Futures

What Futures does

Futures Advice Skills and Employment Ltd is a publicly-owned not-for-profit social enterprise, established in 1995 by Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire County Councils and registered in England and Wales (Company No: 4172770). It delivers careers guidance, vocational training, and employment support services to unemployed and underemployed adults (aged 19+), young people aged 16-24 (including NEET cohorts), people with special educational needs and disabilities, refugees and asylum seekers, and economically inactive individuals with health barriers, alongside workforce development services for employers across the East Midlands and eastern England. Its service portfolio spans Careers Advice, Training Courses (Entry Level to Level 3 across Education, Health & Social Care, Digital Skills, and Mental Health), Employment Support, Employer Services, and Education Services, delivered through sub-programmes such as Transform Your Future (UKSPF-funded), Youth Guarantee, Connect to Work Triage Pilot, Ask Us Nottinghamshire SENDIASS, and the Refugee Employability Programme. All training is government-funded and free to eligible learners.

The underlying technology is modest and primarily operational rather than proprietary: a web-based service delivery platform with webchat functionality, virtual course enrolment via Microsoft Teams with ID verification, and a Customer Support Hub accessed by phone (08000 85 85 20), email, and walk-in at physical centres in Nottingham (57 Maid Marian Way, NG1 6GE — refurbished October 2025), Mansfield (Queen Street), and partner venues across 10+ regions. The company holds Matrix accreditation, ISO 27001:2022 certification, Cyber Essentials Plus, and is a CDI member and Disability Confident Employer.

Revenue mechanics are almost entirely government-commissioned and grant-funded, with no commercial learner fees. Streams include the Adult Skills Fund, UKSPF programmes (Transform Your Future — £26.4M total across Nottinghamshire), direct commissioning by local authorities (Nottingham City Council, Nottinghamshire County Council, Derby City Council), the Home Office (via Twin Training subcontract for REP), DWP and EMCCA partnerships, and NHS/ICB commissioning (notably SENDIASS). Go-to-market is hybrid: direct service delivery through careers advisers in centres, schools, colleges, and community settings; digital access via website, webchat, and Microsoft Teams; referral pathways from JobCentre Plus, GPs, social prescribers, schools, and community organisations; and employer-attached delivery on employer premises. All training is free to learners aged 19+ earning under £26,800 per year who reside in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, Derby, or Derbyshire.

Name

Futures

Legal name

Futures Advice Skills and Employment Ltd

Website

https://futuresadvice.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Futures is a publicly-owned not-for-profit social enterprise, established in 1995 by Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire County Councils, delivering free careers guidance, vocational training, and employment support services to unemployed adults, NEET young people, SEND individuals, refugees, and economically inactive populations across the East Midlands, funded primarily by government commissioning.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Careers and Employment Services

NAICS

Employment Placement Agencies (561311), Employment Services (5613), Technical and Trade Schools (6115)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Job Placement, Matching & Career Navigation Services (EDAAAOAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Workforce Support Services & Case Management (Coaching, Wraparound) (EDAAAOAK), Global Mobility, Immigration & Relocation (BPACAPAN)

Keywords

• Careers guidance services
• Vocational training programmes
• Employment support services
• Employer recruitment services
• Education and skills

Headquarters

HQ city

Nottingham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government-Funded Training Services: Futures delivers government-funded training programmes including the Adult Skills Fund, providing free courses to eligible learners aged 19+ in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, Derby, and Derbyshire who are unemployed or earning under £26,800/year.
2. Public Sector Commissioning: Commissioned by government agencies and local authorities including Nottingham City Council, Nottinghamshire County Council, Derby City Council, Home Office (Refugee Employability Programme), DWP, and NHS/ICB bodies to deliver careers advice, employment support, and SENDIASS services.
3. UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) Programmes: Funded by UKSPF to deliver employment and skills programmes such as Transform Your Future across Nottinghamshire communities.
4. Employer Services (No Cost): Recruitment and training services for employers are provided at no cost as government-funded programmes, helping businesses meet social value goals.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Futures Advice Skills and Employment Ltd (trading as Futures) delivers free, government-funded careers information, advice and guidance, vocational training leading to accredited qualifications, and employment support to individuals across the East Midlands. It also runs employer-facing recruitment and skills brokerage, schools-based careers education, and specialist programmes such as SENDIASS and refugee employment support.

