The Toucan Project

What The Toucan Project does

The Toucan Project is a London-based for-profit social enterprise, founded by Dr. Rasha Saïd, that operates under the wing of the Saïd Foundation (Registered Charity 1125521) to expand educational access for disadvantaged students, refugees, and displaced individuals. Its core offerings — the Micro-university, the Toucan Fellows Programme, the Community Opportunity Centre (in collaboration with the Queen Rania Foundation), and the Debt Free Student Financing initiative — deliver a blended digital/in-person educational experience combining role-model exposure, mentorship, life coaching, and pathways from NEET status into higher education and employment. The 10% Principle, embedded across programmes, requires recipients to contribute a minimum of 10% of grant value back via mentorship or service within ten years, creating a self-reinforcing cycle. No proprietary technology platform underlies the model; the organisation instead relies on a curated ecosystem of trusted partners (including UNHCR, DAFI, King's Trust, Skoll Centre, Shakespeare's Globe, Rhodes Trust, and ZSL) to identify, select, and support beneficiaries across the UK, MENA, East Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.

The business model is a community-driven, partnership-based delivery system rather than a traditional commercial offering. The Toucan Project operates through a match-funded grant mechanism, channeling resources to trusted partners who run programmes locally, and generating engagement through community events such as the Micro-university Speaker Series, fireside chats at venues including The Gore Hotel, London Zoo conferences, and virtual wellness sessions. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; there is no SaaS pricing, no app product, and no API. The organisation is privately held and reports no venture or institutional funding rounds, instead functioning as an operating entity under the Saïd Foundation umbrella. Customer segments are personas rather than accounts — Toucan Fellows (disadvantaged students and NEET youth), refugees and displaced individuals, and partner organisations — and beneficiary outcomes are reported at the partnership-aggregate level (e.g., 232,000+ refugee youth reached via UNHCR's Youth Education Programme; 18,000+ young refugees supported via DAFI since 1992).

Name

The Toucan Project

Legal name

The Toucan Project

Website

https://thetoucanproject.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Toucan Project is a London-based for-profit social enterprise, operating under the Saïd Foundation, that delivers debt-free educational access, mentorship, and vocational pathways to disadvantaged students, refugees, and displaced individuals through a curated global partnership ecosystem.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Access and Social Impact Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Immigrant & Refugee Community Education (Integration/Navigation) (EDAAAFAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Scholarships, Grants & Education Benefits Administration (Financing-adjacent) (FSAKAEAM), Higher Education Capacity Building & Scholarships (BPADAKAG)

Keywords

• Social enterprise education
• Debt-free student financing
• Refugee education access
• Vocational training programs
• Youth mentorship services

Headquarters

HQ city

London

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Social Enterprise Operations: The Toucan Project operates as a for-profit social enterprise committed to sparking life-changing inspiration for students and families through interaction with role models, access to education, and practical life skills. The organization works through a partnership model, providing match funding grants to trusted partners with excellent reputations.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Toucan Project is a for-profit social enterprise that provides educational access programs, mentorship, life coaching, scholarships, internships, and debt-free student financing to disadvantaged students, refugees, and displaced individuals (Toucan Fellows). Its core delivery is the Micro-university, a blended educational model that combines in-person and digital learning with role-model interaction, delivered through a partnership ecosystem of mission-aligned organizations. All programmes embed the voluntary 10% Principle, requiring recipients to contribute back a share of their grant value through mentorship or service.

Product overview

The Toucan Project is a for-profit social enterprise offering a portfolio of educational access programmes centered around the Micro-university and Toucan Fellows Programme. The Micro-university provides a blended educational delivery model featuring the Speaker Series, Community Opportunity Centre, and Debt Free Student Financing initiative. The Toucan Fellows Programme delivers mentorship support, scholarships, internships, and access to the partner ecosystem. The 10% Principle is embedded across all programmes, requiring recipients to contribute back through mentorship and service. The programmes are delivered through strategic partnerships with organizations including Saïd Foundation, UNHCR, King's Trust, and others.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Toucan Microuniversity: A blended educational delivery model to inspire young people through interaction with role models, providing educational opportunities, volunteer opportunities, and professional opportunities such as internships, graduate training programmes and/or paid employment.
• Toucan Fellows
• Toucan Microuniversity Speaker Series
• Community Opportunity Centre
• Debt Free Student Financing

