The Tess Group

What The Tess Group does

The TESS Group (legal entity: Training Event Safety Solutions Ltd, Companies House 07080851) is a Northampton-headquartered, UK-private limited company operating as a specialist AI apprenticeship and workforce training provider. Founded circa 2009 and employing 101-250 staff, TESS delivers 22 apprenticeship programmes spanning Levels 3 to 6 across AI, leadership, HR/L&D, data, improvement, digital, marketing, operations and customer service, plus three new Skills England Level 5 AI Leadership Units (AU0009 Strategy, AU0010 Governance, AU0011 Delivery). The company serves UK Apprenticeship Levy-paying employers — from FTSE 100 and NHS bodies to four-person SMEs — alongside individual apprentice learners, and claims 10,000+ learners trained across 200+ to 1,000+ UK employers with a 72% EPA distinction rate versus a 33% UK average. TESS holds Ofsted Good and Skills England Approved status (the latter mandatory for levy funding from 2026), plus chartered/aligned accreditations with CMI, BCS, ILM, CIPD, NCFE, APM and HABC.

TESS's core proprietary asset is Coachy, an in-house 24/7 AI tutor built on Anthropic's Claude and scoped to the TESS curriculum, paired with Coachy Labs, a safe AI practice sandbox (Prompt Lab, Bot Builder, Automation Studio). Both are bundled free with every learner. The product surface is delivered through parallel vendor tracks — Microsoft Copilot (M365), Google Gemini (Workspace) and Anthropic Claude — plus 9 AI workshops, 28 L&D workshops, standalone CMI/ILM/CIPD qualifications, and free interactive AI tools (AI ROI Calculator, AI Readiness Scale, AI Personality Quiz, etc.). Coachy integrates into Microsoft Teams and OneFile e-portfolio, and the TESS AI Adoption Ladder™ is a trademarked 4-rung maturity framework used to benchmark workforce AI capability.

Revenue is generated primarily through 100% Apprenticeship Levy drawdown from employer accounts (Skills England funding bands £4,000-£22,000 per learner), with 95% government co-investment for non-levy SMEs; secondary streams include the new £750-per-learner AI Leadership Units funded through the Growth & Skills Levy, standalone professional qualifications, workshop fees, and bespoke closed-cohort contracts (e.g., Papa John's UK 9-month accelerated AI cohort). Go-to-market is sales-led: 25-minute Calendly discovery calls feeding a self-serve funnel of programme recommender quizzes, free AI tools, taster days and webinars, with nationwide England delivery via live online cohorts and optional face-to-face workshops.

Name

The Tess Group

Legal name

Training Event Safety Solutions Ltd

Website

https://tessgroup.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The TESS Group is a UK specialist AI apprenticeship and training provider, delivering 22 levy-funded apprenticeships (L3-L6) and three Level 5 AI Leadership Units to UK employers from FTSE 100 to SMEs, with its own proprietary Coachy AI tutor built on Anthropic Claude.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Training and Apprenticeships

NAICS

Apprenticeship Training (611513), Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710), Computer Training (61142)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Interactive Practice & Skill-Building (Drills, Games, Mastery Practice) (EDAFACAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

AI-Powered Tutoring & Study Assistant Platforms (EDANAGAD), AI & Machine Learning (Foundations & Applied) (EDAMACAG), Responsible AI, Security & Privacy Platforms (Safety, Guardrails, PII) (HDAEANAG)

Keywords

• AI apprenticeships
• Levy-funded training
• Professional development
• Workplace learning
• Leadership qualifications

