The Social Mobility Foundation
The Social Mobility Foundation is a UK charity running a five-year Aspiring Professionals Programme that supports high-achieving state-school students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds through mentoring, skills training, university guidance, and work experience placements with 400+ employer partners.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What The Social Mobility Foundation does
The Social Mobility Foundation (SMF) is a UK-registered charity (England & Wales no. 1115888; Scotland SC051842), founded in 2006, that designs and delivers programmes to help high-achieving students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds access professional careers. SMF serves state-school students from Year 12/S5 through to their first graduate role via a structured five-year Aspiring Professionals Programme (APP), which combines skills sessions, mentoring, personal statement support, university guidance, and paid work experience placements with corporate partners. Its core proposition is the placement pipeline: 98% of participants state they could not have secured their work experience without SMF, and 96% are in work or further study post-programme, with an average earnings uplift of more than £5,000.
SMF's product surface is delivered through two principal channels — APP City (in-person delivery across 8 UK cities) and APP Reach (virtual delivery reaching students outside major metropolitan areas) — supported by a national network of more than 2,000 volunteer mentors and over 400 employer partners, including J.P. Morgan, PwC, Freshfields, KPMG and BP. The underlying technology consists of an e-mentoring platform and a web-based programme management system that handle mentor–student matching, application tracking, and recruitment support. Alongside direct delivery, SMF publishes proprietary research and advocacy products — notably the Class Pay Gap analysis, the Unheard Voices survey, and campaigns including Stay Down, Class Polish, CVs Aren't Working, End Laptop Poverty, and Flexible Futures — and operates the Social Mobility Employer Index as an annual UK corporate benchmarking platform (140 entrants in 2025).
SMF's operating model is that of a grant-funded non-profit. It is headquartered in London with 7 regional offices across the UK and operates with 11–50 employees; its headcount grew in 2025 as it extended into Northern Ireland. Revenue is generated through corporate partnerships, trust and foundation grants, individual donations, and research partnerships, and was recognised with the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Volunteering Award in 2022. The model is free at the point of use for students, with the employer-side proposition centred on talent pipeline access, brand association, and inclusion benchmarking.
The Social Mobility Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Social Mobility Foundation
- Legal name
- The Social Mobility Foundation
- Website
- https://socialmobility.org.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Social Mobility Foundation is a UK charity running a five-year Aspiring Professionals Programme that supports high-achieving state-school students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds through mentoring, skills training, university guidance, and work experience placements with 400+ employer partners.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Social Mobility Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Youth Education and Social Mobility Services
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Individual and Family Services (6241), Social Assistance (624), Child and Youth Services (62411)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Youth-to-Adult Transition & Life Skills (Independent Living, Soft Skills) (EDAAAFAN)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Accessibility, Accommodations & Assistive Services (EDALAFAN)
Keywords
Where The Social Mobility Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices7 records
Markets served
The Social Mobility Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Corporate Partnerships: Employers across various sectors partner with SMF to provide internships, skills sessions, mentoring placements, and funding support. These include law firms, financial institutions, consulting firms, and pharmaceutical companies that participate in the Employer Index and provide in-kind support.
- Trust and Foundation Grants: Charitable trusts and foundations including Catalyst for Impact, Community Foundation NE, Esprit Foundation, and others provide grant funding to support programme delivery.
- Individual Donations: Regular and one-off donations from individuals, facilitated through JustGiving platform.
- Research and Advocacy Partnerships: SMF conducts research (Class Pay Gap, Unheard Voices) in partnership with organizations like Co-op and LV=, which may include funding support for research dissemination and campaign work.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Annual | Free programme for eligible students |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels10 records
The Social Mobility Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Social Mobility Foundation delivers the Aspiring Professionals Programme (APP), a five-year structured programme that supports high-achieving students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds from Year 12/S5 through to their first graduate job. The programme combines mentoring, skills workshops, university application support (including UCAS personal statement checking), and guaranteed work experience placements with partner employers across law, finance, consulting, engineering, media, and medicine sectors. Delivery occurs in-person through APP City across eight UK cities and remotely through APP Reach, supplemented by residential work experience in London, Glasgow, and Middlesbrough.
