STIR Education
STIR Education is a UK-registered charity founded in 2012 that improves learning outcomes in low- and middle-income government schools by reigniting teacher motivation through peer networks, partnerships with education ministries, and advisory Amplification Services, currently reaching 550,000+ teachers and 14 million students.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What STIR Education does
STIR Education is a UK-registered charity (number 1149143) founded in 2012 by Sharath Jeevan and headquartered in London, with regional offices in Kampala, Uganda and Jakarta, Indonesia. The organization addresses teacher demotivation in government education systems of low- and middle-income countries through a peer-network-based motivation model grounded in intrinsic motivation principles (autonomy, mastery, purpose). Its programmatic core consists of monthly Teacher Network Meetings (groups of 20-30 teachers within and across schools), termly Learning Improvement Cycles that combine peer networks with action-feedback and reflection, alongside supporting offerings such as the Teacher Changemaker Development Programme, School Education Leaders Institutes, and District Champion Bootcamps. STIR reports programme costs of less than US$1 per child per year and current reach of 550,000+ teachers and 14 million students.
Delivery is non-digital and service-led rather than technology-led, with no proprietary app, API, or platform disclosed; differentiation rests on codified methodology, training infrastructure, and embedded government partnerships rather than software. Activities are co-designed with government ministries and integrated into existing education systems through school leaders and local education officials, with STIR explicitly working toward full government ownership of programme activities. Following its 2025 exit from India (where operations were handed to the Centre for Intrinsic Motivation), the active direct-delivery footprint comprises Uganda and Indonesia, with methodology-extension partnerships in Brazil (Centro Lemann, Ensina Brasil) and Ghana (T-TEL) under an Amplification Services arm.
Revenue derives primarily from charitable donations (foundations, corporates, individuals), with Mastercard Foundation through the Leaders in Teaching Uganda Programme, the LEGO Foundation, and the Bakti Barito Foundation among major donors, supplemented by fee-based Amplification Services to other organisations. Government partners provide co-financing, with Uganda districts covering the majority of programme costs locally. Governance is vested in a Board of Trustees; leadership transitioned in June 2024 from a single-CEO structure (Girish Menon) to a Co-CEO model held by Jenny Willmott (based in Kampala) and John McIntosh (based in Northern Ireland), signalling a transitional phase aligned with the active localization of country programmes into independent entities.
STIR Education firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- STIR Education
- Legal name
- STiR Education
- Website
- https://stireducation.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- STIR Education is a UK-registered charity founded in 2012 that improves learning outcomes in low- and middle-income government schools by reigniting teacher motivation through peer networks, partnerships with education ministries, and advisory Amplification Services, currently reaching 550,000+ teachers and 14 million students.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
STIR Education industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Teacher Professional Development Services
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Instructional Delivery & Pedagogy (School-Led) (EDAJAFAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Educational Leadership & Administration Programs (EDAHAFAD)
Keywords
Where STIR Education is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
STIR Education business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Charitable Donations: STIR Education is a UK Registered Charity (number 1149143) and relies on charitable contributions to support its work. The organization receives funding from foundations, corporations, and individual donors. Districts in Uganda contribute the majority of programme costs.
- Advisory Services: STIR offers advisory and amplification services to increase reach further, working with other organizations or governments that request support. This includes capacity building and expertise sharing with global education sector actors.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
STIR Education product offering
Product offeringCore offering
STIR Education designs and delivers programmes that build teachers' intrinsic motivation through peer networks within government education systems. Its flagship offerings include Learning Improvement Cycles and Teacher Network Meetings, which convene teachers in facilitated peer groups to share practice, solve problems, and sustain professional growth inside the public school system.
Product overview
STIR Education operates a unified programme model focused on inspiring teacher motivation to improve learning outcomes. The core offering consists of Learning Improvement Cycles (LICs) — termly cycles incorporating peer network meetings, action-feedback mechanisms, and reflection activities. Teacher Network Meetings form the backbone, with groups of 20-30 teachers meeting monthly. Supporting components include the Teacher Changemaker Development Programme (TCMDP) for secondary schools, School Education Leaders (SEL) Institutes for principal development, and District Champion Bootcamps for district officials. The Amplification Services arm extends expertise to other organizations. The model is delivered through government partnerships, with activities embedded in existing education systems.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Teacher Intrinsic Motivation Programme
- Learning Improvement Cycles
- Teacher Network Meetings
- Advisory services for education ministries
Quantifiable outcome
- 15.6% higher literacy and 14.2% higher numeracy scores vs non-STIR schools in Uganda (Deloitte 2025)
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use STIR Education
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
STIR Education technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
STIR Education partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, amplification and supporting.
- Ministry of Education and Sports, UgandacoreFive-year MOU renewal to strengthen Uganda's education system. STIR serves as Motivate Pillar Lead under Leaders in Teaching Uganda Programme, supported by Mastercard Foundation in partnership with UNICEF and Luigi Giussani Foundation.
- Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (MoECRT), IndonesiacoreNational three-year MoU giving STIR national profile and creating leverage for scale efforts. Now known as Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (MoPSE).
- Bakti Barito Foundation (Yayasan Bakti Pendidikan Unggul - YBPU)corePhilanthropic arm of Barito Pacific, an integrated energy company. First partner in Indonesia, running STIR's programme in two districts of East Java (Kota Kediri and Timor Timur Regency). Expanded to additional districts including Malaka and South Central Timor through YBPU.