Headquarters

HQ city

Northampton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Apprenticeship Levy Funding: Primary revenue stream: 100% funding drawn from employers' Apprenticeship Levy accounts or SME co-investment (95% government funded / 5% employer contribution) for 22 apprenticeship programmes. Programmes sit within Skills England funding bands of £4,000 to £22,000 per learner.
2. AI Leadership Unit Sales (Growth & Skills Levy): Three standalone Level 5 AI Leadership Units (AU0009, AU0010, AU0011) sold at £750 per learner per unit, funded through the Growth & Skills Levy. Recurring/cyclical revenue as cohorts run continuously.
3. Workshops (L&D and AI): 28 L&D workshops and 9 AI workshops sold as standalone or bolt-ons to apprenticeships, ranging from half-day to 4 days (face-to-face or virtual). Pricing not publicly disclosed per workshop.
4. Standalone Professional Qualifications: Accredited centre delivery of CMI (L3-L7), ILM (L3-L7) and CIPD (L3-L7) qualifications, sold standalone or embedded into apprenticeships.
5. Bespoke Closed Cohorts: Customised cohort programmes for organisations with 6+ learners (Papa John's 9-month accelerated AI cohort, Trinity College London bespoke AI Leadership Units), typically higher-value enterprise contracts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The TESS Group delivers Ofsted-rated AI apprenticeships (Levels 3-6) and standalone professional qualifications (CMI, ILM, CIPD, BCS) to UK employers and their workforce, primarily funded through the UK Apprenticeship Levy. It packages these programmes with an in-house AI tutor (Coachy, built on Anthropic Claude) and a safe AI practice sandbox (Coachy Labs), plus three new Level 5 AI Leadership Units for senior leaders and a catalogue of AI and L&D workshops.

Product overview

The TESS Group is a platform-plus-modules provider of AI apprenticeships and professional training, not a single unified SaaS product. Its core proprietary asset is Coachy, an in-house 24/7 AI tutor built on Anthropic's Claude, which is paired with Coachy Labs (a safe Prompt Lab / Bot Builder / Automation Studio sandbox). These sit alongside a broad catalogue of 22 apprenticeship programmes from Level 3 to Level 6 (AI & Automation Practitioner L4 flagship, AI for Team Leaders, AI for Operations Leaders, AI for Coaching Professionals, AI & ML Fellowship L6, plus HR, L&D, Data, Improvement, Digital & Marketing and Operations apprenticeships), three new Skills England Level 5 AI Leadership Units (AU0009 Strategy & Opportunity, AU0010 Adoption & Governance, AU0011 Delivery & Transformation) sold at £750 per learner per unit, nine AI workshops, 28 L&D workshops, free AI tools (AI ROI Calculator, AI Readiness Scale, AI Personality Quiz, AI Prompt Scorer etc.), and standalone CMI / ILM / CIPD qualifications. Coachy and Coachy Labs are bundled free with every learner, and the AI Leadership Units are the headline new product for 2026, delivered through closed cohorts in three vendor tracks (Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini, Anthropic Claude).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Coachy: An in-house 24/7 AI tutor (built on Claude) scoped to the TESS curriculum and provided free to every enrolled learner, with an associated Coachy Labs sandbox for safe AI practice.

