Transform Trade

Name

Transform Trade

Legal name

Traidcraft Exchange

Website

https://transform-trade.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Advocacy and Fair Trade Charity Services

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)

akta.pro primary industry

Fair Trade & Ethical Supply Chains (Certification, Traceability, Producer Support) (BPAGALAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (Fair Trade, Food Access, Regenerative) (BPAGALAD)

Keywords

• Trade justice advocacy
• Fair trade charity
• Producer support programs
• Policy campaigning
• Ethical supply chains

Headquarters

HQ city

Newcastle Upon Tyne

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Transform Trade raises funds from individual donors in the UK who support their trade justice mission. The organization receives donations through its website, Christmas appeals, and ongoing fundraising campaigns. These donations power their goal to invest in at least 1000 producer businesses and collectives by 2030.
2. Corporate Partnerships: Some funds are raised through ethical business partnerships where partner companies donate a portion of sales or provide financial support. Partners include Ethical Superstore, Ethical Shop, Liberation, Premcrest, Fairtrade Warehouse, Shared Earth, and True Origin.
3. Grants and Institutional Funding: Transform Trade receives grant funding for specific projects. The Hidden Homeworkers project was co-funded by the European Union, and research initiatives have received funding from organizations like the Scottish Funding Council under the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Transform Trade is a UK-registered trade justice charity that supports producers, workers, social enterprises, and civil society organizations in East Africa and South Asia to build fairer trading systems. It runs policy advocacy campaigns in the UK, provides direct grants and long-term support to producer-led businesses across the tea, farming, and fashion sectors, and operates an e-commerce storefront for Traidcraft fair trade products. The charity funds its work through individual donations, corporate partnerships with ethical retailers, and institutional grants.

Product overview

Transform Trade is a trade justice charity organization, not a technology product company. It operates as a charitable organization working with producers, workers, social enterprises and civil society organizations to create fairer, more sustainable trading systems. The organization provides direct grants, long-term support, and advocacy services, with focus areas in farming, fashion, and tea sectors across East Africa and South Asia. Transform Trade does not offer software products, platforms, or technology services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Christmas Appeal Seasonal fundraising campaign run by Transform Trade during the Christmas period to raise donations from UK supporters for the charity's trade justice work with producers in East Africa and South Asia.
• Sponsor a Producer Donor sponsorship program enabling UK supporters to provide recurring financial support to specific producer organizations and collectives in Transform Trade's network across East Africa and South Asia.
• Gift in Your Will (Legacy Giving) Legacy giving program through which UK supporters can leave charitable bequests to Transform Trade to support long-term trade justice work with producers.
• Shop Traidcraft (Online Store) E-commerce storefront at store-transform-trade.org selling Traidcraft fair trade products sourced from producer networks, providing UK consumers access to ethically sourced goods.
• Hidden Homeworkers Research Project Research initiative co-funded by the European Union, conducted in partnership with HomeNet South Asia, that mapped homeworker supply chains in fashion and produced the 'Wage Analysis of Home-based workers in South Asia' report.
• Bangladeshi Supplier Impact Research Research study conducted in partnership with the University of Aberdeen surveying 1,000 Bangladeshi manufacturers on the impact of global clothing retailers' unfair practices during COVID-19, funded by the Scottish Funding Council under the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF).

