What STEPSTONE Consulting does

STEPSTONE Consulting is a private, founder-owned human capital development consultancy headquartered in Dún Laoghaire, Dublin, operating as the trade name of Stepstone Learning Ltd. The firm operates with a 1-10 employee team and delivers integrated training, advisory, and digital learning services across the UK and Ireland, with claimed delivery reach extending to four continents.

The company's offering is organised around three pillars: Learning & Development (including Capability Academies such as Learnathon Academy, Learnflex Academy, and the Future-Proof Skills Academy, plus Kotter Training and CApIL certification programmes), Advisory Services (workshops, capability assessments, coaching, and ISO standards implementation support), and Digital Platforms (cross-sold through the CrossKnowledge Learning Experience Platform and Innovation360's Transformation360 suite). The underlying technology stack is partner-hosted rather than proprietary, with CrossKnowledge providing the digital learning backbone and Innovation360 providing the InnoSurvey assessment tool and Certification360 framework; STEPSTONE contributes domain expertise, integration, and localised delivery rather than foundational IP.

The business model is primarily professional services, with revenue generated from programme fees, certification fees, advisory engagements billed on a project basis, and a nascent subscription layer through enterprise academy contracts. Customer acquisition combines direct enterprise and government field sales (targeting C-suite and senior leadership personas) with partner-channel referrals and event-driven demand generation through public training courses and insights content. Pricing is predominantly Price on Application, with structured pricing for certified programmes and multi-year contracts for enterprise academies. The firm is privately held with no external funding disclosed.

Name

STEPSTONE Consulting

Legal name

Stepstone Learning Ltd.

Website

https://stepstoneconsulting.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

STEPSTONE Consulting is a Dublin-based human capital development consultancy that delivers change management, innovation management, and sustainability leadership training, advisory, and digital learning services to enterprise and government clients across the UK and Ireland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Management Consulting

NAICS

Other Management Consulting Services (541618), Management Consulting Services (54161), Human Resources Consulting Services (541612), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Organization Design & Change Management Consulting (BPAHACAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Change Management & Transformation Consulting (BPAHAGAC), Human Capital & Workforce Transformation Consulting (BPAHACAE), Innovation Leadership & Leading Growth (EDABAAAO), Organization Design & Operating Model Consulting (BPAHAGAB), Change Management for Operations Transformations (EDABAKAM)

Keywords

• Change management consulting
• Leadership development services
• Innovation management consulting
• Sustainability advisory services
• Corporate training programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Dún Laoghaire

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Learning & Development Services: Delivery of training programmes, workshops, and capability academies in innovation management, change leadership, sustainability leadership, and digital learning. Delivered in-person, virtual instructor-led, or blended formats. Revenue is generated through programme fees, certification fees, and academy subscriptions.
2. Advisory Services: Advisory workshops, capability assessments, coaching and mentoring, and ISO standards implementation support. Advisory engagements are tailored to client needs and billed on a project/engagement basis.
3. Digital Platform Subscriptions: Digital platforms providing capability academies, blended and programmatic learning, and practitioner toolkits. Revenue is generated through platform licensing and subscription fees, particularly through the CrossKnowledge Learning Experience Platform partnership.
4. Certification Programmes: Kotter Training certification programmes (Core Change Certification, Advanced Change Certification) and CApIL Certified Applied Innovation Leader programmes. Fees are charged per participant for certification exams and programmes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

STEPSTONE Consulting designs and delivers learning and development programs, capability academies, and certification pathways for organisations, with a specialist focus on change leadership, innovation management, and sustainability leadership. The firm combines senior practitioner-led advisory, executive coaching, and partner-powered digital learning platforms (CrossKnowledge, Innovation360, Kotter) into integrated transformation engagements for enterprise and government clients.

Product overview

STEPSTONE Consulting is a human capital development consultancy focused on growing the capabilities of organisations for sustainable futures. Their integrated Capability Development Ecosystem comprises three core service pillars: Learning & Development (including Capability Academies and certification programs), Advisory Services, and Digital Platforms. The product portfolio includes named offerings such as Learnathon Academy, Learnflex Academy, Future-Proof Skills Academy, Innovation Masterclass, CApIL Certified Applied Innovation Leader, and various Kotter Training certification programs (Core Change, Advanced Change, and custom programs). These offerings leverage partnerships with Innovation360 (for innovation management), Kotter Training (for change leadership), CrossKnowledge (for digital learning), and Cranfield University (for sustainability leadership) to deliver globally-recognised solutions tailored to client needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Capability Academies

