Unlocked

What Unlocked does

Unlocked Graduates is a UK-registered charity (number 1187552) and company limited by guarantee, founded in 2016 by Natasha Porter OBE and headquartered in London with a regional office in Manchester. The organisation runs an award-winning two-year Leadership Development Programme that recruits outstanding graduates and career changers and places them as Band 3 Prison Officers inside His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) prisons across England and Wales. Since 2017, nearly 900 participants have been placed across 38 prisons and have reached more than 140,000 prisoners. Core programme participants receive a fully funded Master's degree, hundreds of hours of mentoring and support from Mentoring Prison Officers, two-week corporate work placements, and a market-leading salary package.

The organisation's underlying "technology" is a proprietary Instructional Coaching Model — a first-of-its-kind approach in prisons, built from evidence in medicine, sport and education and delivered in partnership with Steplab. This model has been codified in the published training manual "Leading Prison Landings: The Unlocked Guide to Jailcraft." Adjacent product lines extend the core programme: Unlocked ChangeMakers (a middle leadership programme for prison staff, launched 2025), the Unlocked Ambassador Network (alumni peer community), Unlocked Trailblazers (peer mentoring), and the Innovation Acceleration Programme (which has supported 100+ frontline innovation projects with over £1m raised). The organisation is funded by trusts and foundations (Garfield Weston, Hadley), corporate partners (PwC, KPMG, Accenture, PA Consulting, Google), individual donors, and statutory sources, and reports impact outcomes validated against Ministry of Justice benchmarks.

Name

Unlocked

Legal name

Unlocked Graduates

Website

https://unlockedgrads.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Unlocked Graduates is a UK charity running a two-year leadership programme that recruits graduates and places them as prison officers in HMPPS prisons across England and Wales, combining a funded Master's degree, bespoke instructional coaching and corporate work placements to reduce reoffending.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Prison Officer Leadership Development

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Detective, Guard & Armored Car Services (7381)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAOAMAE

Corrections, Detention & Probation Officer Training

Education/Vocational, Technical & Trade Education/Protective Services & Public Safety Training

SECONDARYBPAKANAH

Reentry, Rehabilitation & Reintegration Programs (Education, Vocational, Case Management)

Business & Public Services/Security & Investigations Services/Corrections, Detention & Prisoner Transport Services

SECONDARYBPAIAFAD

Adult Corrections (Prisons & Jails)

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Justice System (Courts, Prosecution & Corrections)

Keywords

• Prison officer training
• Graduate leadership programme
• Reoffending reduction
• Prison rehabilitation
• Leadership development programme

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable Funding and Donations: Unlocked Graduates is a registered charity (number 1187552) that relies on support from trusts, foundations, individual donors and corporate partners to fund its operations, Innovation Acceleration Programme, and participant support.
2. Government/Funder Grants: As a charity working with HMPPS (His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service), the organisation receives funding from various sources including statutory obligations and reports to funders.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Unlocked Graduates runs an award-winning two-year Leadership Development Programme that recruits outstanding graduates and career changers to serve as Band 3 Prison Officers in His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) prisons across England and Wales. Participants receive a fully funded Master's degree, hundreds of hours of mentoring from Mentoring Prison Officers, two-week work placements with corporate partners, and ongoing support via the Unlocked Ambassador Network. The programme also operates the Innovation Acceleration Programme supporting participant-led prison innovation projects and the Unlocked ChangeMakers middle leadership programme.

Product overview

Unlocked Graduates operates as a single-programme social impact organisation offering an award-winning two-year Leadership Development Programme as its core product. The programme combines graduate recruitment, prison officer placement, a bespoke master's degree, and intensive coaching. Supporting the core programme are several integrated modules: the Unlocked ChangeMakers middle leadership programme, the Unlocked Ambassador Network for ongoing peer support post-programme, the Unlocked Trailblazers peer mentoring initiative, and an Instructional Coaching Model delivered by Mentoring Prison Officers. Additional offerings include the 'Leading Prison Landings' training manual, work placement opportunities with partner organisations, and the Innovation Acceleration Programme supporting participant-led innovation projects. The organisation has also recently launched its first impact report documenting outcomes since 2017.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Unlocked ChangeMakers: A middle leadership programme for prison staff, launched in 2025.
• Unlocked Ambassador Network

Products and services

• Unlocked Graduates Leadership Development Programme Award-winning two-year programme recruiting outstanding graduates and career changers to become Band 3 Prison Officers across HMPPS prisons in England and Wales. Includes a fully funded Master's degree, hundreds of hours of mentoring and coaching from Mentoring Prison Officers, two-week work placements with corporate partners, and ongoing support through the Unlocked Ambassador Network.
• Unlocked ChangeMakers A middle leadership programme designed to develop outstanding middle leaders in prisons, building on the foundation of the core graduate programme to broaden leadership impact beyond frontline participants.
• Innovation Acceleration Programme A programme funded through external income that supports over 100 innovation projects designed and delivered by Unlocked participants and Ambassadors to drive frontline prison innovation.
• Unlocked Trailblazers A peer mentoring programme specifically designed for Unlocked Ambassadors, providing structured mentorship and support for continued leadership development after the core programme.