Product overview

Futures (formally Futures Advice Skills and Employment Ltd) is a publicly-owned not-for-profit social enterprise providing careers guidance, training, and employment services across the East Midlands. The organization operates as a service provider rather than a software product company, offering a portfolio of interconnected services including Careers Advice, Training Courses, Employment Support, Employer Services, and Education Services. These services are delivered through various programmes and initiatives such as the Transform Your Future Programme, Youth Guarantee Programme, Connect to Work Triage Pilot, SENDIASS, and Refugee Employability Programme. Training courses span Education, Health & Social Care, Digital Skills, and Mental Health at qualification levels from Entry Level to Level 3. Services are delivered face-to-face at centres in Nottingham and Mansfield, as well as virtually and through employer partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Careers Advice Free, impartial careers information, advice and guidance (IAG) for adults across the East Midlands, delivered by qualified Matrix-accredited advisers via telephone, webchat, Microsoft Teams and face-to-face at Futures centres and outreach venues.
• Training Courses Free, accredited vocational training courses for adults aged 19+ covering English, maths, digital and sector-specific qualifications, delivered from Futures centres and outreach venues across the East Midlands under NCC, NCC+ and ESFA-funded skills programmes.
• Employment Support Tailored one-to-one employment support programmes for adults facing barriers to work, including Restart, sector-based work academy programmes (SWAPs), Connect to Work and in-work support, delivered under contract to DWP, JCP and local authorities in the East Midlands.
• Education Services Careers education, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG) and Gatsby Benchmark-aligned activity delivered into primary, secondary and special schools across the East Midlands, including assemblies, workshops, pupil mentoring and employer encounter brokerage.
• Transform Your Future Futures' flagship NEET programme for young people aged 16-24 across the East Midlands, providing one-to-one careers advice, employability skills training and progression support into apprenticeships, traineeships, further education and work.
• Connect to Work Specialist employment support programme for adults with health conditions or other disabilities, delivered by Futures in the East Midlands under DWP commissioning as part of the national Connect to Work initiative.
• SENDIASS (Nottinghamshire SEND Information, Advice and Support Service) Impartial SEND information, advice and support service for parents, carers and young people (up to age 25) with special educational needs and disabilities across Nottinghamshire, delivered by Futures under contract to Nottinghamshire County Council.
• Refugee Support and Integration Programme Tailored employment, English-language and integration support for refugees and asylum seekers in the East Midlands, delivered by Futures in partnership with Nottingham City Council and other local authorities.

