Just Runners
Just Runners is a London-based Community Interest Company that runs a free, inclusive film runner agency, placing underrepresented candidates into paid crew roles across UK film, TV, and advertising productions.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Just Runners does
Just Runners is a London-based Community Interest Company (CIC) founded in 2018 by Paul McLoone that operates an inclusive film runner agency serving the UK film, television, and advertising production industries. It places entry-level runners from underrepresented backgrounds, including those from lower socio-economic households, low-income families, and candidates without existing industry connections, into paid day-rate crew roles on productions. The agency maintains a roster of 14 runners and is supported by 17 recruitment partner organizations that supply candidates and 70+ patron production companies that host them, with The Sweetshop as the founding partner and the Advertising Producers Association (APA) as a recent accreditation partner.
The core product is a curation and matching service. There is no proprietary technology platform; placement is handled through manual coordination between recruiters, runners, and productions. Bookings are currently closed to new applicants, indicating that demand exceeds the team's placement capacity. The service is APA accredited and has been extended through the Production Industry Inclusion Booking Scheme (PIBS), which signed 40 ad agencies into the model.
The business model is a social enterprise, not a commercial venture. Just Runners charges no fee to productions and takes no cut from runner day rates. Revenue, such as it is, would come from grants, donations, and patron contributions rather than transaction fees. The CIC legal structure enforces this free-to-productions and free-to-runners model, and the 11-50 employee headcount reflects the operational scale required to run the matching workflow rather than a revenue-generating sales organization.
Just Runners firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Just Runners
- Legal name
- Just Runners
- Website
- https://justrunners.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Just Runners is a London-based Community Interest Company that runs a free, inclusive film runner agency, placing underrepresented candidates into paid crew roles across UK film, TV, and advertising productions.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Just Runners is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Just Runners business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Free runner placement service: Just Runners does not charge production companies for placements and does not charge runners for training courses or representation. As a Community Interest Company (CIC), the organisation is structured for social impact rather than commercial profit. Government and Lottery money is reportedly invested to promote careers in film for broad-spectrum people in the UK.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Free placement service for film productions and job-seeking runners |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Just Runners product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Just Runners is an inclusive film runner recruitment agency operating as a Community Interest Company (CIC). It sources, trains (via the APA-accredited Couch to 4K programme), vets, and dispatches entry-level film runners to UK film, TV and advertising productions on demand via phone and email. The service is provided free of charge to both productions and runners, with placements backed by 17 social outreach recruitment partners and over 70 patron production companies.
Product overview
Just Runners is a single-service inclusive film runner agency operating as a Community Interest Company (CIC). The core product is the film runner placement service, which connects productions with diverse entry-level talent sourced from UK media courses and social outreach programmes. The Couch to 4K training programme serves as a prerequisite qualification, ensuring all runners have industry-accredited credentials before placement. The runner roster management component maintains and represents qualified runners to production companies on an ongoing basis.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Film Runner Placement Service Free diary-style placement service that dispatches vetted, APA-accredited film runners to UK film, TV and advertising productions on demand. Productions contact the agency by phone or email with their date and call time requirements, and Just Runners supplies a runner sourced from its 17-partner outreach network. Targets UK production companies seeking reliable, diverse entry-level crew.
- Couch to 4K Training Programme Industry-accredited day-course qualification co-developed with the APA, covering on-set soft skills, professional standards, etiquette and the language of the film industry. Includes a written exam, studio and post-house site visits, and a team performance assessment. Provided free of charge to aspiring runners as a prerequisite to placement on the Just Runners roster.
- Runner Roster Representation Ongoing representation of a curated roster of vetted runners (currently 14 on the books) who have completed the Couch to 4K training programme. Just Runners represents these runners to production companies, handling placement and career development support free of charge to both runners and productions.
