Access to Business
Access to Business is a Wolverhampton-based registered charity founded in 2002 that employs 23 staff and supports over 1,500 disadvantaged and disabled adults annually across the Black Country through free employment support, self-employment advice, training, and social enterprise guidance, funded primarily by government and lottery grants.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2002
- HeadquartersWolverhampton, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Access to Business does
Access to Business is a Wolverhampton-based registered charity (Charity No: 1138761, Company No: 05084674) founded in 2002, employing 23 staff and supporting in excess of 1,500 beneficiaries annually across the West Midlands and Black Country. The organisation provides free-at-point-of-use employment support, self-employment and social enterprise guidance, volunteering pathways, accredited training (First Aid, Health & Safety, Food Safety), online training courses, and digital and financial literacy programmes to disadvantaged and disabled adults, unemployed local residents, and aspiring entrepreneurs. Its core specialism, dating to its founding as an EU-funded Equal Project in partnership with West Park Hospital, is supporting people with disabilities, health conditions, or other barriers to work. The organisation does not develop or sell proprietary technology; its 'product' is direct service delivery via workshops, one-to-one sessions, classroom training, and online courses delivered from its headquarters at The Curve, 81 Tempest Street, Wolverhampton.
The organisation is primarily funded through grants and public sector contracts. Funders include HMRC (delivered via Good Things Foundation), the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG), NatWest (WM WISE programme), the Santander Foundation (Inclusive Futures), the West Midlands Social Enterprise Boost Fund, and the Heart of England Community Foundation. Secondary revenue comes from donations, corporate giving (e.g., Spillard Vehicle Safety Systems), easyfundraising and Localgiving platform donations, and a small amount of fee-based commercial income from accredited courses and office services to local businesses. All core services to beneficiaries are provided free of charge, funded entirely by grants and contracts; pricing for accredited courses is not publicly disclosed.
Access to Business is led by CEO Josie Kelly and governed by a Board of Trustees. Its go-to-market motion is community-led: the charity acquires beneficiaries through community outreach, partnerships with Jobcentre Plus, the City of Wolverhampton Council, NHS trusts, and local community organisations, jobs fairs, community events, word-of-mouth referrals, and delivery partnerships on government and lottery-funded programmes. The organisation holds the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service, DWP Level 3 Disability Leader Status, Matrix Standard accreditation, Cyber Essentials, ISO certification, and Disability Confident Employer status. It has strategic partnerships with City of Wolverhampton Council, MHCLG, NatWest, Good Things Foundation, Santander Foundation, the Heart of England Community Foundation, WVCA, and i-SE among others.
Access to Business firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Access to Business
- Legal name
- Access to Business
- Website
- https://access2business.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2002
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Access to Business is a Wolverhampton-based registered charity founded in 2002 that employs 23 staff and supports over 1,500 disadvantaged and disabled adults annually across the Black Country through free employment support, self-employment advice, training, and social enterprise guidance, funded primarily by government and lottery grants.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Access to Business industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Nonprofit Employment Support Services
- NAICS
- Individual and Family Services (6241), Educational Support Services (6117)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Employment & Job Readiness Support Services (BPAGAEAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Financial Assistance & Benefits Navigation Services (BPAGAEAK)
Keywords
Where Access to Business is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Wolverhampton
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Access to Business business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Grant Funding and Public Sector Contracts: The charity is primarily funded through grants and contracts from government bodies, lottery-funded programmes, and charitable trusts. Funders include HMRC (via Good Things Foundation), Ministry of Housing Communities & Local Government, NatWest (for WM WISE), Santander Foundation (for Inclusive Futures), and the West Midlands Social Enterprise Boost Fund.
- Donations and Fundraising: The charity receives donations from individuals and organisations, including corporate donors (e.g., Spillard Vehicle Safety Systems). It also raises funds through easyfundraising and Localgiving platforms, and by hosting fundraising events such as coffee mornings and raffles.
- Fee-Based Training and Office Services: Access to Business generates some revenue through accredited training courses (First Aid, Health & Safety, Food Safety) and commercial office services offered to local businesses.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Access to Business product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Access to Business is a registered charity that delivers employment support, self-employment advice, volunteering placements, accredited and non-accredited training courses, social enterprise guidance, and business office services to individuals and local businesses in Wolverhampton and the wider Black Country. Services are primarily funded through grants and public sector contracts and delivered free at point of use to beneficiaries, with fee-based income generated from accredited courses and commercial office services.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Employment Support
- Self-Employment Advice and Social Enterprise Guidance
- Accredited Training Courses (First Aid, Health & Safety, Food Safety)
- Online Training Courses
- Volunteering Programme (ACTIV)
- Business Office Solutions
Quantifiable outcome
- Supports 1500+ beneficiaries annually with employment and training outcomes
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Access to Business
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Access to Business technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Access to Business partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- City of Wolverhampton CouncilcoreCity of Wolverhampton Council is a key public sector partner, providing strategic alignment and referrals to Access to Business services. The council co-funds and co-commissions employment and skills programmes that A2B delivers for local residents.
- Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG)coreMHCLG provides funding for community and social enterprise development programmes. A2B is a delivery partner for government-funded initiatives including the West Midlands Social Enterprise Boost Fund (SEBFWestMids) co-funded by DCMS/MHCLG.
- NatWest BankcoreNatWest provides funding and co-development for the WM WISE (West Midlands Women into Self-Employment/Social Enterprise) programme, a fully funded initiative to develop the confidence and skills of women entrepreneurs. NatWest also partners on POWER networking events and the Accelerator Programme.
- Good Things FoundationcoreGood Things Foundation distributes HMRC funding to Access to Business for the delivery of the HMRC project, which helps people learn about tax, national insurance, benefits, and state pensions. This is a national project with West Midlands coverage.