Products and services

• AI & Automation Practitioner (Level 4) A Level 4 apprenticeship (ST1512) that turns technical staff into AI-and-automation builders. Available as multi-tool open cohorts or closed vendor-aligned editions (Microsoft 365 Copilot, Google Workspace Gemini, Anthropic Claude). 100% levy-funded; Coachy AI tutor included; real workplace automation projects shipped by End-Point Assessment.
• AI Leadership Units (Level 5) Three Skills England Level 5 AI Apprenticeship Units (AU0009 AI Strategy & Opportunity, AU0010 AI Adoption & Governance, AU0011 AI Delivery & Transformation) sold at £750 per learner per unit and funded 100% via the Growth & Skills Levy. Each unit is 30 hours, mix-and-match across leadership teams, delivered in three vendor tracks (Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini, Anthropic Claude). Targets senior leaders (CEOs, COOs, CISOs, HRDs, Transformation Directors).
• AI for Team Leaders (Level 4) A Level 4 apprenticeship (ST1512 + CMI L3) equipping first-line people managers to lead AI adoption and upskill their teams responsibly. 15 months plus End-Point Assessment. 100% levy-funded.
• AI for Operations Leaders (Level 4) A Level 4 apprenticeship (ST1512 + CMI L5) for mid-management operations leaders running AI-enabled change. 15 months plus End-Point Assessment. 100% levy-funded.
• AI for Coaching Professionals (Level 4) An EMCC-aligned Level 4 apprenticeship (ST1512 + CMI L5) for HR, L&D and coaching professionals, equipping coaches with AI literacy to support modern leaders and workforces. 15 months plus EPA. 100% levy-funded.
• AI & ML Fellowship (Level 6) A degree-equivalent Level 6 apprenticeship (ST1398) training engineers in production-grade machine learning, including deep and generative AI. Covers Python and MLOps. 21 months plus EPA. 100% levy-funded.
• Coachy AI Tutor A 24/7 AI tutor built in-house by TESS on Anthropic's Claude, scoped to the entire TESS curriculum and refined each quarter with cohort feedback. Curriculum-aware (knows the learner's unit, shipped projects, and EPA targets), always private, available on web, mobile and inside Microsoft Teams. Free with every TESS apprenticeship learner.
• Coachy Labs A safe AI practice sandbox included free with every AI programme. Contains Prompt Lab (prompt building), Bot Builder (configure chatbots) and Automation Studio (triage inboxes with automation rules). Learners practise on fictional company data with no employer IT risk or licence requirements.
• AI Leadership Taster Days Complimentary one-day live online sessions (NCFE workbook and action plan included) sampling the Level 5 AI Leadership Units. Three dated sessions in July-August 2026: 16 July (Strategy), 6 August (Governance), 12 August (Delivery). For 1-5 leaders not ready to commit to a closed cohort.
• AI Workshops Nine half-day to 4-day AI workshops including Generative AI Bootcamp (2d), AI Change Management (1d), Building AI-Ready Teams (1d), AI for Finance & Operations (1d), Automating Your Workflow (1d), Data Storytelling with AI (1d), AI Ethics & Governance (½d), AI for Customer Experience (1d), and AI Leadership Programme (4d). Available face-to-face or virtual; feed into apprenticeships.
• L&D Workshops Twenty-eight half-day to full-day workshops spanning Leadership & Management (Coaching for Performance, Difficult Conversations, Stakeholder Management), People & Wellbeing (Mental Health First Aid, Neurodiversity), AI & Digital (Data Storytelling, Cyber Awareness), and Sales & Commercial (Sales Strategy, Negotiation). Available face-to-face or virtual across the UK.
• CMI Qualifications Standalone or apprenticeship-embedded CMI qualifications from Level 3 to Level 7, covering Management & Leadership (L3/L5/L7), Coaching & Mentoring (L5), and Coach Supervision (L6). Delivered by TESS as a CMI Chartered Partner; embedded free within apprenticeship programmes.
• ILM Qualifications Standalone ILM qualifications from Level 3 to Level 7, including Leadership & Management (L3/L5/L7), Coaching & Mentoring (L5), and Executive Coaching (L7). Delivered by TESS as an ILM Approved Centre; available standalone or embedded in apprenticeships.
• CIPD Qualifications Standalone CIPD qualifications from Level 3 to Level 7, including Foundation Certificate in People Practice (L3), Associate Diploma in People Management (L5), and Advanced Diploma in Strategic People Management (L7). Delivered by TESS as a CIPD Aligned Provider.
• Data-Driven Team Leader (Level 3) A Level 3 apprenticeship (ST0795 + CMI L3) for first-line leaders combining CMI leadership with data fluency and AI fundamentals. 13 months plus EPA. 100% levy-funded.
• Associate Project Manager (Level 4) A Level 4 apprenticeship (ST0830) producing project managers certified to APM PMQ standard. 15-18 months plus EPA. 100% levy-funded.
• HR Support (Level 3) A Level 3 apprenticeship covering HR foundations and CIPD-aligned modern people practice (CIPD Level 3 Foundation route). 15-18 months plus EPA. 100% levy-funded.
• L&D Practitioner (Level 3) A Level 3 apprenticeship (ST0562 + CMI L3) building internal capability builders through coaching, design and facilitation. 15-18 months plus EPA. 100% levy-funded.
• People Professional (Level 5)