Quantifiable outcome

• £4 social value generated for every £1 invested
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles9 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025EMCCA partners with Futures on the Connect to Work Triage Pilot in Mansfield, integrating careers advice with social prescribing through a 'no wrong door' approach. Futures works with EMCCA on workforce development initiatives and the Get Britain Working Strategy.
• Rosewood Primary Care NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Key partner in the Connect to Work Triage Pilot, providing social prescribers who refer patients to Futures for employment and skills support. Partnership enables health and employment integration.
• Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board (ICB)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Commissioning partner for the Connect to Work pilot and Health & Employment Summit collaboration. Supports integration of health and employment services across Nottinghamshire.
• Nottinghamshire County CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Founding authority (alongside Nottingham City Council) and ongoing commissioning partner. Futures was established by the council in 1995 and continues to deliver public services on their behalf.
• StandGuidecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025IPS PC (Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care) delivery partner in the Connect to Work pilot, providing specialist employment support for people with health conditions.
• West Notts CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Education partner in the Connect to Work pilot, providing ESOL provision and training opportunities for programme participants referred by Futures.
• Nottingham Trent UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025University partner in the Connect to Work pilot, contributing to the integrated employment and skills support ecosystem and enterprise programmes for refugees.
• Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Major employer partner for pre-employment training courses. Futures has helped NUH recruit 16 staff into Sterile Services and Decontamination roles. Partnership includes taster sessions and on-site visits at QMC.
• Derby City CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Commissioning partner for the Youth Guarantee Programme in Derby, supporting 16-24 year olds who are NEET, particularly those with SEND.
• Twin Training InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Main contract holder for the Home Office-funded Refugee Employability Programme (REP), with Futures acting as subcontractor delivering local provision across Nottingham and Mansfield.
• Home OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Funder of the Refugee Employability Programme, commissioning delivery through Twin Training with Futures as local subcontractor supporting 192 refugees.
• Kai-ZenminorOthers · 1 January 2025Independent external consultants who conducted the 2022-2025 impact evaluation of Futures' services in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, verifying £4 social value per £1 invested.
• Richard Hazledine / ConnectMore SolutionsminorOthers · 1 January 2025Independent evaluator who conducted the Transform Your Future programme evaluation (November 2023 - April 2025), assessing UKSPF-funded employment support across Nottinghamshire.
• YMCAminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025Employer partner where Futures customer Chloe secured employment as an Early Years Educator after attending a Futures Job Fair.
• Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire County Councils / ICBcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Commissioning partners for the SENDIASS (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information, Advice and Support Service) delivered through Ask Us Nottinghamshire, exceeding targets with 5,200+ interventions and 99% satisfaction.
• Nottingham City CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Major commissioning and funding partner. Funded the centre refurbishment through UKSPF Digital Capital Grant and provides ongoing employment and skills programme funding.
• The Princes TrustminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Charity partner providing programmes for young people including Thomas, with Futures supporting project involvement and confidence-building activities.
• Good Things FoundationminorOthers · 1 January 2024Digital inclusion research organisation whose findings on digital exclusion (1.6M people offline) inform Futures' Basic Digital Skills training programme.
• Digital Poverty AllianceminorOthers · 1 January 2024Research organisation whose findings on economic impacts of digital skills (£17B potential earnings increase) support the rationale for Futures' digital inclusion training.

Scale indicators21 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Serco: Global public-services outsourcer with a UK Welfare to Work and skills assessment business (including RMC). Wider portfolio than Futures but operates in the same DWP/JCP commissioning market at larger scale.

Direct peers

• Catch22: UK not-for-profit social business running employability, education and social-care programmes, including DWP-commissioned employment support and NEET-youth work. Directly comparable to Futures on mission and contract mix.
• Reed in Partnership: UK employment-services division of Reed, delivering government-commissioned back-to-work programmes, youth programmes and skills training. Closely overlaps with Futures on contract-based employment services delivery.
• Maximus UK: International public-services provider with large UK Welfare to Work, Work and Health Programme, and assessment contracts. Highly comparable to Futures on DWP/JCP commissioned employment and skills delivery.
• Pluss: UK social enterprise providing employment support for people with disabilities and long-term health conditions via DWP/IPS frameworks. Comparable to Futures on the economically-inactive-with-health-barriers cohort.
• Seetec Group: UK-wide provider of skills, employment and rehabilitation services funded by DWP, JCP and Home Office. Highly comparable to Futures in programme mix (Welfare to Work, Restart, refugee and youth programmes) and public-sector commissioning model.
• Rathbone Training: UK training and youth-employment provider delivering vocational training, apprenticeships and government-funded skills programmes. Overlaps with Futures on training-course delivery and NEET-youth cohorts.
• New Leaf (formerly Working Links): UK employment-support provider delivering DWP-commissioned programmes such as Work and Health and Restart. Comparable to Futures on commissioned welfare-to-work delivery and intensive personalised employment support.
• Ingeus UK: Major UK welfare-to-work and employment-services provider delivering Restart, Work and Health Programme and similar commissioned services. Operates on the same public-sector contract model as Futures with comparable participant cohorts.
• The Shaw Trust: UK social-purpose charity delivering employment, skills and wellbeing programmes including supported employment for disabled people. Comparable to Futures on social-enterprise delivery model and SEND/health-cohort focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/FuturesAdviceOrg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/futuresadviceorg

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Futures