Next-Up
Next-Up is a UK-based training and coaching firm that helps employers — especially professional services firms — plan partner retirements and maximize the value of 50+ workers through workshops, a digital platform, and consultancy.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersHarrogate, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Next-Up does
Next-Up Limited is a UK-based professional training and coaching company founded in 2018 by Victoria Tomlinson, headquartered in Harrogate, England. The company specializes in the 50+ workforce and retirement/unretirement planning, helping employers — particularly professional services firms — maximize the value of older workers, manage succession, and reduce the mental health and engagement impact of partner retirements. Its core product is the Rethink Retirement Platform, a digital self-learning tool with 10 storytelling modules, light-touch homework, and a library of 200+ video stories (Version 2 rebuilt after a 300-employee enterprise pilot). Complementary offerings include in-person Next-up Workshops for professional services partners (delivered with 20+ external speakers covering headhunting, GP health, mentoring entrepreneurs, LinkedIn skills), consultancy services, a Professional Services Retirement Forum, courses, and the Re-think Retirement Podcast.
The business operates a dual revenue model: an individual subscription to the Rethink Retirement Platform at £299 per year (inclusive of VAT) for self-directed access, and bespoke enterprise workshop and consultancy engagements sold via direct field sales to corporate clients. Named enterprise customers include EY, Magic Circle law firms, and Big 4 accounting firms, with reported outcomes of 100% partner recommendation rates and rebookings from every professional services client served. Go-to-market combines content marketing, Victoria Tomlinson's personal thought leadership in major UK business publications, podcasting, and event-driven demand generation. The company is bootstrapped (no disclosed funding rounds), holds Age Friendly and WeConnect Women Owned certifications, and operates exclusively in the United Kingdom.
Next-Up firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Next-Up
- Legal name
- Next-Up Limited
- Website
- https://next-up.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Next-Up is a UK-based training and coaching firm that helps employers — especially professional services firms — plan partner retirements and maximize the value of 50+ workers through workshops, a digital platform, and consultancy.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Next-Up industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Retirement Transition and Workforce Consulting Services
- NAICS
- Management Consulting Services (54161)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Senior Workforce Transition & Encore Career Learning (Post-retirement work) (EDAAAMAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Retirement Planning & Financial Education for Seniors (EDAAAMAF), Employer Retirement Plan Advisory (401(k)/Pension) (FSAEABAE)
Keywords
Where Next-Up is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Harrogate
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Next-Up business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Subscription Platform Access: Annual subscription model for access to the Rethink Retirement Platform at £299 per year inclusive of VAT. Provides ongoing access to digital content, modules, and planning tools.
- Professional Workshop Services: Corporate workshops for pre-retirement partners in professional services firms. Workshops include external speakers, headhunter sessions, GP health sessions, mentoring entrepreneur skills, and LinkedIn training. B2B enterprise sales motion with custom pricing.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Individual subscription at £299 per year for platform access |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Next-Up product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Next-Up helps UK employers, particularly professional services firms (Magic Circle, Big 4), maximize the value of their 50+ workforce and plan for partner retirements through pre-retirement workshops, a digital Rethink Retirement platform with 10 storytelling modules and 200+ video stories, and consultancy services. The company also delivers courses, a professional services retirement forum, and content (podcast, media) aimed at supporting retirement and unretirement for individuals and employees.
Product overview
Next-Up offers a multi-channel approach to retirement and unretirement support for the 50+ generation, combining a digital platform (Rethink Retirement Platform) with in-person workshops (Next-up Workshops) and consultancy services. The Rethink Retirement Platform is an online self-learning tool featuring 10 storytelling modules and 200+ video stories. The workshop program offers 20 external speakers, headhunter sessions, and skills training. Additional services include a Professional Services Retirement Forum, educational courses, and a podcast called 'Re-think Retirement' featuring guest speakers sharing their career transition experiences.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Next-up Workshop: Pre-retirement workshop for partners in professional firms featuring external speakers, headhunter, speaker panel, GP health session, mentoring entrepreneurs, and skills sessions.
- Next-up Consultancy
- Rethink Retirement Platform
- Professional Services Retirement Forum
- Next-Up Media
- Re-think Retirement Podcast
Products and services
- Next-up Workshop Pre-retirement workshops delivered to professional services firms, featuring 20 external speakers, headhunter sessions, speaker panels, GP health sessions, mentoring entrepreneur skills, and skills sessions on new identity, LinkedIn, and connections. Sold directly to enterprise clients including Magic Circle and Big 4 firms.
- Rethink Retirement Platform Online self-learning platform helping 50+ employees plan for retirement and unretirement. Includes 10 storytelling modules, light-touch homework after each module, 200+ video stories, and tools to create a personal retirement plan. Available as an individual subscription at £299/year inclusive of VAT or as a corporate employee benefit.
- Next-up Consultancy Consultancy services helping employers maximize the value of 50+ workers, facilitate difficult retirement conversations, and remotivate employees in their final years at work.
