-setting body that defines the market Barefoot competes in and the credential framework underpinning Barefoot's positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BarefootCoaches
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCi04cX5HYfbSLuGLJV6TAqg
• Facebookfacebook.com/barefootcoachinglimited
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/5235614
• Instagraminstagram.com/barefootcoachingltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Barefoot Coaching