Products and services

• Micro-university A blended educational delivery model designed to inspire young people through interaction with role models, providing access to education and practical life skills both digitally and in person. It encompasses the Speaker Series, Community Opportunity Centre, and other educational initiatives, and is targeted at disadvantaged students, refugees, and Toucan Fellows.
• Toucan Fellows Programme Programme providing competitive opportunities to Toucan Fellows, including internships, scholarships, visits to Saïd Business School summer school, and online courses, with access to the wider ecosystem of partner organizations for educational, volunteer, and professional opportunities.
• Community Opportunity Centre A blended education concept developed in collaboration with The Queen Rania Foundation, providing a multi-dimensional response to the social, skills, educational, and community needs of Syrian and Jordanian communities, extending to students across the MENA region.
• Debt Free Student Financing An innovative initiative designed to upend conventional thinking around student financing for higher education and vocational training, aimed at democratizing access to education by making financing less prohibitive during and after schooling.
• Toucan Microuniversity Speaker Series A regular speaker event bringing together expert panelists from interdisciplinary backgrounds to share expertise on sustainability, education, and social impact topics, engaging Toucan Fellows and the wider community.

Quantifiable outcome

• 232,000+ refugee youth reached through UNHCR Youth Education Programme
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

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

• Saïd FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Saïd Foundation empowers individuals to drive positive change through education and leadership. The Toucan Project is under the wing of the Saïd Foundation (Registered Charity 1125521). The Foundation provides scholarships and development programs for talented young people from the Middle East and North Africa.
• The Queen Rania FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Queen Rania Foundation is committed to transforming education in the Arab world. Collaboration includes the Community Opportunity Centre - a blended education concept addressing social, skills, educational and community needs of Syrian and Jordanian communities and embracing students from nations across the MENA region.
• The King's TrustflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe King's Trust is dedicated to supporting causes that promote education, culture, and social welfare, with a focus on initiatives that improve lives and inspire positive change. Partnership includes Women Supporting Women initiative and Brilliant Breakfast collaboration.
• Shakespeare's Globe TheatrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerShakespeare's Globe Theatre proposes to use Toucan Fellow funding to recruit two full-time apprentices. Partners in Southwark and inner London allow reaching and recruiting from marginalised groups and NEET young people.
• Centre for EntrepreneurscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Centre for Entrepreneurs (CFE) is the UK's leading entrepreneurship foundation. CFE works to advance the entrepreneurship agenda, including advocacy for in-prison entrepreneurship programmes, refugee entrepreneurs, and women entrepreneurs. Also runs NEF+ for entrepreneurial talent development.
• DAFI (Albert Einstein German Academic Refugee Initiative)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerDAFI scholarship programme offers qualified refugee and returnee students the possibility to earn an undergraduate degree in their country of asylum or home country. The programme has supported over 18,000 young refugees since 1992, funded by Germany, Denmark, Czech Republic governments, UNHCR, and private donors.
• International Rescue Committee (IRC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe IRC provides life-saving assistance to refugees, displaced people, and vulnerable communities around the world. Through humanitarian efforts, IRC offers hope and opportunity to those affected by crises, helping them rebuild their lives.
• Skoll FoundationflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Skoll Foundation accelerates social entrepreneurship by supporting innovative leaders who tackle the world's most pressing challenges. Through grants and investment, the foundation backs individuals and organizations using entrepreneurial principles to create lasting social change.
• Skoll Centre for Social EntrepreneurshipflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Skoll Centre at Oxford University is a leading academic entity accelerating the impact of entrepreneurial activity that aims to transform unjust systems. Activities include cultivating talent and emerging leadership, supporting actionable insight through research, and catalyzing exchanges with a global community of innovators.
• Zoological Society of London (ZSL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZSL is dedicated to conservation of wildlife and protection of biodiversity. The partnership aims to support ZSL with developing and delivering its future Conservation Learning Centre at London and Whipsnade locations, building global conservation capability through education and training.
• UNHCRflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNHCR's Youth Education Programme sets a new benchmark for ensuring refugee youth have access to quality post-primary education. The programme was piloted in Kenya, Pakistan, Rwanda and Uganda between 2017 and 2021, working with over 232,000 refugee youth.
• Rhodes TrustflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerRhodes House is home to the Rhodes Trust, offering a vibrant community of leaders, scholars, and thinkers committed to creating positive change. Partner in the RISE programme launched by Schmidt Futures and Rhodes Trust to increase opportunities for exceptional young people worldwide.
• RISE ProgrammeflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerRISE (Research on Improving Systems of Education) is a global research endeavour understanding how education systems in developing countries can overcome the learning crisis. Schmidt Futures and Rhodes Trust launched this programme for young people between ages 15 and 17 worldwide.
• The Queen's Commonwealth TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Queen's Commonwealth Trust supports young leaders across the Commonwealth who are driving change in their communities. The Trust offers mentorship, funding, and resources to help leaders turn ideas into action.
• Turquoise MountaincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTurquoise Mountain was established in 2016 by HRH The Prince of Wales to revive historic areas and traditional crafts, providing jobs, skills and a renewed sense of pride. Works in Afghanistan, Myanmar, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, training the next generation of artisans.
• CrowdcubeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCrowdcube is the world's first and largest equity crowdfunding platform, enabling entrepreneurs to raise finance backed by everyday investors. Has facilitated over 1,200 raises totalling in excess of £1.2billion. Most active investor in UK in 2020.
• Prince's TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Prince's Trust supports disadvantaged youth through education and enterprise programmes. Partnership in collaboration with the Enterprise Programme and Women Supporting Women initiative. The Toucan Project participates in Brilliant Breakfast events with Prince's Trust.
• UnltdminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a pilot phase partner organization for co-granting Toucan Fellows in the Micro-university programme.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Questbridge: Questbridge connects high-achieving students from low-income backgrounds to top universities and scholarship pathways, with a partnership-led model and strong mentor/fellow community — directly comparable to Toucan Fellows' debt-free access to higher education.
• Into University Partnerships: UK charity supporting disadvantaged young people to access and succeed at top universities via local centres, mentoring, and partner programmes — directly comparable to the Micro-university's blended-education, partnership-driven GTM for under-represented students.
• Malala Fund: Malala Fund champions girls' access to secondary and higher education in refugee and conflict-affected regions through advocacy, grants, and partnerships — overlapping with Toucan's focus on disadvantaged and displaced students accessing higher education.
• ScholarMatch: ScholarMatch provides scholarships, mentorship, and career support to first-generation and low-income college students, closely aligning with Toucan Fellows' mentorship and debt-free education pathway.
• Room to Read: Global education non-profit operating across multiple regions delivering literacy, girls' education, and learning programmes through partner ecosystems, with a similar mission-driven, donor-funded, cross-geography operating model to The Toucan Project.
• Generation (McKinsey Social Initiative): Generation runs employer-aligned training and job-placement programmes for unemployed youth (including NEET populations) globally, mirroring Toucan's mission of moving disadvantaged youth from NEET status into education and employment via a partner ecosystem.

Emerging players

• Refugee Education UK: UK-based organisation focused on supporting refugees and asylum seekers into higher education through advice, advocacy, and partner programmes — overlaps with Toucan's refugee higher-education access mission but with a narrower advocacy-led focus.

Broad incumbents

• Education Cannot Wait: Global fund focused on education in emergencies and protracted crises, reaching refugee and displaced youth at scale through multi-donor partnerships — comparable mission space to Toucan's refugee education programmes, but operating at a much larger, multi-stakeholder scale.
• Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program: Large foundation-run scholarship and leadership programme for disadvantaged African youth, providing full-cost tertiary education and post-graduation pathways — comparable debt-free higher-education access model, though at substantially greater scale and capital base.
• Schmidt Futures / Rhodes Trust RISE: Major global initiative identifying and supporting exceptional young people aged 15–17 for leadership development — directly comparable to the demographic and capability-development goals of Toucan Fellows' higher-education pathway.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/ToucanTheNest
• Instagraminstagram.com/thetoucanproject

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

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 Toucan Project