QED Foundation

What QED Foundation does

QED Foundation Limited (Registered Charity No. 1004608) is a UK non-profit charity founded in 1990 and headquartered at Quest House, 38 Vicar Lane, Bradford. The organisation delivers education, training, and employment services to disadvantaged ethnic minority communities — primarily Pakistani and Bangladeshi populations in West Yorkshire — alongside asylum seekers, refugees, and other marginalised groups. Its service portfolio spans seven branded programmes: Job Steps (6-week women's employment course), IT Essentials (digital inclusion), Breaking Barriers (digital and financial resilience, post-COVID/cost-of-living), Pathways to Integration & Health (asylum-seeker integration, health, and ESOL), ESOL Bridging the Gap (English-language training), Multiply (UKSPF-funded numeracy), and MONEY MATTERS (financial capability). QED also runs the Yorkshire Asian Young Achievers (YAYAs) annual awards scheme and operates the Rakkaposhi coffee and dessert parlour as a wholly-owned social enterprise on Ebenezer Street, Bradford.

There is no underlying proprietary technology platform; delivery is conducted through in-person workshops, Job Clubs, one-to-one support, and structured courses delivered at the Bradford HQ and partner sites including the Sangat Centre in Keighley and York St John University. Technology used is limited to a content-managed marketing website, Facebook/X/YouTube social channels, and standard office tooling — no API, no SDK, and no documented AI/ML capability.

The revenue model is a charitable / grant-funded model: services are delivered free to beneficiaries, with income sourced from UK government programmes (UKSPF via West Yorkshire Combined Authority, Jobcentre Plus STEP referrals), public-sector contracts, private foundations, corporate sponsorships (via the YAYAs awards), and surplus generated by the Rakkaposhi social enterprise. The organisation reports cumulative deployment of £16M+ helping 35,000+ people over 30+ years, though no current-year revenue figure is disclosed. Leadership comprises founder and Chief Executive Dr Mohammed Ali OBE and Deputy Chief Executive Professor Adeeba Malik CBE DL — the latter appointed Lord-Lieutenant of West Yorkshire effective 22 December 2025, the first woman of Asian heritage to hold such a position in the UK.

Name

QED Foundation

Legal name

QED Foundation Limited

Website

https://qed-uk.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

QED Foundation is a UK registered charity founded in 1990 in Bradford that delivers education, training, and employment services to disadvantaged ethnic minority communities, asylum seekers, and refugees in West Yorkshire through programmes including Job Steps, IT Essentials, ESOL, Multiply numeracy, and Pathways to Integration & Health.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Education and Employment Training (Charity)

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Civic and Social Organizations (8134), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGABAH

Refugee, Migration & Displacement Support

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/International Development & Poverty Alleviation

SECONDARYEDAAADAI

Refugee & Humanitarian Newcomer Orientation (Resettlement Support)

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Citizenship & Immigrant Integration Education

SECONDARYEDAMAHAE

Financial Literacy, Budgeting & Personal Finance

Education/Supplemental & Enrichment Programs (Arts, STEM, Language)/Entrepreneurship & Business Enrichment

SECONDARYBPAGALAJ

Financial Inclusion & Consumer Empowerment (Banking Access, Credit Building)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Enterprises & Impact Organizations

Keywords

• Community education training
• Employment support services
• ESOL language training
• Digital inclusion programmes
• Ethnic minority charity

Headquarters

HQ city

Bradford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Charitable Services and Grants: QED Foundation generates revenue through charitable activities, government contracts, and funding from various grant-making organizations. The organization delivers skills, education and employment training programmes to disadvantaged communities, funded by public sector bodies and private foundations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

QED Foundation is a registered charity that provides free skills, education, employment training, and integration programmes to people from marginalised and disadvantaged communities in the UK, with a focus on ethnic minority backgrounds, asylum seekers, and refugees. Its portfolio includes Job Steps (employment support for women), IT Essentials and Breaking Barriers (digital inclusion and financial resilience), Pathways to Integration & Health (ESOL and wellbeing for asylum seekers), ESOL Bridging the Gap, Multiply (numeracy), MONEY MATTERS, the YAYAs awards scheme, and a social enterprise café called Rakkaposhi, all delivered from its Bradford headquarters and partner venues.

