What Regeneration Brainery does

Regeneration Brainery is a UK-registered non-profit social enterprise founded in 2017 and headquartered in Manchester. It runs free, in-person educational programmes for young people aged 14-21 designed to address skills shortages and lack of diversity in the UK property and regeneration industry. The core product is the Brainery Bootcamp — a 5-day interactive workshop covering 14+ property and regeneration disciplines — supplemented by 1-day Taster Sessions delivered at schools and colleges, a Mentor Network of 500+ industry professionals, an Ambassador Programme for bootcamp alumni, and tailored work experience placements. Programmes are delivered across 9+ UK cities including London, Manchester, Bristol, Leeds, Liverpool, Birmingham, Sheffield, Stoke-on-Trent, and Stockport, and have cumulatively engaged 7,000+ students since inception.

The organisation operates with no proprietary technology platform; its value is delivered through in-person events, site visits, mentoring sessions, and curated work experience placements. The business model is partnership- and grant-funded: 40+ property industry corporates (including Lloyds Bank, Manchester City Council, Capital & Centric, Avison Young, BDP, Bruntwood, Gateley, Cushman & Wakefield, CBRE, Knight Frank, Arcadis, Homes England, Landsec, Octopus Real Estate, Arup, Addleshaw Goddard, Muse, Canary Homes, and EY Foundation) provide financial contributions, mentors, and work experience placements in exchange for ESG and social impact outcomes. The Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, acts as a public champion. The organisation has 1-10 employees, is led by CEO Michele Steel (appointed January 2024), and is governed by an Advisory Board established in 2024 to guide strategy over the next five years. Two EG Social Impact Awards (2019, 2022) anchor its industry credibility. Participant outcomes emphasise underrepresented backgrounds: 68% of participants are from ethnic minority backgrounds, and over one-third of participants are in employment post-programme.

Name

Regeneration Brainery

Legal name

Regeneration Brainery

Website

https://regenerationbrainery.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Regeneration Brainery is a UK non-profit social enterprise that runs free in-person bootcamps, taster sessions, and mentoring for 14-21 year olds to address skills shortages and lack of diversity in the property and regeneration industry. It is funded by 40+ corporate partners and serves 4,000+ young people annually across 9+ UK cities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Career Education & Social Mobility Programmes

akta.pro primary industry

Multi-Activity Enrichment Camps (Academic + Arts + Sports) (EDAMALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Entrepreneurship, Business & Innovation Camps (EDAMALAL), Innovation & Design Thinking Programs (EDAMAHAD)

Keywords

• Youth career education
• Property industry mentoring
• Free bootcamp programmes
• Social mobility initiatives
• Regeneration careers outreach

Headquarters

HQ city

Manchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Partnership and Grant Funding: As a not-for-profit organisation, Regeneration Brainery is funded through partnerships with property industry companies, corporate sponsors, and grants. Partners contribute financially and provide mentors, site visits, and work experience opportunities in exchange for ESG and social impact outcomes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Regeneration Brainery is a UK non-profit social enterprise that runs free 5-day Brainery Bootcamps and 1-day Taster Sessions for young people aged 14-21 to explore careers across property and regeneration disciplines. Programmes are fully funded by property industry partners and grants, covering food, travel and materials, and are supported by an industry mentor network and work experience placements.

Product overview

Regeneration Brainery is an award-winning social enterprise and aspirational academy that operates a portfolio of interconnected programs designed to inspire young people aged 14-21 to pursue careers in property and regeneration. The core offering is the Brainery Bootcamp—a free 5-day interactive workshop providing real-world industry exposure, site visits, and career guidance. This is supplemented by Taster Sessions (1-day programs for schools and careers fairs) and supported by the Ambassador Program (bootcamp graduates who mentor new participants) and the Mentor Network (500+ industry professionals who provide guidance and work experience). Together, these products create a pathway from initial career exploration through to employment in the property industry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Brainery Bootcamp Free 5-day interactive workshop programme for 14-21 year olds covering careers across property and regeneration disciplines. Includes inspirational careers talks, behind-the-scenes site visits, workspace tours, hands-on regeneration scheme creation and match-made mentoring. All food, travel and materials are covered at no cost to participants.
• Taster Sessions 1-day mini bootcamp tailored for schools, colleges, alternative providers and careers fairs. Features short tasks led by industry mentors, site visits to local projects and careers talks. Supports Gatsby Benchmark delivery and fast-tracks participants into the next local Brainery Bootcamp.
• Mentor Network UK-wide network of 500+ property and regeneration industry mentors who inspire young people by sharing career journeys, providing industry insights, hosting practical sessions and facilitating work experience placements. Mentors commit time during workshops and remain available for ongoing guidance.
• Ambassador Program Volunteer programme for bootcamp graduates and current property/regeneration students. Ambassadors support, inspire and encourage current Brainees through 1:1 mentoring, exclusive industry access, skill development opportunities, match-made work experience placements and VIP event invites.
• Work Experience Placements Tailor-made work experience placements and summer internships arranged for Brainees who complete the Bootcamp programme. Placements are hosted by partner property and regeneration businesses to give participants industry experience and direct connections into the sector.

