Royal Artillery Centre for Personal Development

What Royal Artillery Centre for Personal Development does

Royal Artillery Centre for Personal Development (RACPD) is a UK-registered charity founded in 1998 and headquartered at Royal Artillery Barracks, Larkhill, Salisbury. It delivers training, education, and personal development services to serving Royal Artillery soldiers, broader Armed Forces personnel, veterans, and their families, operating across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Service pillars include Adventure Training (700+ soldiers annually), Battlefield Tours, Distance Learning, Apprenticeships, Evening Courses, AFCFT-funded family training, and Career Development, with a flagged Driver Training product in development.

The organization operates a grant-funded, service-based model with no proprietary technology platform. Revenue is sourced primarily from the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust (AFCFT), which has distributed over £80M since 2018, and from government-funded training partnerships including FSUK (distance learning) and Sheldrake Training (apprenticeships). Training is delivered fully funded to eligible learners rather than via fee-for-service pricing. The technology stack is limited to third-party marketing and analytics tooling (Brevo, Mailchimp, Google Analytics), with LMS infrastructure provided through delivery partners.

Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: learners are reached through Regimental Offices, Welfare Teams, Career Transition pathways, military communications channels, and on-site Open Days. In 2023 RACPD lost its Army apprenticeship delivery contract to TCP effective 31 July 2023; the organization is repositioning via new partnerships, a new Chair (Colonel David Butt), and product-line extensions, with no M&A, equity funding, or disclosed revenue.

Name

Royal Artillery Centre for Personal Development

Legal name

Royal Artillery Centre for Personal Development

Website

https://www.racpd.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

UK charity (founded 1998, Larkhill) delivering training, apprenticeships, and personal development to Royal Artillery, Armed Forces personnel, veterans, and their families across all four UK nations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Armed Forces Training and Development

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Educational Support Services (611710), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (624310)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Veterans Affairs & Military Family Services (BPAIAHAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Veterans, Military & Employer/Third-Party Billing Benefits (EDALAJAJ)

Keywords

• Military training services
• Career development programmes
• Armed forces education
• Vocational apprenticeships
• Adventure training programmes

Headquarters

HQ city

Salisbury

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: RACPD operates as a charity receiving grant funding from the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust (AFCFT). AFCFT has distributed over £80 million in grants since 2018 across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. RACPD delivers funded training programmes to military spouses and dependants under this partnership.
2. Government-Funded Training: Distance learning courses are fully funded for eligible learners through government funding managed by Functional Skills UK (FSUK). Apprenticeship programmes for veterans and civilians are delivered through Sheldrake Training Limited partnerships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

RACPD is a UK charity that delivers training, education, and career development services to serving Royal Artillery soldiers, the wider Armed Forces, veterans, service leavers, and their families. Its core offering comprises Adventure Training (sailing, climbing, team-building), Battlefield Tours, Distance Learning Courses (via FSUK), Apprenticeships and Evening Courses (via Sheldrake Training), AFCFT-funded training (Makaton, Gel Polish, First Aid), and personalised Career Development Services. All programmes are provided fully funded to eligible members of the Armed Forces community through partnerships with AFCFT and government-funded training initiatives.

Product overview

The Royal Artillery Centre for Personal Development (RACPD) is a charity providing a unified portfolio of training, education, and career development services for serving Royal Artillery personnel, veterans, service leavers, and their families. The offering comprises six interconnected service areas: Adventure Training (outdoor activities at Thorney Island and Peter Ashley Activity Centre), Battlefield Tours (historical military site visits), Distance Learning Courses (online programmes via FSUK partnership), Apprenticeships and Evening Courses (vocational training via Sheldrake Training partnership), AFCFT-Funded Training (fully funded courses for military families via Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust), and Career Development Services. Together, these services address personal growth, skill development, and civilian career transition across the military community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Adventure Training Programme Outdoor activity programme offering sailing, climbing, and team-building challenges at facilities including the Inshore Sailing Centre at Thorney Island and Peter Ashley Activity Centre at Port Purbrook. Over 700 soldiers participate annually, focusing on decompression, wellbeing, teamwork, confidence, and leadership skills development for serving soldiers.
• Battlefield Tours Guided historical tours to key military sites including low-level UK tours and one overseas tour, blending learning, remembrance, and personal development while promoting education, reflection, and camaraderie through immersive battlefield experiences for the military community.
• Distance Learning Courses Flexible online learning programmes delivered in partnership with Functional Skills UK (FSUK), covering business and management, health and social care, education and training, employability skills, and wellbeing/leadership/personal development. Fully funded through government funding for eligible learners (aged 19+, living in England, UK/EU/EEA residency for the last 3 years).
• Apprenticeships Apprenticeship programmes for reserve soldiers, veterans and civilians delivered in partnership with Sheldrake Training Limited, including Level 2 and Level 3 Equine Groom, Level 2 and Level 3 Racing Groom, Level 3 Sporting Excellence award, Level 3 Electrical Installation and Maintenance, Level 2 Animal Care and Welfare assistance, and Level 2 Principles of Transporting Horses. Sheldrake's accelerated apprenticeship model completes in 36 months versus traditional 54-month routes.
• Evening Courses Part-time evening programmes in partnership with Sheldrake Training Limited, including the Level 2 Electrical Installation diploma designed for individuals seeking qualifications alongside work or other commitments.
• AFCFT-Funded Training Fully funded training programmes for Armed Forces spouses, partners, and dependants delivered in partnership with the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust (AFCFT). Includes Makaton Training, Gel Polish Training, and First Aid at Work qualifications focused on beauty, wellbeing, and professional skills, removing financial barriers for military families.
• Career Development Services Comprehensive career support services including career-focused training programmes, personalised advice and guidance, and help identifying career pathways for service leavers, veterans, spouses, and the wider Defence community.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 700 soldiers participate in Adventure Training annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.