Quantifiable outcome

• 72% distinction rate at End-Point Assessment (vs UK average 33%)
• +9 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability13 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

29 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Microsoft (Microsoft 365 / Copilot / Copilot Studio / Power Platform)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic tech alliance underpinning TESS's flagship AI & Automation Practitioner L4 and dedicated Microsoft Copilot edition cohort, plus Copilot, Copilot Studio and Power Automate training pathways. Coachy AI tutor integrates into Microsoft Teams. Microsoft listed as one of three vendor tracks for AI Leadership Units.
• Google (Google Workspace / Gemini / NotebookLM / Vertex AI / AppSheet)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic alliance for the Google Gemini edition of the AI & Automation Practitioner L4 and the Gemini vendor track for AI Leadership Units. Gemini used across Docs, Sheets, Slides and Gmail, plus NotebookLM and AppSheet for no-code automation.
• Anthropic (Claude / Claude Pro / Projects)flagshipTechnology or IntegrationCoachy AI tutor is explicitly built on Claude, and TESS offers a dedicated Claude edition of the AI & Automation Practitioner L4. Claude track available for AI Leadership Units focused on sensitive document analysis, long-context reasoning, and Constitutional AI alignment.
• Chartered Management Institute (CMI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCMI Chartered Partner status. TESS is an accredited centre delivering CMI qualifications at Levels 3, 5, 6 and 7 (Management & Leadership, Coaching & Mentoring, Strategic Management). CMI L3/L5 qualifications are embedded free across multiple apprenticeship programmes.
• BCS — The Chartered Institute for ITcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBCS Chartered Partner. BCS qualifications embedded within AI programmes (e.g., by month 5 on Papa John's 9-month AI & Automation Practitioner L4 cohort). BCS acts as the independent End-Point Assessment partner, with 72% distinction rate and 98% pass rate independently verified.
• Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerILM Approved Centre. Delivers ILM qualifications at Levels 3, 5 and 7 in Leadership & Management, Coaching & Mentoring, and Executive Coaching — standalone or embedded within apprenticeships at no extra cost.
• Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIPD Aligned Provider. Delivers CIPD qualifications at Levels 3, 5 and 7 — Foundation Certificate in People Practice, Associate Diploma in People Management, Advanced Diploma in Strategic People Management — across HR Support, People Professional and Senior People Professional apprenticeships.
• NCFEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCFE Aligned provider. NCFE workbooks issued on AI Leadership Taster Days; NCFE Mental Health First Aid certification delivered via workshops; NCFE named as one of up-to-5 qualifications embedded in apprenticeships.
• Association for Project Management (APM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPM Accredited. APM PMQ-aligned Associate Project Manager L4 apprenticeship and Operations Departmental Manager L5 programme.
• Skills EnglandflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerTESS is a Skills England Approved Provider (formerly RoATP) — mandatory approval to deliver UK Apprenticeship Levy-funded training from 2026. Three Skills England Level 5 AI Apprenticeship Units (AU0009, AU0010, AU0011) funded via the Growth & Skills Levy.
• OfstedflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfsted inspection regulator. TESS holds an Ofsted Good rating, which is required to deliver levy-funded training from 2026 and signals inspection-verified quality.
• OneFilecoreTechnology or Integratione-portfolio platform provider used by every TESS learner. Tracks KSB progress, hosts evidence uploads, captures coach feedback, and supports End-Point Assessment submissions. Magic-link Coachy sign-in via OneFile email.
• EMCC (European Mentoring and Coaching Council)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEMCC alignment for the AI for Coaching Professionals L4 apprenticeship.
• Highfield Awarding Body for Compliance (HABC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHABC Aligned for compliance training delivery.
• Papa John's UKflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner9-month accelerated AI & Automation Practitioner L4 cohort running across Papa John's UK head office — Copilot adoption, prompt engineering, agentic workflows, no-code automation, BCS qualification by month 5. Live case study used in TESS marketing.
• EDFcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBespoke coaching programmes delivered to EDF: CMI Coaching L3, L5 and L6. Listed as a trusted UK employer on TESS's logo wall.
• NHS EnglandcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNamed trusted UK employer with a live TESS cohort; featured on TESS's "Trusted by 200+ UK employers — From the FTSE 100 to the NHS" logo wall.
• Financial TimescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCoaching apprenticeships: Coaching Professional L5 (EMCC aligned). Featured on TESS logo wall.
• Sunbelt RentalscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAI & Automation Practitioner L4 for industrial & engineering nationwide rollout. Featured on TESS logo wall.
• Trinity College LondoncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAI Leadership Units + bespoke AI leadership delivery in higher education. Featured on TESS logo wall.
• BuyItDirectcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAI for People Leaders L4 programme in retail & e-commerce. Named case study: distinction at EPA, £8k saved, 10% growth.
• Dorset CouncilcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerProject Management Apprenticeships delivered to local government / public sector. Featured on TESS logo wall.
• DPDcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLogistics sector case study: TESS apprenticeships applied across multiple cohorts, named graduate testimonial ("I'd 100% recommend them"), £140,000+ saved per year outcome.
• University of KentminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as trusted UK employer on TESS's logo wall.
• EurofinsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as trusted UK employer (bioanalytical testing / life sciences) on TESS's logo wall.
• Oliver AgencyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAI for Operations Leaders L4 for a creative agency marketing team.
• Transport for London (TfL)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as trusted UK employer with a live TESS cohort; featured on TESS's logo wall.
• Les Ambassadeurs ClubminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as trusted UK employer on TESS's logo wall (private members club).
• Services for EducationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNamed case study: charity/education services finance team applied TESS AI training the same week, used prompt framework to streamline processes.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• QA (QA Apprenticeships): One of the largest UK apprenticeship and training providers with deep digital, tech and AI apprenticeship coverage. Wider portfolio than TESS but increasingly competing head-on in AI apprenticeship categories from 2026 onwards.
• Kaplan UK: Major UK apprenticeship and professional training provider with multiple levy-funded standards across leadership, professional services and digital. Larger and broader portfolio than TESS, with growing AI curriculum overlap.
• BPP Professional Apprenticeships: Established UK apprenticeship and professional qualification provider with apprenticeship standards in leadership, HR, finance and digital. Competes with TESS on professional-services-adjacent apprenticeships (CIPD/CMI) and is expanding AI content.
• Capita Public Services Training: Large UK training and skills provider with significant public-sector apprenticeship delivery. Competes with TESS for NHS, local authority and central government cohorts on Project Management, Data and Leadership apprenticeships.