Product overview

QED Foundation is a registered charity established in 1990 that operates as a portfolio of community service programs rather than a unified technology product. The organization's offerings span employment training (Job Steps, ESOL Bridging the Gap), digital inclusion (IT Essentials, Breaking Barriers, Multiply), health and integration services (Pathways to Integration & Health), an annual awards program (Yorkshire Asian Young Achievers Awards/YAYAs), a social enterprise cafe (Rakkaposhi), and accessibility educational resources. These programs collectively support ethnic minorities and disadvantaged communities in Bradford with skills, education, and employment training to improve lives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Job Steps A 6-week employment support course for women only, helping disadvantaged ethnic minority women (mainly of Pakistani and Bangladeshi heritage) become job ready through IT support, online job search training, ESOL for workplace communication, and employment-focused seminars with guest speakers.
• IT Essentials Digital inclusion and IT support programme for disadvantaged ethnic minority men and women (mainly of Pakistani and Bangladeshi heritage), asylum seekers, and refugees in Bradford who are digitally excluded. Addresses lack of digital devices, IT skills, internet connectivity, and disengagement from essential services.
• Breaking Barriers Community support programme that helps disadvantaged ethnic minority communities recover from the impacts of COVID-19 and the cost of living crisis by strengthening digital capability and building financial resilience; delivered at QED Foundation (Bradford) and Sangat Centre (Keighley) through practical, participative courses.
• Pathways to Integration & Health (PTIH) Tailor-made integration, health, wellbeing, and ESOL training and support for economically inactive people currently claiming asylum in Bradford District; provides individual information, advice and guidance, a bespoke health, wellbeing, ESOL and orientation course, vocational training support, and cultural/heritage trips.
• Multiply Numeracy programme funded by the UK government's UK Shared Prosperity Fund, designed to build confidence and remove anxiety around maths for adults who need numeracy skills in their jobs; QED delivers Multiply workshops and courses in West Yorkshire in partnership with other learning providers and employers.
• ESOL – Bridging the Gap ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) courses and activities in Bradford for beginners that build speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills and help people access services and get involved in the community.
• Yorkshire Asian Young Achievers Awards (YAYAs) An annual awards scheme run by QED Foundation with York St John University as headline partner, celebrating young people of South Asian heritage who were born in Yorkshire or live and work in the region and have overcome deprivation or broken through traditional barriers.
• Rakkaposhi A social enterprise coffee and dessert parlour on Ebenezer Street in Bradford, launched by QED Foundation to mark 25 years of operations, with all profits reinvested into the charity's community work.

Quantifiable outcome

• 35,000+ people directly helped through £16 million+ invested
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

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

• The Duke of Edinburgh Commonwealth Study Conferences (CSC)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 April 2024Mohammed Ali OBE, Founder and Chief Executive of QED Foundation, is a supporter of The Duke of Edinburgh Commonwealth Study Conferences held in Commonwealth countries since 1956. He met HRH Princess Anne (President of CSC) at Buckingham Palace and is helping set up the CSC Pakistan Chapter following CSC Canada in June 2023.
• York St John UniversityflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerYork St John University is the primary sponsor of the Yorkshire Asian Young Achievers (YAYAs) awards. The partnership includes Apprenticeship Insight Events co-hosted by QED Foundation and York St John University. Professor Adeeba Malik holds a Visiting Professor position at York St John University.
• York St John UniversitycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCo-hosting Apprenticeship Insight Events with QED Foundation to provide information on Degree Apprenticeship opportunities to beneficiaries.
• Sangat CentrecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with Sangat Centre in Keighley for the Breaking Barriers programme, bringing participants together through courses and integration activities.
• STEP ProgrammecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with Jobcentre through the STEP programme, referring individuals including single parents to QED's computer-based Job Club and Basic Skills training.
• University of BristolflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with University of Bristol on the 'Enhancing the integration of Pakistani migrant husbands' project - delivering the first ever pre-departure training programme aimed at preparing husbands for a new life in Britain, working with providers in Mirpur, Pakistan.
• Behbud AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMohammed Ali was invited as an observer to the board meeting of Behbud Association Hospital Project, supporting healthcare initiatives.
• BBCcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMultiple appearances on BBC Look North programme by Deputy CEO Adeeba Malik discussing diversity, Afghan nationals settling in West Yorkshire, and Bradford community issues. Featured in BBC 'We Are Bradford' segment.
• MorrisonscoreMorrisons announced as founding partner for Bradford's City of Culture bid. Adeeba Malik invited to speak on International Women's Day at Morrisons.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Refugee Council: One of the largest UK charities supporting refugees and asylum seekers with advocacy, integration and ESOL services. Closely comparable to QED's Pathways to Integration & Health programme but operating at significantly greater national scale.
• The Prince's Trust: Major UK charity focused on youth employment, training and skills programmes. Comparable to QED's Job Steps programme in targeting disadvantaged people into work, but operating nationally with a much larger budget and brand.
• Catch22: UK social business delivering employability, skills, education and social justice programmes including for disadvantaged and ethnic minority groups. Comparable model of employment-skills training delivered to similar beneficiaries.
• Barnardo's: Large UK children's charity running employment and skills programmes for disadvantaged young people. Already a partner (YAYAs sponsor) and comparable in mission to support marginalised communities into work.
• Muslim Council of Britain: UK-wide umbrella body for Muslim communities running policy advocacy and community programmes. Comparable to QED in advocacy and community focus, though at a national representative level rather than direct delivery.
• Locality: UK membership body for community-led organisations supporting local services and disadvantaged communities. Comparable community-development mission and neighbourhood-level delivery model to QED.

Direct peers

• Refugee Action: UK charity delivering frontline refugee and asylum-seeker support including ESOL, integration advice and employability services — overlapping directly with QED's PTIH and ESOL Bridging the Gap programmes in target population and service model.
• Hafiz Foundation: UK-based charity serving Muslim and ethnic minority communities with education, welfare and youth programmes. Comparable community-led model and beneficiary base to QED's Bradford operations.
• Sangat Centre: Keighley-based community organisation and existing QED partner for the Breaking Barriers programme. Comparable grass-roots, community-led delivery model for South Asian communities in West Yorkshire.

Emerging players

• UK Community Foundations: Network of community foundations across the UK distributing grants to local charities. Comparable mechanism of pooling public/philanthropic funds for community benefit, though operating at funder rather than delivery level.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/qed_1990
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCq3fL-m4QmZxIw_8Gh7eDGg
• Facebookfacebook.com/qed1990
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/qed-uk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 QED Foundation