The Growth Company

What The Growth Company does

The Growth Company is a UK social enterprise headquartered in Manchester with a 35-year operating history and a workforce of 10,000+ staff, structured as Skills and Work Solutions Limited (company number 3918013). It delivers person-centred employment, justice, and health support services on behalf of central and local government, primarily the Department for Work and Pensions, the Ministry of Justice and HM Prison and Probation Service, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, and various local authorities. Service lines span employability programmes (Restart Scheme, Jobs Guarantee, Pathways to Work, Connect to Work, Employ GM, Tourism and Hospitality Talent Hub), health-focused employment services (Working Well IPSPC, WorkWell), and justice services (Careers Information Advice and Guidance in 16 prisons, CFO Evolution, Finance Benefit and Debt, Personal Wellbeing Services, Recovery Works for addiction). The company operates through 13+ named physical offices and satellite hubs across the North of England and Midlands, with additional sub-brands including Aspire Recruitment, Aspire in Partnership, and the GC Angels venture capital arm.

The business model is dominated by government-commissioned service delivery under managed-services contracts, supplemented by a smaller employer-facing commercial stream (Aspire Recruitment and inclusive-recruitment consultancy) and a nascent venture capital arm (GC Angels). Individual-facing services are fully funded at no cost to participants; the Jobs Guarantee programme goes further, covering full employer wage costs at National Minimum Wage for 6-month placements. The company also runs proprietary digital platforms including the Hub of Hope mental health database (in partnership with Chasing the Stigma) and the United for Ukraine refugee-employer matching platform. Accredited to ISO9001, Investors in People, Customer Service Excellence, Disability Confident Level 3, and Real Living Wage standards, the organization operates as a non-profit social enterprise that reinvests surplus income into social value services rather than distributing profits.

Name

The Growth Company

Legal name

Skills and Work Solutions Limited

Website

https://gcemployment.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

The Growth Company is a UK social enterprise delivering government-commissioned employment, justice, and health support services across Northern England and the Midlands. It serves unemployed individuals, people with health conditions, those in the justice system, and employers, operating 13+ regional hubs and 16-prison justice programmes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Employment Support Services

NAICS

Employment Placement Agencies and Executive Search Services (56131), Employment Placement Agencies (561311)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

Economic Growth, Livelihoods & Private Sector Development (BPADAEAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Financial Inclusion & Consumer Empowerment (Banking Access, Credit Building) (BPAGALAJ)

Keywords

• Employment support services
• Workforce development programs
• Justice rehabilitation services
• Inclusive recruitment services
• Social enterprise services

Headquarters

HQ city

Manchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices13 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Contracted Services: The Growth Company derives revenue primarily from government contracts with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), Ministry of Justice, HM Prison and Probation Service, Greater Manchester Combined Authority, and local authorities. Services include employment support programmes (Restart Scheme, Jobs Guarantee, Pathways to Work), justice services (CIAG, Finance Benefit and Debt, Personal Wellbeing, CFO Evolution), and health programmes (Working Well IPS, Connect to Work).
2. Employer Services and Recruitment: The company provides inclusive recruitment services through Aspire Recruitment, which operates as a profit-for-purpose recruitment agency where surplus income is reinvested into social value services.
3. Venture Capital Investment: GC Angels, the venture capital arm, offers equity investment to standout founders from accelerator programmes, with up to £500,000 available for cohort participants.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Growth Company is a social enterprise that delivers person-centred employment, justice, and health support services across the North of England and Midlands, primarily under contract with the Department for Work and Pensions, Ministry of Justice, HM Prison and Probation Service, Greater Manchester Combined Authority, and local councils. It operates programmes such as the Restart Scheme, Jobs Guarantee, Working Well IPSPC, WorkWell, Pathways to Work, CIAG prison services, CFO Evolution, Recovery Works, and Personal Wellbeing Services, alongside employer-facing inclusive recruitment through Aspire in Partnership and venture investment via GC Angels.

Product overview

The Growth Company is a social enterprise providing a comprehensive portfolio of employment, justice, and health support services across the North of England. The organization operates through its GC Employment, Justice and Health division offering person-centred support including the Restart Scheme (delivered with Maximus, G4S, and Ingeus), Working Well programs for health conditions, WorkWell for disabilities, and Jobs Guarantee for youth. Justice-related services include CIAG in prisons, CFO Evolution rehabilitation hubs, Finance Benefit and Debt services, and Personal Wellbeing Services. The company also operates sector-specific initiatives like the Tourism and Hospitality Talent Hub, inclusive recruitment through Aspire in Partnership, and GC Angels venture capital for underrepresented founders. Services are delivered across Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, Lancashire, Midlands, and Yorkshire and Humber.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Aspire Recruitment: A profit-for-purpose recruitment agency that connects candidates with employers across the UK, part of The Growth Company.
• Aspire in Partnership
• Recovery Works

Products and services

• Restart Scheme
• Working Well: Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care (WW:IPSPC)
• WorkWell
• Jobs Guarantee
• Pathways to Work
• Careers Information, Advice and Guidance (CIAG)
• Finance, Benefit and Debt Service
• CFO Evolution
• Personal Wellbeing Services
• Recovery Works
• Employ GM
• Employment Legal Advice Service
• Tourism and Hospitality Talent Hub
• Aspire in Partnership (AiP)
• GC Angels Venture Forward Accelerator
• United for Ukraine
• Connect to Work
• Aspire Recruitment
• Hub of Hope Mental Health Support Database