- Centro LemannamplificationBrazilian partner offering Educational Leadership Programme across 49 municipalities. STIR helped integrate motivation content into their programme for promoting learning with equity in primary schools.
- Ensina BrasilamplificationPartner developing young leaders in classrooms to transform Brazil's education system. STIR helping design new programme to develop motivation across municipalities.
- T-TEL (Transforming Teaching, Education and Learning)amplificationLocal NGO in Ghana. STIR offering advice on their national secondary education reform project 'Leading in Teaching', helping understand how to foster and measure teacher motivation across Ghana.
- DeloittesupportingConducts independent impact evaluations of STIR programmes in Uganda and Indonesia, providing statistically reliable data on literacy and numeracy improvements.
- Association of Secondary School Headteachers of Uganda (ASSHU)coreNational association representing secondary school headteachers. STIR partners with local bodies including ASSHU, NAMDEO, and UNISA for programme delivery across Uganda.
- National Association of Municipal and District Education Officers (NAMDEO)coreNational association of local education officers. STIR partners with NAMDEO for programme delivery and district-level implementation in Uganda.
- Uganda National Inspectors of Schools Association (UNISA)coreAssociation of school inspectors. STIR partners with UNISA for quality assurance and programme support in Uganda.
- Development ConsortiumcoreImplementing partner in India. STIR worked in partnership with Development Consortium for programme delivery in India prior to exit in 2025.
- Centre for Intrinsic Motivation (CIM)coreIndia-based partner. In 2025, STIR formally exited India and handed over all operations to CIM, who now leads the work independently.
- UNICEFsupportingPartner in Uganda's Leaders in Teaching Programme alongside Mastercard Foundation and STIR.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights5 records
STIR Education competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- BRAC: One of the world's largest development NGOs with extensive education programmes across Asia and Africa. Comparable as a global incumbent delivering teacher training and education programmes at scale in LMICs, with similar government partnership and peer-network delivery approaches.
- Varkey Foundation: Global foundation focused on improving standards of education, including the training and prestige of teachers. Comparable to STIR as a large, well-funded actor working with governments on teacher-focused interventions and education reform advocacy.
- Education Development Trust: UK-based international education charity working with governments on school improvement and teacher professional development. Comparable to STIR in the working-with-governments model and teacher development focus, though at a much larger scale and broader programme scope.
Direct peers
- Teach For All: Global network of independent partner organizations working to expand educational opportunity. Highly comparable to STIR as both operate through country-level partner organizations delivering teacher development and leadership programmes across multiple LMICs.
- Camfed: International NGO supporting girls' education across Sub-Saharan Africa. Comparable to STIR in operating across multiple African countries at scale, partnering with governments and local organizations, and using peer-network style approaches to drive learning outcomes.
- Educate!: Works in Uganda and Rwanda on youth education, leadership, and workforce readiness. Directly comparable because of Uganda country overlap and similar focus on building capacity within government education systems, with comparable headcount and government partnership model.
- PEAS (Promoting Equality in African Schools): UK-registered NGO running a network of secondary schools in Uganda and Zambia with a focus on quality education for low-income communities. Comparable to STIR because of Uganda presence and shared focus on improving government system education quality through structured interventions.
Regional players
- Teach First: UK-based education charity addressing educational disadvantage through teacher leadership and development programmes. Comparable to STIR in mission (developing teacher motivation and capability) and in operating across multiple geographies, though primarily UK-focused.
Emerging players
- Education.org: International education-focused organization supporting teaching and learning in LMICs. Comparable as a peer in the global education improvement ecosystem with overlap in government partnership approaches, and a current STIR board member (Euan Wilmshurst) previously worked there.
Others
- UNICEF Education: UN agency leading global education programming at scale across LMICs. Comparable as a partner/ecosystem actor in the same Uganda Leaders in Teaching Programme and in teacher-focused system strengthening, rather than as a direct competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
STIR Education social profiles
Digital presenceSTIR Education financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
STIR Education leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
STIR Education funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors1 record
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STIR Education M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about STIR Education
What does STIR Education do?
STIR Education designs and delivers programmes that build teachers' intrinsic motivation through peer networks within government education systems. Its flagship offerings include Learning Improvement Cycles and Teacher Network Meetings, which convene teachers in facilitated peer groups to share practice, solve problems, and sustain professional growth inside the public school system.
Is STIR Education a public or private company?
STIR Education is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was STIR Education founded?
STIR Education was founded in 2012. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is STIR Education based?
STIR Education is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does STIR Education make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Charitable Donations are the primary driver. The others are advisory Services.
Who are STIR Education's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are BRAC, Varkey Foundation and Education Development Trust. Direct peers are Teach For All, Camfed, Educate! and PEAS (Promoting Equality in African Schools). Teach First is listed as a regional player. Education.org is listed as an emerging player. UNICEF Education is listed as an others.
Does STIR Education have an API?
No public API is recorded for STIR Education.
What industry is STIR Education in?
STIR Education's product category is Teacher Professional Development Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAJAFAB, Instructional Delivery & Pedagogy (School-Led), with a secondary code of EDAHAFAD, Educational Leadership & Administration Programs. Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8200.