- Steps to WorkminorA local employment and skills partner that refers beneficiaries to Access to Business and collaborates on programme delivery across the Black Country.
- Wolverhampton Voluntary and Community Action (WVCA)coreWVCA is A2B's key local partner for the West Midlands Social Enterprise Boost Fund (SEBF), responsible for managing and distributing project grants to successful social enterprises in Wolverhampton.
- Wolverhampton Learning Platform CICminorA local learning and digital skills partner, also involved in quality assurance and delivery of the Matrix Standard accreditation.
- Bilston Resource CentreminorA local community partner that collaborates with A2B on digital inclusion and community skills programmes.
- JobchangeminorA local employment support organisation referring jobseekers to Access to Business services and collaborating on employment programmes.
- YMCAminorYMCA served as a programme Gateway for the Government Kickstart Scheme and collaborates on youth employment initiatives.
- SWEDAminorSouth Wolverhampton andbilston Enterprise Development Agency (SWEDA) — a local community partner in enterprise development and training.
- CAATS (Community Action and Training Services)minorA community training services partner involved in delivery of digital and financial inclusion projects.
- TLC CollegeminorA local training college partner in the 'Know Your Neighbourhood' project alongside A2B, Aspiring Futures, Refugee & Migrant Centre, and Young Business Matters.
- Black Country Chamber of CommerceminorThe Chamber provides quality mark accreditation (Matrix Standard) and supports A2B's business-facing services.
- i-SE (Social Enterprise)corei-SE leads the West Midlands Social Enterprise Boost Fund partnership and works with A2B as the Wolverhampton delivery partner. CEO Cathy Brown is a key figure in the SEBF programme.
- West Park HospitalminorA founding partner from the EU-funded 'Equal' project in 2002, West Park Hospital referred patients with brain injuries and other conditions to Access to Business for rehabilitation and employment support.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Access to Business competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- The Prince's Trust: Major UK youth-focused charity supporting young people into employment, training, and self-employment through enterprise and skills programmes. Comparable to A2B on self-employment advice (WM WISE equivalent) and youth Kickstart-style delivery, but at national scale.
- Reed in Partnership: UK welfare-to-work and skills provider, part of the Reed Group, delivering DWP-commissioned employment programmes. Comparable as a public-sector delivery partner with similar funding model to A2B but operating at significantly greater scale.
- Catch22: UK social business delivering employment, skills, education, and justice services, including welfare-to-work programmes. Comparable in operating model as a public-sector delivery partner with multiple government contracts, but with broader service mix and national reach.
- Ingeus: UK employment-services provider delivering Restart, Work and Health Programme, and other DWP-commissioned contracts. Comparable as a government programme delivery partner competing for the same grant pool as A2B, but with national footprint.
- Shaw Trust: One of the UK's largest employment and skills charities, delivering welfare-to-work, disability employment, and training programmes nationally. Directly comparable to A2B in mission and target population, but with vastly greater scale, geographic reach, and contract portfolio.
Direct peers
- Pluss (now part of Hft): UK social enterprise focused on employment support for disabled people and those facing barriers to work, recently merged with learning disability charity Hft. Direct specialist peer to A2B on disability employment support and lived-experience service design.
- Remploy: A specialist UK provider of employment services for disabled people and those with health conditions, now part of the Maximus UK family. Closely comparable to A2B's disability employment specialism and DWP-aligned delivery model.
- i-SE (Institute for Social Enterprise): Social-enterprise support body that leads the West Midlands Social Enterprise Boost Fund (SEBF), of which A2B is the Wolverhampton delivery partner. Direct peer on social-enterprise advice and start-up support, with complementary (not purely competing) role.
- Seetec (Seetec Pluss): A major DWP primes contractor delivering employment programmes including Restart, Kickstart, and disability employment services across the UK. Directly comparable in operating model to A2B but at materially larger scale and with national geographic coverage.
Regional players
- Walsall-based Aspire Housing or other Black Country housing-association-linked employment charities: Local West Midlands housing associations and community organisations such as Aspire Housing run employment, training, and social-enterprise support programmes in the Black Country. Comparable as a regional peer operating in the same West Midlands geography as A2B.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Access to Business social profiles
Digital presenceAccess to Business financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Access to Business leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Access to Business funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Access to Business 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 Access to Business
What does Access to Business do?
Access to Business is a registered charity that delivers employment support, self-employment advice, volunteering placements, accredited and non-accredited training courses, social enterprise guidance, and business office services to individuals and local businesses in Wolverhampton and the wider Black Country. Services are primarily funded through grants and public sector contracts and delivered free at point of use to beneficiaries, with fee-based income generated from accredited courses and commercial office services.
Is Access to Business a public or private company?
Access to Business is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Access to Business founded?
Access to Business was founded in 2002. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Access to Business based?
Access to Business is headquartered in Wolverhampton, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Access to Business make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Grant Funding and Public Sector Contracts are the primary driver. The others are donations and Fundraising and fee-Based Training and Office Services.
Who are Access to Business's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are The Prince's Trust, Reed in Partnership, Catch22, Ingeus and Shaw Trust. Direct peers are Pluss (now part of Hft), Remploy, i-SE (Institute for Social Enterprise) and Seetec (Seetec Pluss). Walsall-based Aspire Housing or other Black Country housing-association-linked employment charities is listed as a regional player.
Does Access to Business have an API?
No public API is recorded for Access to Business.
What industry is Access to Business in?
Access to Business's product category is Nonprofit Employment Support Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAEAJ, Employment & Job Readiness Support Services, with a secondary code of BPAGAEAK, Financial Assistance & Benefits Navigation Services. Its NAICS code is 6241 and its SIC code is 8300.