Kixx

What Kixx does

Kixx is a UK-based children's football coaching franchise founded in 2011 (originally under the Mini Kicks brand, rebranded to Kixx in 2024) and headquartered in Doncaster. The company delivers weekly football coaching sessions for children aged 18 months to 10 years across 500+ UK locations operated by 85+ independent franchisees. Its core product is the Kixx Football Academy, built on the proprietary ORANGE Curriculum, a six-part coaching framework (Own the Ball, Run with the Ball, Attack, No Way Past, Goals Goals Goals, Earn it Back) developed with professional footballers and early years experts over 15 years. Sessions emphasise football skills alongside balance, coordination, confidence, and social development, rather than competitive outcomes.

The company operates a hybrid revenue model anchored by franchise fees (initial licence plus ongoing royalties from 85+ franchisees) and recurring monthly direct-debit subscriptions from 10,000+ families at the academy level. Complementary revenue streams include a three-tier birthday party package (£150-£250), a branded merchandise shop selling kits and apparel, and Kixx Education, a B2B vertical delivering curriculum-aligned PE, EYFS, and multi-skills programmes to nurseries and primary schools. The membership programme layers in third-party benefits (DCLT swimming access, Sheffield Sharks/Steelers ticket discounts, optician discounts) to reinforce retention. Go-to-market is predominantly direct-to-consumer via website and local academy Facebook pages, with B2B school partnerships as a secondary channel.

Operationally, Kixx is a small central team (11-50 HQ employees) supporting a much larger franchise network that handles session delivery in local communities. The company holds endorsements from the Department for Education and Ofsted for its school sport contribution, is sponsored by Goals, McDonald's, and NSPCC, and uses standard SaaS infrastructure (Infusionsoft, GoCardless, Stripe, PayPal) for CRM and recurring billing. The stated mission to reach 100,000 children weekly versus the current ~10,000 families indicates material headroom for franchise expansion within the UK.

Name

Kixx

Legal name

Kixx LTD

Website

https://kixx.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kixx is a UK children's football coaching franchise operating 500+ locations through 85+ franchisees, serving 10,000+ families with weekly sessions for children aged 18 months to 10 years, built on its proprietary ORANGE Curriculum.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Doncaster

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, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Weekly Academy Subscriptions: Monthly direct debit subscriptions providing ongoing weekly football sessions for children. Families pay recurring monthly fees for their child's academy membership.
2. Birthday Party Packages: Three-tier party packages: Championship (£150), Premiership (£200), Champions League (£250). Additional charges for extra children.
3. Merchandise Sales: Branded merchandise including football kits (£25), tracksuits (£25), hoodies (£16), rain jackets (£15), boots (£29.99), and accessories sold through online shop.
4. Franchise Fees: Franchise opportunities for individuals to operate Kixx academies in their local territories. Operating since 2011 with 85+ franchisees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Kixx runs a UK-wide franchise of children's football academies delivering weekly coaching sessions to children aged 18 months to 10 years through the proprietary ORANGE Curriculum. Revenue is generated through monthly subscription memberships, tiered birthday party packages, franchising fees from 85+ operators, branded merchandise sales, and curriculum-aligned PE delivery to schools and nurseries.

Product overview

Kixx is a children's football coaching franchise operating across 500+ UK locations. The core offering is the Kixx Football Academy, providing weekly football sessions for children aged 18 months to 10 years using the proprietary ORANGE Curriculum. Supporting products include Kixx Birthday Parties (three tiered packages from £150-£250), Kixx Education (PE delivery in nurseries and primary schools), Kixx Membership (discount programme with partner businesses), and Kixx Shop (branded merchandise including kits, apparel, and accessories). The business also operates a franchise model with 85+ franchisees since 2011, and employs coaches through dedicated careers programmes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Kixx Football Academy Weekly football coaching sessions for children aged 18 months to 10 years, delivered across 500+ UK locations through a franchise network. Sessions follow the proprietary Kixx ORANGE Curriculum with six developmental stages focused on football skills, balance, coordination, teamwork, confidence, and social development.
• Kixx Birthday Parties

Quantifiable outcome

• Money-back guarantee if child doesn't love first session
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• GoalsminorOthersOfficial sponsor of Kixx academies, providing venue and partnership benefits.
• McDonald'sminorOthersOfficial sponsor providing discount offers for Kixx members at participating McDonald's locations.
• NSPCCminorOthersOfficial sponsor of Kixx, supporting child welfare initiatives.
• DCLT (Doncaster Community Leisure Trust)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFree swimming for Kixx members at all DCLT sites (Doncaster Dome, Adwick Leisure Centre, Rossington, Dearne Valley, Thorne). Discounted swimming lessons at leisure card rates.
• Sheffield Sharks BasketballminorOthersDiscounted entry for Kixx members to watch Sheffield Sharks games at Ponds Forge Leisure Centre.
• Sheffield SteelersminorOthersDiscounted entry for Kixx members to watch Sheffield Steelers games.
• Edwards & Walker OpticiansminorOthersFree second pair of glasses for Kixx children, half-price eye examination for parents, 25% off glasses.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Soccer Shots: US-headquartered children's soccer programme operating through franchisees and partner schools for ages 2-8. Comparable to Kixx on age range, curriculum-led coaching, and franchise distribution; broader in geographic reach but operates the same parent-school duality.
• Lil' Kickers: US-based children's soccer and multi-sport programme for ages 18 months to 12 years delivered through franchisees and partner locations. Comparable on staged curriculum, age-banded classes, franchise-led growth, and branded merchandise model.
• Chelsea FC Foundation: Charitable arm of Chelsea FC delivering school and community football coaching programmes across the UK. Comparable on the school/nursery PE delivery and curriculum-aligned coaching that overlaps with Kixx Education.

Direct peers

• Little Kickers: UK-based children's football coaching programme for children aged 18 months to 7 years, operating through franchisees and direct classes. Most directly comparable peer to Kixx on age range, curriculum structure, franchise model, and UK parent-facing go-to-market.
• Football Fun Factory: UK children's football coaching franchise delivering age-grouped sessions to toddlers and primary-age children via a network of franchisees. Closely comparable to Kixx on franchise GTM, age segmentation, and session-based weekly revenue model.

Others

• Goals Soccer Centres: UK operator of small-sided football venues and youth coaching. Existing Kixx sponsor and venue partner, and a potential competitive channel for children's football activity as well as a distribution partner.
• FA Wildcats (The Football Association): Grassroots girls' football programme run by The FA in partnership with local clubs across England. Comparable because it targets the same primary-school-age female entry point Kixx serves, and is a potential channel partner or competitive alternative for parents.

Emerging players

• Tots on Tour / Tots FC: Early-years multi-sport and football activity providers in the UK for toddlers and pre-schoolers. Comparable on the 18-month-plus entry point and parent-facing class model, but with a smaller franchise footprint than Kixx.
• Just4Keepers: UK goalkeeper coaching network with a franchise structure targeting grassroots players. Tangentially comparable on franchise model and youth football coaching focus, but specialises in goalkeeping rather than all-around football development.

Regional players

• Pro Direct Soccer Schools: UK football coaching holiday camps and after-school programmes for primary-age children, with merchandise ties. Comparable on age range and school-channel delivery but operates seasonally and is not structured as a recurring weekly academy franchise.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/KixxUK
• Instagraminstagram.com/kixxcoaching
• Xx.com/kixxuk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mini-kicks

Compliance2 records

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 Kixx