Quantifiable outcome
- 70% of ex-Just Runners have gone on to establish careers in film production; 17% went on to enrol in media/film courses or work in theatre
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Just Runners
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Just Runners technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Just Runners partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
18 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- R-LDN (Rare London)coreIn partnership with The Sweetshop, R-LDN (Rare London) donated equipment to Just Runners including 2 Pinnacle hybrid bikes with Ortlieb panniers, 10 kit bags with waterproof clothing, and funded an Emergency First Aid at Work training course for runners. Sponsored by D&AD.
- BFI (British Film Institute)coreBFI is one of the 17 social outreach and inclusivity recruitment partners that nominates candidates from its film academy programmes to Just Runners. BFI helps direct media graduates towards Just Runners as a port of entry into the film industry.
- King's TrustcoreKing's Trust is a recruitment partner that directs candidates from its film and photography courses to Just Runners. Paul McLoone saw King's Trust candidates as part of its original recruitment strategy.
- RaindancecoreRaindance is one of the social outreach recruitment partners recommending candidates from its filmmaking courses to Just Runners.
- NFTS (National Film and Television School)coreNFTS is a recruitment partner directing graduates from its courses to Just Runners for placement in the film industry.
- University of East LondoncoreUniversity of East London is a recruitment partner whose film/media students are directed towards Just Runners for industry placement.
- Creative SparkworkscoreCreative Sparkworks is listed as a social outreach partner directing candidates from its community interest programmes to Just Runners.
- All Spring MediacoreAll Spring Media is a recruitment partner that directs candidates from its training programmes to Just Runners.
- Creative Diversity NetworkcoreCreative Diversity Network is a recruitment partner providing candidates from diversity-led programmes to Just Runners.
- ScreenSkillscoreScreenSkills is a recruitment partner directing candidates from its funded training and opportunities programmes to Just Runners.
- The SweetshopflagshipThe Sweetshop is a key strategic partner that helped launch Just Runners. Managing Director Spencer Dodd has publicly championed Just Runners, calling it a perfect partnership to help those looking to make a start in the industry. The Sweetshop also facilitated the R-LDN equipment donation to Just Runners.
- APA (Advertising Producers Association)flagshipAPA partnered with Just Runners to create the Couch to 4K course, the first industry-accredited qualification focused on on-set soft skills. APA also accredits Just Runners as a diversity company and recommends it to short-form creators.
- Rogue FilmscoreRogue Films is a patron/inclusive employer production company working with Just Runners to help create inclusivity within the film industry. Former Just Runners runner Martin Kentish was hired by Rogue Films and is now Office Manager.
- Pulse FilmscorePulse Films is listed as an inclusive employer patron working with Just Runners to create inclusivity in the film industry.
- British ArrowscoreBritish Arrows is a patron production company that champions Just Runners runners based on their proven and solid work-ethic, great attitude, and desire to work in film.
- P for ProductionflagshipP for Production is the production company founded and run by Paul McLoone, who also created Just Runners. It served as the originating platform for the Just Runners initiative.
- Creative Mentor NetworkcoreCreative Mentor Network is one of the 17 social outreach recruitment partners recommending candidates from its community interest programmes to Just Runners.
- Orange BowminorOrange Bow is listed as a recruitment partner offering certified courses that feed candidates into Just Runners.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights8 records
Just Runners competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Just Runners social profiles
Digital presenceJust Runners compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Just Runners financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Just Runners leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Just Runners funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Just Runners 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 Just Runners
What does Just Runners do?
Just Runners is an inclusive film runner recruitment agency operating as a Community Interest Company (CIC). It sources, trains (via the APA-accredited Couch to 4K programme), vets, and dispatches entry-level film runners to UK film, TV and advertising productions on demand via phone and email. The service is provided free of charge to both productions and runners, with placements backed by 17 social outreach recruitment partners and over 70 patron production companies.
Is Just Runners a public or private company?
Just Runners is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Just Runners founded?
Just Runners was founded in 2018. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Just Runners based?
Just Runners is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Just Runners make money?
One revenue line is on record: free runner placement service.
Does Just Runners have an API?
No public API is recorded for Just Runners.