• Functional Skills UK (FSUK)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026FSUK is an experienced provider of online education offering distance learning programmes specifically designed for the Armed Forces community. Through this partnership, learners benefit from flexible learning that fits around military and family life, recognised qualifications supporting employment, professionally designed online courses, and dedicated tutor support. Courses cover business and management, health and social care, education and training, employability skills, and wellbeing/leadership/personal development. FSUK uses government funding to offer courses fully funded for eligible learners.
• Peter Ashley Activity Centre (PAAC)supportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Peter Ashley Activity Centre in Port Purbrook serves as a facility partner for Adventure Training activities including climbing and team-building challenges. The centre provides the outdoor infrastructure enabling RACPD to deliver resilience-building experiences for serving soldiers as part of the Adventure Training Programme.
• Sheldrake Training LimitedcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2025Sheldrake Training Limited is an approved apprenticeship provider partnering with RACPD to offer apprenticeships for reserve soldiers, veterans and civilians. They provide flexible, supportive learning designed to fit around service commitments, employment and personal responsibilities. Available programmes include Level 2 and Level 3 Equine Groom apprenticeships, Level 2 and Level 3 Racing Groom apprenticeships, Level 3 Sporting Excellence award, Level 3 Electrical Installation and Maintenance apprenticeship, Level 2 Animal Care and Welfare assistance apprenticeship, and Level 2 Principles of Transporting Horses. The partnership also includes evening courses in Electrical Installation. Sheldrake's accelerated apprenticeship model completes in 36 months versus traditional 54-month routes.
• The College Partnership (TCP)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2023TCP is the current provider for Royal Artillery apprenticeship programmes following the end of RACPD's apprenticeship contract with the Army on 31 July 2023. RACPD previously delivered apprenticeships to serving Royal Artillery members for over 24 years before this transition. The relationship reflects a referral pathway where RA soldiers seeking apprenticeship information are directed to TCP's website.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Career Transition Partnership: The official MoD-resettlement partner for all UK Armed Forces leavers. Directly comparable to RACPD's career development and apprenticeship services for service leavers, with a much broader pan-forces mandate and the contract RACPD lost for Army apprenticeships.
• Forces Employment Charity: UK charity (formerly Civvy Street) providing employment and training support specifically to veterans, service leavers, and their families. Closely comparable in target customer and mission to RACPD's career development services, though with pan-forces rather than regimental focus.
• Walking With The Wounded: UK charity focused on employment, training, and mental health support for veterans and ex-service personnel. Direct peer on the career transition and employment training mission, with a pan-forces scope.
• Royal British Legion Industries: Charitable arm of the Royal British Legion providing employment, training, and housing support to veterans and their families. Direct peer on training and career development for military families, with comparable beneficiary segments.
• Officers' Association: UK charity providing employment, training, and welfare support specifically to ex-officers and their families. Comparable career transition and training focus, though targeted at officer rank rather than other ranks.
• X-Forces Enterprise: UK charity supporting veterans, service leavers, and military spouses into self-employment and business ownership. Comparable training and entrepreneurship support focus, though targeting entrepreneurship specifically rather than employment.
• The Poppy Factory: UK charity supporting wounded, injured, and sick veterans into employment through tailored training and job placement. Comparable employment training focus, with a specific wounded-veteran niche similar to RACPD's wellbeing focus.

Broad incumbents

• Help for Heroes: One of the largest UK military charities providing rehabilitation, mental health, and career recovery services to wounded service personnel and veterans. Comparable on veteran training and recovery services but operates at much larger scale and broader scope.
• SSAFA: The UK's oldest tri-service military charity providing welfare, financial, and employment support to serving personnel, veterans, and families. Comparable as a broad incumbent serving the Armed Forces community with employment-related services.

Emerging players

• HighGround: UK charity providing land-based career and training opportunities to wounded veterans and service leavers. Comparable employment training mission with a focus on rural/outdoor pathways overlapping with RACPD's Adventure Training programmes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/RACPD
• Facebookfacebook.com/racpdwiltshire
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ra-cpd
• Instagraminstagram.com/racpdmarketing

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Royal Artillery Centre for Personal Development