Quantifiable outcome

• Retention rates 17 percentage points higher after two years than standard entry route
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SteplabcoreTechnology or Integration · 21 July 2025Leading professional development platform partnering with Unlocked to develop and improve the instructional coaching model for prison officers. Collaboration with internationally recognised experts to build the bespoke coaching approach.
• Catch22coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharitable partner working on rehabilitation and supporting participants with alternative pathways. Partner in the Innovation Acceleration Programme ecosystem.
• Goldsmiths, University of LondonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner providing expertise and research collaboration in support of Unlocked's mission.
• GooglecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnology partner hosting work placements for Unlocked participants, providing exposure to tech industry practices and innovation.
• Redemption RoastersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial enterprise partner hosting work placements. Third year hosting Unlocked graduates, providing insights from an operational prison officer perspective.
• Prison Reform Trust (PRT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharitable partner working on prison reform, with Paula Harriott (CEO) leading panels and providing expertise at Unlocked conferences.
• StandOutminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharitable organisation exploring how to build strong relationships between officers and people in prison, participating in Unlocked conference sessions.
• Spark InsideminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharitable partner focused on coaching and rehabilitation in prisons, with Service Delivery Manager Rishika involved in neurodiversity discussions.
• Phoenix FuturesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharitable partner working on substance recovery in prisons, participating in Unlocked conference sessions on supporting prisoners with addiction.
• Anti-Recidivism Coalition (ARC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUS-based organisation founded by Scott Budnick, partnered with Unlocked for conference insights on rehabilitation and criminal justice reform.
• Twinning ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharitable organisation focused on prison education through sport, presenting at Unlocked conferences on the power of sport in rehabilitation.
• Forward TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharitable partner working on addiction recovery, with CEO Mike Trace participating in Unlocked conference panels.
• NovusminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrison education provider focused on arts and enrichment in prison education, participating in Unlocked conferences.
• Civil Service Fast StreamcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUnlocked is one of eight frontline graduate schemes that the CSFS offers deferrals for, allowing participants to gain frontline experience before joining the Fast Stream.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• St Giles Trust: UK charity providing through-the-gate support, advice and resettlement services for people with criminal convictions. Adjacent offender-rehabilitation peer with overlapping beneficiary population and reoffending-reduction outcomes.
• Catch22: Major UK social business delivering rehabilitation, education and offender-support services. Existing Unlocked partner in the Innovation Acceleration Programme ecosystem; a broader incumbent working across the same reoffending-reduction value chain.

Direct peers

• Frontline: UK charity training and placing graduates into children's social work. Mirrors Unlocked's approach of recruiting top graduates into challenging public-sector frontline roles, with comparable Master's-funded leadership programme structure.
• Teach First: UK charity placing high-calibre graduates into low-income schools as teachers via a two-year leadership programme with a fully funded Master's. Same graduate-recruitment, leadership-development and 'mission-led careers' template as Unlocked, adapted for education.
• Police Now: UK charity recruiting outstanding graduates into a two-year leadership development programme as police constables. Closest direct analogue to Unlocked's prison-officer graduate leadership model, with similar training IP, funding mix and policy positioning.

Others

• Prison Reform Trust: UK charity advocating for prison reform and producing evidence on reducing reoffending. Existing Unlocked partner providing expertise and panels; comparable in mission and policy influence, though not a direct delivery peer.

Emerging players

• Forward Trust: UK charity delivering substance misuse, custody and rehabilitation services. Existing Unlocked partner addressing the addiction pathways that drive reoffending; comparable thematic focus on prisoner rehabilitation outcomes.
• Spark Inside: UK charity delivering life-coaching programmes inside prisons. Existing Unlocked partner; comparable niche focus on coaching-led rehabilitation inside the prison estate and a useful peer for the coaching methodology component of Unlocked's model.
• Key4Life: UK charity focused on reducing reoffending among young men through mentoring and employability programmes. Smaller specialist peer targeting the same reoffending-reduction outcomes via different (pre-release) mechanisms.

Regional players

• Center for Employment Opportunities: US non-profit providing immediate, paid employment and reentry support for people returning from incarceration. Comparable reoffending-reduction mission but operates in the US, illustrating international peer set Unlocked could engage with as it exports its methodology.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/unlockedgrads
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCLFb0esHcE4g6FwUN7W5BEQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/UnlockedGrads
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/unlocked-graduates
• Instagraminstagram.com/unlockedgrads

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 Unlocked