What Raleigh International does

Raleigh International is a UK-headquartered non-profit that delivers structured 4- to 10-week gap year and volunteer expeditions for 18–24-year-olds in three destinations: Borneo (Malaysia), Costa Rica, and South Africa. Each expedition combines three integrated phases — a Community project (infrastructure, education, water/sanitation aligned with UN SDGs 2–6), an Environmental project (conservation, biodiversity, climate action aligned with SDGs 13–15), and an Adventure Challenge (a multi-day leadership trek). The organization runs three annual cycles per destination (February–April, June–August, October–December) and supports operations from fieldbases in Bongkud (Borneo), Turrialba (Costa Rica), and Hoedspruit (South Africa), with on-the-ground partnerships including Nourish Eco Village, Cape Vulture Conservancy, Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary, Costa Rican National Parks, and the Alto and Bajo Chirripó Indigenous Territory. Founded in 1978, Raleigh has delivered 600+ expeditions and built an alumni network of more than 57,000 across 100+ countries.

The commercial model is direct-to-consumer: prospective venturers apply through a four-step online form, pay a 5% deposit, and then settle the balance via interest-free installments. Expedition prices range from £2,150 to £5,590 (or USD-equivalent $2,690–$7,155) depending on destination and duration, and are published transparently on the website. Marketing is conducted across Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube, blog, SEO, and bi-weekly online information events, with a parallel consultation channel (WhatsApp, email, phone) targeting both participants and parents. A 95% recommendation rate and 9/10 average experience rating suggest strong word-of-mouth dynamics, with the alumni community and university-society outreach functioning as a distributed acquisition engine.

Raleigh operates through two wholly owned subsidiaries — Raleigh Expeditions Limited in the UK (company number 14469062) and ITG US LLC in the United States — both held under the Impact Travel Group. The company has 501–1,000 employees globally, the majority of whom are Raleigh alumni themselves. A significant operational restructuring is underway: from October 2026, international Venturer Managers (aged 25+) are being replaced by locally recruited National Project Coordinators resident in destination countries, shifting the staffing model from expatriate-led to locally embedded. The company has no disclosed AI capabilities, no patents, no disclosed funding rounds, and no publicly reported revenue, and is privately held with no public listing.

Name

Raleigh International

Legal name

Raleigh Expeditions Limited

Website

https://raleighinternational.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Raleigh International is a UK-based non-profit that runs structured 4–10 week gap year and volunteer expeditions for 18–24-year-olds in Borneo, Costa Rica, and South Africa. Each expedition combines community development, environmental conservation, and an adventure trek, generating revenue through participant fees of £2,150–£5,590.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Volunteer Expedition Services

NAICS

Tour Operators (56152), Travel Agencies (56151)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Service Learning, Volunteer & Community Engagement Trips (THAKAGAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Adventure & Expedition Travel Agencies (THAKAFAB), Eco-Adventure Multi-Day Expeditions (Trekking, Hut-to-Hut, Pack Trips) (THAAAEAJ), Jungle/Rainforest Expedition & Survival Tour Operators (THAAADAI)

Keywords

• Gap year expeditions
• Volunteer travel programs
• Youth development expeditions
• Community conservation projects
• International expedition services

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Expedition Program Fees: One-time fees for participation in structured gap year expeditions lasting 4-10 weeks. Fees range from £2,150 to £5,590 depending on destination and duration. Payment plans available with 5% deposits. Prices quoted in GBP and USD.
2. Payment Plans and Installments: Interest-free installment payments available for expedition fees. 5% deposit secures spot. Early booking discounts offered.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels15 records

Core offering

Raleigh International delivers structured 4- to 10-week volunteer expeditions for 18-24-year-olds in Borneo, Costa Rica, and South Africa, combining community development projects, environmental conservation, and a multi-day adventure challenge. Expedition fees range from £2,150 to £5,590 depending on destination and duration, with payment plans and bursary support available. The organisation also provides funding assistance, a Fieldbase support hub, and a transition to locally recruited National Project Coordinators.

