COPE
COPE Ltd is a Shetland-based social enterprise and registered charity providing employment and skill development for adults with learning disabilities through four trading business units: a garden centre, a second-hand goods reuse centre, a handmade soap company, and an artisan food brand.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersLerwick, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What COPE does
COPE Ltd is a Shetland-based social enterprise and registered charity (Scottish Company No: SC186555; Registered Charity No: SC028022) founded in 1998, providing employment and skill-development opportunities for adults with learning disabilities or autism. The organisation operates four wholly-owned social-enterprise business units that double as supported-employment sites: Shetland Garden Co. (a Lerwick garden centre selling trees, plants, tools, accessories, and gifts including Shetland-climate-propagated native species), Shetland Home Co. (a community reuse and recycling centre processing approximately 41,000 second-hand items per year, equating to 63.5 tonnes diverted from landfill), Shetland Soap Company (handmade, small-batch, cold-pressed, SLS- and paraben-free soap and skincare sold via a Lerwick shop at 111 Commercial Street and a Shopify/X-Cart e-commerce site at shetlandsoap.co.uk), and Shetland Kitchen Co./Shetlandeli (artisan chutneys and relishes, Great Taste recognised in 2019).
Revenue mechanics are hybrid: direct-to-consumer retail across the three physical Lerwick sites, a trade/B2B channel for Shetland Soap Company products supplying boutique retailers, accommodation providers, gift-box services, and corporate procurement, plus grant funding from Shetland Islands Council, Shetland Charitable Trust, the Scottish Government Islands Programme, Cycling Scotland, and Zero Waste Scotland. A £5-£15 van delivery service covers Mainland Shetland with free collection of donated items for Shetland Home Co. The charity does not disclose pricing tiers beyond unit-based transactional fees, has no proprietary technology platform, and reinvests all surpluses into its social and environmental mission. There is no SaaS-style revenue model and no public revenue disclosure.
The organisation runs on a small core team of approximately 8 paid staff plus 6 voluntary board directors (chaired by Neil Jamieson), with CEO Steven Coutts appointed in January 2022 from a Shetland Islands Council political-leadership background. Marketing is community-led via Facebook (four sub-brand pages), local press, and events including the Royal Highland Show. Technology infrastructure is limited to commodity e-commerce, payment processing, and Google Analytics. Notable credentials include a third-consecutive Zero Waste Scotland Revolve certification (2022), ASDAN WorkRight registered-centre status, and HMRC Gift Aid registration.
COPE firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- COPE
- Legal name
- COPE Ltd
- Website
- https://cope.ltd.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- COPE Ltd is a Shetland-based social enterprise and registered charity providing employment and skill development for adults with learning disabilities through four trading business units: a garden centre, a second-hand goods reuse centre, a handmade soap company, and an artisan food brand.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
COPE industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Social Enterprise - Disability Employment and Skills Development
- NAICS
- Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120)
- SIC
- Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Special Needs Adult Day Programs (Developmental/Physical Disabilities, Seniors) (HLADAIAI)
Keywords
Where COPE is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lerwick
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
COPE business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Retail Sales: Sale of goods through Shetland Garden Co (garden centre), Shetland Home Co (second-hand goods), and Shetland Soap Company (handmade soap and skincare products). All profits are reinvested into the charity.
- Grant Funding: Scottish Government Islands Programme Funding for Shetland Home Co extension project; Cycling Scotland funding for bike storage and e-bikes; Shetland Islands Council and Shetland Charitable Trust ongoing funding.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Delivery service for large items |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels6 records
COPE product offering
Product offeringCore offering
COPE Ltd is a Shetland-based social enterprise that runs a garden centre, a second-hand reuse centre, a handmade soap and skincare brand, and a chutney/relish brand, using these as supported workplaces for adults with learning disabilities or autism. Its core offering is the combination of commercial retail products and structured skills-development, training and employment services, with commercial surpluses reinvested into its charitable mission.
Product overview
COPE Ltd is a social enterprise and registered charity operating four distinct business units: Shetland Garden Co. (garden centre with plants, trees, tools, and accessories), Shetland Home Co. (second-hand furniture and recycling centre), Shetland Soap Company (handmade soap and skincare products), and Shetland Kitchen Co. (Shetlandeli artisan food products including chutneys and relishes). The organization provides skills development and supported employment opportunities for adults with learning disabilities or autism through its social firms model, with all profits reinvested into fulfilling its social and environmental purposes.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Shetlandeli: Range of chutneys and relishes produced by COPE's Shetland Kitchen Co, featured at the Royal Highland Show and recognized with Great Taste awards in 2019.
Products and services
- Shetland Garden Co. Garden centre selling plants, gardening goods and related retail items through a physical shop and online, operated as a supported workplace for adults with learning disabilities or autism in Shetland.