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,900 job seekers accessed Positive Directions service with 500 securing work
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Bruntwood SciTechcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 February 2026Co-hosted the Early-Stage Northern Showcase at Sister's Renold Innovation Hub in Manchester, bringing together pre-vetted early-stage businesses with UK-wide investors. Strategic partnership to redirect investment away from London and the South East.
• Maximus UKcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Growth Company delivers the Restart Scheme in South Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire on behalf of Maximus UK, providing up to 12 months of tailored employment support.
• G4ScoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Growth Company delivers the Restart Scheme in the North West on behalf of G4S, providing employment support to people who have been on Universal Credit for more than 6 months.
• IngeuscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Growth Company delivers the Restart Scheme in Greater Manchester on behalf of Ingeus and partners with Ingeus for the Working Well IPSPC programme across Greater Manchester.
• GroundworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGroundwork is a delivery partner for the Working Well: Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care (WW:IPSPC) programme commissioned by Greater Manchester Combined Authority.
• Change Grow Live (CGL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRecovery Works staff are based within Change Grow Live (CGL) treatment services across Merseyside, Cheshire and Humberside, working with people with multiple complex barriers such as addiction, mental health and homelessness.
• SodexominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Growth Company delivers CIAG support in partnership with Sodexo at HMP Forest Bank in Salford.
• Sheffield City CouncilcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSheffield City Council commissions The Growth Company to deliver the Pathways to Work programme in Sheffield.
• Rotherham Metropolitan Borough CouncilcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRotherham Metropolitan Borough Council commissions The Growth Company to deliver the Pathways to Work programme in Rotherham.
• Citizens Advice ManchestercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture partner in the Employment Legal Advice Service, providing free employment-related legal support to Greater Manchester residents affected by the pandemic.
• Citizens Advice BoltoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture partner in the Employment Legal Advice Service.
• Citizens Advice SalfordcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture partner in the Employment Legal Advice Service.
• Legal Network PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of legal firms providing pro bono employment legal advice: Aaron and Partners, Davis Blank Furniss, Glaisyers, Hattons Solicitors, JMR Solicitors, Linder Myers, Monarch, Peach Law, Stephensons, Wrigley Claydon.
• Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy BurnhamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the Mayor to support employees impacted by the pandemic and retail closures, including the Employ GM service.
• Marketing ManchestercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Marketing Manchester to deliver the Tourism and Hospitality Talent Hub, providing support to the leisure, tourism and hospitality industries.
• NSLminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCelebrating over 10 years of collaboration with NSL.
• Stagecoach ManchesterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership supporting each other through various situations in the employment and transport sectors.
• Code NationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoding school partnership offering free coding training to unemployed people.
• Sheffield Wednesday FC Community ProgrammeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSecond club partnership delivering the 'Winning Ways' 8-week course designed to educate and inspire people on probation.
• Chasing the StigmacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner provider of the Hub of Hope, the UK's leading mental health support database that brings together local, national, peer, community, charity, private and NHS mental health support services.
• Pure InnovationsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner for Wellness in Work Individual Placement and Support (IPS) referral services.
• North West Regional Defence and Security ClusterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to organise Security and Defence Supply Chains Network event helping SMEs navigate defence procurement.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Reed in Partnership: Social-purpose division of Reed, delivering DWP-commissioned employment programmes including Restart Scheme. Direct peer because both operate employment support services for the same government commissioners and serve similar disadvantaged jobseeker populations across UK regions.
• Maximus UK: UK arm of Maximus, a major welfare-to-work prime contractor delivering Restart Scheme and other DWP-commissioned employment programmes. Direct peer because both organisations compete for and deliver overlapping Restart, Work Programme successor, and health-related employment contracts across UK regions.
• PeoplePlus: UK employment services provider delivering Restart Scheme and other DWP-commissioned programmes across multiple regions. Direct peer due to closely matching operating model, commissioner relationships, and target beneficiary populations (long-term unemployed, people with health conditions).
• Ingeus UK: UK employment services provider delivering Restart Scheme, Working Well IPS, and other DWP-commissioned programmes. Direct peer as both organisations are core Restart Scheme primes/subcontractors competing for the same commissioner relationships and serving the same long-term unemployed population.
• Remploy: UK disability employment services provider delivering inclusive recruitment, employment support, and Disability Confident advisory services. Direct peer as both organisations compete in disability employment, inclusive recruitment, and Access to Work-adjacent services for the same employer and individual beneficiaries.
• Seetec: UK employment and skills services provider delivering Restart Scheme and a range of DWP-commissioned programmes. Direct peer due to overlapping Restart delivery, justice services, and comparable regional operating model focused on long-term unemployed and economically inactive individuals.
• A4e (Action for Employment): UK welfare-to-work provider delivering DWP-commissioned employment programmes and skills training. Direct peer as a long-standing competitor for the same government contracts, particularly Restart Scheme and Work Programme successor contracts, serving similar disadvantaged populations.

Emerging players

• Sodexo UK & Ireland: Global facilities management and justice services provider operating in UK prisons including HMP Forest Bank where The Growth Company is its CIAG delivery partner. Emerging player because its overlap is narrower (justice only) but it is a contractual counterparty and potential competitor for in-prison employment services.

Broad incumbents

• Serco UK: Major UK government services outsourcer with significant justice and employment services exposure. Broad incumbent because it operates broadly across government services (justice, healthcare, transport, defence) but also competes for some of the same MoJ and DWP contracts that The Growth Company delivers.
• G4S UK (now part of Allied Universal): Global security and outsourcing giant whose UK operations include Restart Scheme prime contracting. Broad incumbent because it operates across many sectors (security, facilities management, justice services) but also directly competes in employment services via prime contracting where The Growth Company is its subcontractor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-growth-company
• Xx.com/gc_employment

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 The Growth Company