Product overview

Raleigh International offers a unified product portfolio centered on Raleigh Expeditions — structured gap year and volunteer programs for 18-24-year-olds. The core product spans three destination modules: Borneo Expeditions, Costa Rica Expeditions, and South Africa Expeditions, each combining three integrated program components (Community Phase, Environmental Phase, and Adventure Challenge) plus Fieldbase support. Programs run in 4, 5, 7, or 10-week durations across three annual cycles. Additional offerings include Expedition Funding Support (bursaries and fundraising assistance) and National Project Coordinators as a support role. The company has phased out its Venturer Manager program in favor of locally recruited National Project Coordinators for expeditions from October 2026 onwards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Raleigh Expeditions Structured 4- to 10-week gap year and volunteer expeditions for 18-24-year-olds combining community projects, environmental conservation, and a multi-day adventure challenge. Offered in three destinations (Borneo, Costa Rica, South Africa) across three annual cycles (February–April, June–August, October–December).
• Borneo Expeditions Volunteer expeditions in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo featuring community projects with indigenous Dusun communities, mangrove rehabilitation and rainforest conservation, and adventure treks through the Crocker Range with visits to Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary. Fieldbase at Camp Bongkud. From £2,300 / $2,945 for 4 weeks; up to £5,250 / $6,720 for 10 weeks.
• Costa Rica Expeditions Volunteer expeditions in Costa Rica featuring community projects with indigenous communities (e.g. Alto and Bajo Chirripó), environmental projects in national parks and Caribbean coast regions, and leadership treks through rainforest and mountainous landscapes. Fieldbase in Turrialba. From £2,390 / $3,060 for 4 weeks; up to £5,590 / $7,155 for 10 weeks.
• South Africa Expeditions Volunteer expeditions in South Africa near Hoedspruit in the Greater Kruger area featuring community development with local NGOs (e.g. Nourish Eco Village), conservation with partners (e.g. Cape Vulture Conservancy), and adventure treks in the Drakensberg mountains. From £2,150 / $2,750 for 4 weeks; up to £4,490 / $5,750 for 10 weeks.
• Expedition Funding Support

Quantifiable outcome

• 95% of Venturers would recommend Raleigh
• +9 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered supporting, core and flagship.

• easyfundraisingsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership to help Venturers with fundraising for their expeditions. easyfundraising provides tools and platform for supporters to donate through shopping commissions.
• Nourish Eco VillagecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal NGO partner in South Africa for community development projects. Venturers work with this partner on sustainable solutions to poverty, education, food insecurity, and unemployment through projects like building sustainable food gardens and playgrounds.
• Cape Vulture ConservancycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation partner in South Africa. Venturers participate in invasive species removal, soil erosion control, bush encroachment thinning, and data collection for vulture conservation.
• Sepilok Orangutan SanctuarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWildlife sanctuary in Borneo. Venturers visit as part of their adventure challenge to learn about orangutan conservation and rehabilitation.
• Alto and Bajo Chirripó Indigenous TerritorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRemote indigenous community in Costa Rica. Raleigh partners with this community where Venturers contribute to improved access to education, infrastructure development, and public services.
• National Parks (Costa Rica)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCosta Rican national parks where Venturers conduct environmental conservation work including trail design, clean-up, and ecosystem restoration.
• United Nations Sustainable Development GoalscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRaleigh aligns all project work with UN SDGs including Goal 2 (Zero Hunger), Goal 3 (Good Health), Goal 4 (Quality Education), Goal 5 (Gender Equality), Goal 6 (Clean Water), Goals 13-15 (Climate Action, Life Below Water, Life on Land).
• Gap Year AssociationsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerIndustry association for gap year providers. Membership provides credibility and industry recognition.
• Impact Travel GroupflagshipOthersParent organization. Raleigh Expeditions Ltd is part of the Impact Travel Group. ITG US LLC handles US sales operations.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• IVHQ (International Volunteer HQ): Global volunteer travel platform offering low-cost, short-duration programmes in dozens of countries — direct substitute for Raleigh's fee-paying 18–24 venturers considering cheaper alternatives.
• Projects Abroad: Large-scale international volunteer travel provider running structured, multi-week community and conservation programmes for students and gap-year takers worldwide — competing directly for the same youth segment.
• Frontier: UK-based conservation and community volunteer travel organisation running structured overseas gap year and career-break programmes — closely comparable audience and project mix to Raleigh.
• Oyster Worldwide: UK gap-year specialist offering structured paid placements including teaching, conservation and community projects overseas — directly comparable offering to Raleigh's tiered expeditions.
• Project Trust: UK charity sending 18–24 year-olds on long-duration overseas volunteering and gap year placements — a direct comparably positioned, mission-led UK gap year charity competing for the same applicant pool.
• GVI (Global Vision International): Operates structured volunteer and conservation expeditions for young people across multiple destinations including Africa, Asia and Latin America, overlapping closely with Raleigh's community + environmental + adventure model.
• BUNAC: Historic UK gap-year and work-abroad provider (now operating under BUNAC umbrella programmes) targeting the same 18–24 audience seeking structured overseas experiences.

Emerging players

• GoEco: Online volunteer travel marketplace offering a broad catalogue of affordable community and wildlife projects globally — an emerging substitute for premium expedition operators like Raleigh.

Regional players

• African Impact: Africa-focused volunteer travel operator running community and conservation projects in southern Africa — overlapping directly with Raleigh's South Africa expedition destination.

Broad incumbents

• Camp America: Long-established UK-US summer camp placement provider that competes for the same 18–24 gap year audience but routes participants into paid US camp roles rather than expedition volunteering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCQBpFnoz9I4r8PnuKKnb0IA
• Facebookfacebook.com/raleighinternational
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/raleigh-international
• Instagraminstagram.com/raleighintl
• TikToktiktok.com/@raleighinternational
• Xx.com/raleigh_

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Raleigh International