- Shetland Home Co. Second-hand and reuse retail centre selling donated household items, operated as a supported workplace that accepts donations, provides collection services, and generates retail income for COPE's charitable mission.
- Shetland Soap Company Handmade soap and skincare brand producing and selling artisan body-care products directly to consumers online and through wholesale/trade supply to boutique retailers and gift shops.
- Shetland Kitchen Co. (Shetlandeli) Artisan chutney and relish brand selling handmade preserves under the Shetlandeli name through COPE's online shop and retail sites as part of its social-enterprise mission.
- Skills Development and Supported Employment Service Structured skills-development, training and supported employment programme delivered through COPE's commercial units for adults with learning disabilities or autism, funded through service contracts and grants.
Quantifiable outcome
- 41,000 items processed annually, preventing 63.5 tonnes of goods from going to landfill
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use COPE
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
COPE technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
COPE partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Zero Waste ScotlandcoreAwards Revolve certification to Shetland Home Co for meeting national quality standards in safety, cleanliness and service for second-hand stores.
- Shetland Community Bike ProjectminorSocial enterprise that sourced the e-bikes for COPE's Cycling Scotland grant.
- Shetland CompositesminorLocal company supplying bike stores for COPE's cycling friendly employer initiative.
- ArtmachineminorLocal company supplying bike stores and signage for COPE's cycling infrastructure.
- Circular Communities ScotlandcoreMembership organisation supporting circular economy initiatives. Shetland Home Co is a member, promoting reuse and recycling in the community.
- Social Enterprise ScotlandcoreMembership organisation for social enterprises in Scotland. COPE Ltd is a member, connecting with the broader social enterprise community.
- ASDANcoreAwarding body providing programmes and qualifications for skills for learning, employment and life. COPE is a registered centre adopting the WorkRight programme for employability skills development.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights4 records
COPE competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Mencap: Largest UK charity for people with learning disabilities, providing employment services and campaigning nationally. Much larger footprint than COPE but operates in the same beneficiary space.
- Sue Ryder: UK charity operating a national chain of second-hand charity shops alongside palliative care services. Directly comparable to Shetland Home Co's retail/reuse model at much larger scale.
Direct peers
- United Response: UK social enterprise providing personalised support and employment opportunities for people with learning disabilities, including through commercial business units. Operates a similar not-for-profit, multi-business model to COPE.
- Emmaus UK: Federation of social enterprises running second-hand shops and supported accommodation. Closely parallels COPE's social-firm model combining retail reuse with disadvantaged-group employment.
- Hft: UK charity supporting adults with learning disabilities, including using social enterprises and supported employment programmes. Comparable to COPE in mission and delivery model.
- Sense: UK charity supporting people with complex disabilities, including those with learning disabilities and autism, through social enterprise and supported employment. Direct overlap with COPE's beneficiary group.
- Calman Trust: Scottish charity providing skills development, training, and supported employment for adults with disabilities. Very close match to COPE's core mission and operational model in Scotland.
Emerging players
- The Bread and Butter Thing: UK social enterprise tackling food poverty through community distribution hubs. Comparable as a multi-site social enterprise with trading income, similar in scale and operational approach.
- Real Junk Food Project: Network of social enterprise cafes intercepting food waste. Comparable to COPE as a small, mission-driven social enterprise with multiple local units and circular-economy focus.
Others
- Social Enterprise Scotland: National membership body for social enterprises in Scotland, of which COPE is a member. Relevant as an ecosystem/industry-association peer rather than a direct competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
COPE social profiles
Digital presenceCOPE compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
COPE financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
COPE leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
COPE subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
COPE funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
COPE 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 COPE
What does COPE do?
COPE Ltd is a Shetland-based social enterprise that runs a garden centre, a second-hand reuse centre, a handmade soap and skincare brand, and a chutney/relish brand, using these as supported workplaces for adults with learning disabilities or autism. Its core offering is the combination of commercial retail products and structured skills-development, training and employment services, with commercial surpluses reinvested into its charitable mission.
Is COPE a public or private company?
COPE is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was COPE founded?
COPE was founded in 1998. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is COPE based?
COPE is headquartered in Lerwick, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does COPE make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Retail Sales are the primary driver. The others are grant Funding.
Who are COPE's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Mencap and Sue Ryder. Direct peers are United Response, Emmaus UK, Hft, Sense and Calman Trust. Emerging players are The Bread and Butter Thing and Real Junk Food Project. Social Enterprise Scotland is listed as an others.
Does COPE have an API?
No public API is recorded for COPE.
What industry is COPE in?
COPE's product category is Social Enterprise - Disability Employment and Skills Development. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLADAIAI, Special Needs Adult Day Programs (Developmental/Physical Disabilities, Seniors). Its NAICS code is 624120 and its SIC code is 8090.