- Professional Services Retirement Forum Forum bringing together professional services firms to discuss partner retirement strategies, share best practices, and build peer networks among HR and senior management teams.
- Courses Educational courses supporting 50+ employees with retirement preparation and career transition planning.
Quantifiable outcome
- 100% of partners recommend Next-Up workshops; all professional services firms have rebooked
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Next-Up
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Next-Up technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Next-Up partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Centre for Ageing BettercorePartnership supporting the #AgeWithoutLimits campaign to challenge age discrimination. Both organizations work together to raise awareness about the value of 50+ workers and advocate for age-inclusive employment practices.
- The Orcid PartnershipminorExecutive search firm supporting Next-Up events and conferences. The partnership brings together experienced non-executive directors with younger tech entrepreneurs for intergenerational learning.
- 500+ Mentors NetworkcoreNetwork of 500+ 'unretired' professionals who offer mentorship to entrepreneurs and business leaders. Mentors are drawn from the 50+ generation and provide expertise across various business domains.
- 20+ External SpeakerscorePool of external speakers who deliver workshop content including headhunters, GP health experts, mentoring specialists, and skills session leaders covering topics like new identity, LinkedIn optimization, and network building.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Next-Up competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Mercer: Global consulting firm with a large retirement, health, and workforce practice serving the same employer buyers (Big 4, Magic Circle adjacents, FTSE 100) — overlapping in retirement and workforce strategy, but at portfolio scale and with a heavier financial/actuarial core rather than workshop-led transition content.
- Aon: Global professional services firm with retirement, health, and talent advisory practices that sell to the same large employer base as Next-Up — overlaps on retirement-related employer consulting at much greater scale, but as one line in a broader portfolio and not specializing in the 50+ transition niche.
- Robert Half UK: Global staffing and talent solutions firm with UK operations serving professional services and senior-level hiring — addresses adjacent parts of the 50+ professional workforce problem (post-career NED/mentor placements) but focused on hiring rather than retirement transition workshops.
Direct peers
- Rest Less: UK media platform and community for the 50+ generation offering jobs, courses, content and events focused on retirement transition, work, and lifestyle — overlaps with Next-Up on content, audience, and 50+ career-transition purpose, though consumer-led rather than B2B.
- The Maturity Institute: UK-based consultancy purpose-built around the 50+ workforce, providing advisory, research, and employer education on age-inclusive practices — directly comparable to Next-Up's core mission and B2B workshop/consultancy model in the same geography.
Others
- Centre for Ageing Better: UK charity and research body that campaigns on age-inclusive employment and runs the Age Friendly Employer accreditation — already partnered with Next-Up on the #AgeWithoutLimits campaign and serves the same 50+ workforce advocacy agenda, more as an enabler/adjacent than a commercial competitor.
Regional players
- AARP: US membership organization for adults 50+ that runs workforce, retirement, and caregiver programs and has employer tools — comparable audience and 50+ retirement-transition subject matter, but US-centric and not directly competing for UK professional services workshop spend.
Emerging players
- Encore.org: US non-profit building the 'encore careers' movement for people aged 50+ seeking second-act work, with employer programs and research — operates in the same conceptual space as Next-Up's unretirement/encore proposition though primarily advocacy and research rather than commercial B2B workshop delivery.
- ManyHappyReturns: US-based platform providing returnship and 'returnship-style' programs for caregivers and 50+ professionals returning to work, with employer partnerships — addresses an adjacent 50+ re-engagement problem, with comparable coaching/content but a returnship lens rather than pre-retirement workshop focus.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Next-Up social profiles
Digital presenceNext-Up financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Next-Up leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Next-Up funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Next-Up 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 Next-Up
What does Next-Up do?
Next-Up helps UK employers, particularly professional services firms (Magic Circle, Big 4), maximize the value of their 50+ workforce and plan for partner retirements through pre-retirement workshops, a digital Rethink Retirement platform with 10 storytelling modules and 200+ video stories, and consultancy services. The company also delivers courses, a professional services retirement forum, and content (podcast, media) aimed at supporting retirement and unretirement for individuals and employees.
Is Next-Up a public or private company?
Next-Up is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Next-Up founded?
Next-Up was founded in 2018. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Next-Up based?
Next-Up is headquartered in Harrogate, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Next-Up make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Subscription Platform Access are the primary driver. The others are professional Workshop Services.
Who are Next-Up's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Mercer, Aon and Robert Half UK. Direct peers are Rest Less and The Maturity Institute. Centre for Ageing Better is listed as an others. AARP is listed as a regional player. Emerging players are Encore.org and ManyHappyReturns.
Does Next-Up have an API?
No public API is recorded for Next-Up.
What industry is Next-Up in?
Next-Up's product category is Retirement Transition and Workforce Consulting Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAAAMAE, Senior Workforce Transition & Encore Career Learning (Post-retirement work), with a secondary code of EDAAAMAF, Retirement Planning & Financial Education for Seniors. Its NAICS code is 54161 and its SIC code is 8742.