COPE

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.

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

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

• Supported employment services
• Social enterprise charity
• Second-hand reuse retail
• Handmade soap skincare
• Garden centre retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Lerwick

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core 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

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Zero Waste ScotlandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Awards Revolve certification to Shetland Home Co for meeting national quality standards in safety, cleanliness and service for second-hand stores.
• Shetland Community Bike ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Social enterprise that sourced the e-bikes for COPE's Cycling Scotland grant.
• Shetland CompositesminorOthers · 1 January 2022Local company supplying bike stores for COPE's cycling friendly employer initiative.
• ArtmachineminorOthers · 1 January 2022Local company supplying bike stores and signage for COPE's cycling infrastructure.
• Circular Communities ScotlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMembership organisation supporting circular economy initiatives. Shetland Home Co is a member, promoting reuse and recycling in the community.
• Social Enterprise ScotlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMembership organisation for social enterprises in Scotland. COPE Ltd is a member, connecting with the broader social enterprise community.
• ASDANcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAwarding 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

Broad 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

• Facebookfacebook.com/copeltdshetland
• Xx.com/copeltduk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cope-limited

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries3 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 COPE