Quantifiable outcome

• 1000 producer businesses and collectives to be invested in by 2030
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• European Fair Trade Association (EFTA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1990Association of European importers across eight countries (Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and UK). Aim is to support member organisations, encouraging international cooperation and coordination. Gained formal status in 1990, based in Netherlands. Member of World Fair Trade Association.
• Ethical SuperstorecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerUK ethical retailer partnership. Ethical Superstore supports Transform Trade's mission and sells products that align with fair trade principles. Quote: 'We are thrilled that Transform Trade will be carrying on the important legacy of Traidcraft into the future and delighted to continue to work with them as they do so.'
• Ethical ShopcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerUK ethical retailer allowing customers to donate to Transform Trade. They write about Transform Trade campaigns for readers and customers and are delighted that Transform Trade can use the Traidcraft name.
• LiberationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity Interest Company majority owned by smallholder farmers from around the world. These farmers, who plant, nurture and pick the crops that make all their Fairtrade products, have a strong and powerful voice within the business.
• PremcrestminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFairtrade distributor since Twin Trading (with Traidcraft, Equal Exchange and Oxfam) launched Cafedirect. First UK Wholesale Distributor to introduce Fairtrade brands into UK universities and schools.
• Fairtrade WarehouseminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRelaunched by Premcrest to directly cover as much of the value chain as possible, both backwards to the producer via direct relationships and forwards via concentrate on supply of all things ethical to the UK consumer.
• Shared EarthminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLong-standing partner since 1986 when Richard Adams was effectively their 'mentor' in Fair Trade. Today they fully support Transform Trade and hope to use mutual contacts across the globe to benefit producers.
• True OrigincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrue Origin Foods (a WFTO Guaranteed Member) works directly with smallholder farmers and producers in the global south. They apply fair trade principles across their UK operations. True Origin Partnerships aims to empower partner communities through locally led development projects.
• HomeNet South AsiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with HomeNet South Asia on the Hidden Homeworkers project co-funded by the European Union, producing the Wage Analysis of Home-based workers in South Asia report.
• Homeworkers WorldwidecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorked with Homeworkers Worldwide to map supply chains down to the homeworker level and help fashion brands introduce systems that document homeworkers' contribution and wages. Jointly produced a toolkit for brands and suppliers.
• University of AberdeencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership on fashion supply chain issues. University of Aberdeen conducted major survey of 1,000 Bangladeshi manufacturers published as 'Impact of Global Clothing Retailers' Unfair Practices on Bangladeshi Suppliers During COVID-19'. Funded by Scottish Funding Council under Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF).

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• People Tree: UK-based fair trade fashion pioneer founded in 1991. Direct peer operating in UK fair trade fashion and producer partnerships, though People Tree is commercial while Transform Trade is charitable.
• Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI): UK alliance of companies, trade unions, and NGOs promoting workers' rights in supply chains. Direct peer given overlapping focus on garment/fashion supply chain reform and homeworker visibility, though ETI is a multi-stakeholder alliance vs. Transform Trade's charity model.
• World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO): Global fair trade body that guarantees fair trade enterprises. Transform Trade operates as a trade justice charity with close sector alignment, and partners like True Origin Foods are WFTO Guaranteed Members, giving overlapping mission and producer networks.
• Fair Wear Foundation: Multi-stakeholder organization focused on improving labour conditions in garment supply chains. Direct peer in the fashion/homeworker advocacy space, with complementary but distinct approaches (brand membership vs. producer and worker support).
• Fairtrade Foundation: UK-based fair trade certification and advocacy body. Direct peer because both operate within the UK fair trade ecosystem, advocate for producer rights, and engage consumers around ethical sourcing, though the Fairtrade Foundation leads on certification while Transform Trade focuses on producer support and policy advocacy.
• Clean Clothes Campaign: Global network focused on garment worker rights, including homeworker visibility. Direct peer because of overlapping advocacy on brand accountability and supply chain transparency in fashion, especially across South Asia.
• HomeNet South Asia: South Asian network of home-based worker organizations. Direct peer because Transform Trade partnered with HomeNet on the EU co-funded Hidden Homeworkers project, and both focus on homeworker invisibility, wages, and rights in South Asia.
• Traidcraft (Foundation / Plc legacy): Original fair trade movement and brand from 1986. Transform Trade holds the Traidcraft brand license, originated from Traidcraft Exchange, and continues the legacy after Traidcraft Plc closed in 2023.

Broad incumbents

• Fairtrade International (Fairtrade Foundation parent): Global fair trade umbrella organization coordinating Fairtrade-marked products. Broad incumbent with overlapping producer-facing work in tea and farming, though Fairtrade International leads on certification while Transform Trade focuses on advocacy and direct producer support.
• Christian Aid: Large UK international development charity with Christian heritage. Broad incumbent that shares faith-based origin and global producer programmes, but operates at a much larger scale and broader scope than trade justice alone.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/transformtrade_
• Facebookfacebook.com/TransformTradeCharity

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Transform Trade