Quantifiable outcome

• 7,000+ students engaged since inception
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Lloyds BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor financial partner supporting Regeneration Brainery since 2021 with a 3-year partnership agreement signed in 2024. Lloyds staff attend bootcamp weeks and provide mentoring, having contributed over 400 hours of volunteer time.
• Manchester City CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal government partner supporting Regeneration Brainery activities in Manchester.
• Capital & CentriccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial impact developers and co-founders Tim Heatley and Adam Higgins serve on the Advisory Board. The company provides mentoring, site visits, and workspace tours.
• Avison YoungcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProperty consultancy providing mentoring support. President UK Nick Walkley featured on mentor network.
• BDPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture and design firm supporting bootcamps with mentoring and site visit opportunities.
• BruntwoodcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProperty company providing workspace visits and mentoring opportunities.
• GateleycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLegal and property services firm. Head of Construction Hayley Sullivan serves as Champion Partner on Advisory Board.
• Cushman & WakefieldcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommercial property consultancy providing mentoring and industry insights.
• CBREcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommercial real estate services firm with Executive Director Louise Wyman on mentor network.
• Knight FrankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProperty consultancy with Senior Partner William Beardmore-Gray on mentor network.
• ArcadiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign and consultancy for natural and built assets providing industry expertise.
• Homes EnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment housing agency supporting regeneration initiatives.
• LandseccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor property company supporting through Landsec Futures programme, providing internships and social impact funding.
• Octopus Real EstatecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReal estate investment firm with Champion Partner Laurence Robinson on Advisory Board. Provides summer internship programme for Brainees.
• ArupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngineering and design consultancy supporting industry mentorship.
• Addleshaw GoddardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaw firm providing legal industry insights and mentoring.
• Muse (Place Making)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegeneration developer with Graduate Development Manager Abiola Ogunsami (Advisory Board Ambassador Rep) who joined as Brainee in 2021.
• Canary HomescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHousing developer supporting regeneration education.
• EY FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharity focused on social mobility. Kate Thomas (Employment Engagement Manager) on Advisory Board, helping young people access opportunities.
• Mayor of Greater ManchestercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAndy Burnham actively supports Regeneration Brainery as a mentor and champion of the initiative, endorsing the organisation's social mobility goals.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• IntoUniversity: UK charity running local centres delivering after-school academic support and university-access programmes for 7-18 year-olds from under-represented backgrounds. Comparable in youth-focused social mobility mission and partnership-funded community delivery.
• MCR Pathways: UK charity pairing young people from disadvantaged backgrounds with mentors to support them into further education, employment, or training. Comparable in mentoring-driven model, school partnership channel, and outcome reporting.
• Career Ready: UK charity running employer-led mentoring and paid work experience programmes for 14-21 year-olds from low-income backgrounds. Directly comparable in target demographic, mentor-driven GTM, and corporate-funded delivery model.
• Speakers for Schools: UK charity connecting state schools and colleges with professionals for talks and work experience. Comparable in school-partnership channel, free delivery to young people, and reliance on corporate volunteer engagement.
• ThinkForward: UK programme embedding long-term mentoring and employer engagement for young people aged 13-18 at risk of dropping out of education. Comparable in school-embedded delivery, employer mentoring, and outcomes-driven youth development.
• Social Mobility Foundation: UK charity supporting high-achieving low-income students into professions including property, finance, and law through mentoring and internships. Comparable in social mobility mission, corporate sponsorship model, and aspirational-career pipeline focus.
• Generating Genius: UK charity supporting BAME students from disadvantaged backgrounds into STEM and related careers through university taster days and mentoring. Comparable in diversity mandate, school partnerships, and corporate-sponsored delivery model.

Broad incumbents

• The Prince's Trust: Large UK youth charity offering training, mentoring, and enterprise support to 11-30 year-olds from disadvantaged backgrounds. Comparable in youth social mobility mission and corporate partnership funding, but broader and significantly larger scale.

Emerging players

• Year Here: UK social enterprise fellowship placing graduates into frontline social-sector roles while tackling social issues through product ventures. Comparable as a UK-based social enterprise targeting systemic inequality, though narrower in its participant base.

Others

• Sutton Trust: UK foundation focused on research and programmes improving social mobility through education and the workplace. Comparable in social mobility mission and corporate partner ecosystem, but operates primarily as a research/policy funder rather than direct programme deliverer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/regenbrainery
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/regeneration-brainery

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 Regeneration Brainery