Quantifiable outcome

• 3.6 million learners registered on the CrossKnowledge Learning Experience Platform in 2024 (CrossKnowledge statistic cited by STEPSTONE)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments11 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Innovation360coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInnovation360 is a global leader in innovation management offering innovation strategy and analysis, certifications, and digital platforms. STEPSTONE Consulting is an Innovation360 Gold Partner and Licensed Practitioner, offering the CApIL Certified Applied Innovation Leader programme and Innovation360 Group Circles (including the Innovation Masterclass). The partnership provides access to InnoSurvey, the world's largest innovation capability assessment database (5,000+ organisations). Eoin Flavin, Head of Innovation Practice at STEPSTONE, is a world-leading expert and contributor to the ISO 56000 family of global Innovation Management standards and vice-chair of Ireland's advisory committee on innovation standards.
• Kotter Training (Dr. John Kotter)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKotter Training, founded by Dr. John Kotter of Harvard Business School, provides courses and certifications in Dr. Kotter's globally-recognised change leadership methodology (8 Accelerators, 4 Core Change Principles). STEPSTONE Consulting is a Kotter Training Partner offering virtual and in-person programmes in Ireland and the UK. Services include Kotter Core Change Certification Programme, Kotter Advanced Change Certification Programme, Kotter: Foundations of Change, and custom Kotter Training corporate programmes.
• CrossKnowledgecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCrossKnowledge is a global leader in digital and blended learning solutions, helping global organisations empower a skilled workforce to navigate the future. STEPSTONE Consulting is a CrossKnowledge Strategic Partner in the UK and Ireland, providing access to award-winning digital learning content localised in up to 18 languages, delivered through the CrossKnowledge Learning Experience Platform (3.6M learners registered in 2024; 95% activity rate; 4.7/5 customer satisfaction). Solutions include Learnathon Academy, Learnflex Academy, and Future-Proof Skills Academy.
• Cranfield UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSTEPSTONE Consulting partners with Cranfield University to offer its ground-breaking 'Exploring Sustainable Futures' workshops. These interactive workshops are backed by robust academic research and offer a unique and engaging learning experience for organisations ready to elevate their sustainability efforts, tailored to meet business needs.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Prosci: Prosci is the global research and methodology leader in change management, with the ADKAR framework, certifications, and a partner network that STEPSTONE references as a Global Partner. It is the most direct comparable in niche change management consulting and training.
• Kotter Inc. Founded by Dr. John Kotter, Kotter Inc. operates the change leadership methodology (8 Accelerators, 4 Principles) that STEPSTONE delivers as a Kotter Training Partner. It is both a partner and a direct source of comparable change advisory services.
• Hemsley Fraser: UK-based learning and development consultancy offering training, change, and leadership programmes. Comparable as a UK-centric mid-sized L&D and change management competitor with a similar buyer profile.

Broad incumbents

• Deloitte: Deloitte's Human Capital and Transformation practices overlap directly with STEPSTONE's offerings. Deloitte Ireland is itself a STEPSTONE client, illustrating the cross-overlap between niche partner and broad incumbent.
• PA Consulting: UK-headquartered consulting firm with innovation, transformation, and sustainability practices. Comparable as a mid-sized, UK-anchored broad incumbent with overlapping client verticals and similar methodology-led positioning.
• Accenture: Global system integrator and management consultant with large change and learning services practices. Comparable as a broad incumbent that competes with STEPSTONE for enterprise transformation and capability build mandates.
• Bain & Company: Bain's organization and change management practices serve large enterprises on transformation, leadership, and operating model design — the same personas STEPSTONE targets. Comparable as a broad incumbent competing for transformation leader budgets.
• McKinsey & Company: Global management consulting firm with change management and organization practices that overlap with STEPSTONE's offerings. It competes at the enterprise end of the same buyer set, though STEPSTONE provides niche, methodology-led delivery rather than strategic transformation advisory.
• PwC: Big 4 advisory with large change, people, and organization transformation practices serving global enterprises. Comparable as a broad incumbent competing in enterprise change and sustainability transformation mandates.

Others

• Innovation360 Group: Founder of the InnoSurvey and CApIL certification that STEPSTONE delivers as a Gold Partner. Functions simultaneously as a methodology supplier and an adjacent ecosystem participant, with its own practitioner network globally.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stepstone-consulting

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 STEPSTONE Consulting