Direct peers

• Cambridge Spark: UK specialist data and AI apprenticeship provider offering Level 4-7 data, software and AI programmes using levy funding. Direct overlap with TESS's Data Analyst, Business Analyst and AI & ML Fellowship offerings.
• Corndel: UK leadership and data apprenticeships provider with significant AI/data apprenticeship programmes funded via the Apprenticeship Levy. Comparable to TESS on apprenticeship standards (L3-L7), CMI/Chartered body alignments, and enterprise employer base.
• Multiverse: UK-headquartered specialist AI and tech apprenticeship provider offering levy-funded programmes with a heavy AI/data curriculum emphasis. Closest direct peer to TESS in the UK AI apprenticeship category, both targeting the same Skills England Approved Provider pool.

Emerging players

• Le Wagon UK: International coding and AI bootcamp provider with UK delivery, focused on technical upskilling. Adjacent to TESS's AI & Automation Practitioner and AI & ML Fellowship programmes but delivered as short bootcamps rather than apprenticeships.
• Decoded: UK data and AI literacy training provider focused on non-technical workforce upskilling, with employer-funded and corporate training models. Comparable audience (non-technical leaders) and AI curriculum to TESS's AI for Team Leaders / Operations Leaders apprenticeships.
• Generation UK: Global workforce training non-profit with UK programmes in tech, data and customer service. Comparable employer-paid vocational training model and target learner (career changers, frontline workers) to TESS's L3 apprenticeship programmes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TheTessGroup
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheTessGroup

Compliance10 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 The Tess Group