Product overview
The Social Mobility Foundation offers a unified charity programme centred on the Aspiring Professionals Programme (APP), a five-year initiative supporting students from Year 12/S5 through to their first graduate job. The core APP product comprises three delivery tracks: APP City (in-person support in eight UK cities), APP Reach (virtual/remote delivery), and Residential Work Experience (sector-specific placements). Supporting services include Mentoring, Personal Statement Checking Service, and Recruitment Success Service. The organization also operates the Social Mobility Employer Index as a separate benchmarking platform for employers. Advocacy campaigns include the Class Pay Gap, Stay Down, Class Polish, and Unheard Voices initiatives. All programmes are free for eligible students.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Aspiring Professionals Programme (APP) A free, five-year structured programme for high-achieving students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds spanning Year 12/S5 through to first graduate job. Combines sector-matched mentoring, skills workshops, university and degree apprenticeship application support, and work experience placements with top UK employers.
- APP City In-person delivery track of the APP for students living in or near Birmingham, Cardiff, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, and Newcastle. Includes skills sessions, university application support, internships, and mentor matching delivered through local SMF offices.
- APP Reach Virtual delivery track of the APP for students outside target cities or those preferring remote participation. Provides online resources, video tutorials, career knowledge development, and remote mentor matching.
- Residential Work Experience Programme Summer residential work experience placements for students outside London, offering sector-specific programmes in Banking & Finance, Business, Digital, Law, Media & Communications, Politics, and Medicine with employer partners in London, Glasgow, and Middlesbrough.
- Social Mobility Employer Index Annual benchmarking and assessment tool for UK employers measuring employer-led social mobility across eight key areas. Provides expert guidance, improvement advice, and resources for organisations committed to inclusive workplaces, with 140 entrants in 2025.
- Mentoring Programme Volunteer-led mentoring service connecting students on the APP with sector-matched working professionals via a secure online platform, with at least fortnightly contact, DBS/PVG checks, monthly events, and support from a dedicated mentoring team.
- Personal Statement Checking Service (PSCS) Volunteer-run service providing tailored feedback on UCAS personal statements for school-age students, particularly first-generation university attendees from under-resourced schools.
- Recruitment Success Service One-off volunteering service supporting undergraduate students on the APP with CV checks, mock interviews, assessment centre preparation, and career advice.
Quantifiable outcome
- 98% of students said they could not have obtained work placements without SMF help
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use The Social Mobility Foundation
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The Social Mobility Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Social Mobility Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
24 partnerships are on record, tiered key strategic and corporate partner.
- J.P. Morgankey strategicProvides APP J.P. Morgan Finance Programme (banking & finance, investment banking, mathematics, economics) and APP J.P. Morgan Digital Programme (computer science, fintech, cyber security, coding, system design). Hosts residential work experience placements in London for selected students.
- PwC UKkey strategicRanked #1 in 2025 Social Mobility Employer Index. Supports Flexible Futures campaign with resources for young people receiving exam results. Provides employability support including wellbeing workshops and career tools.
- Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringerkey strategicProvides APP Freshfields Programme for students interested in law and business. Hosts residential work experience placements.
- Linklaterskey strategicProvides APP Linklaters Making Links Discovery Programme for students interested in pursuing law. Ranks #6 in 2025 Employer Index.
- Co-opkey strategicResearch partner for Class Pay Gap report and Unheard Voices survey. One of 24 organizations collecting and publishing socioeconomic pay gap data. Supports campaign advocacy work.
- LV=key strategicFunded and supported Unheard Voices 2025 survey of 2,000 16-21 year olds exploring experiences of young people from different socioeconomic backgrounds.
- KPMG UKcorporate partnerRanked #4 in 2025 Social Mobility Employer Index. Previously offered internships to SMF programme participants.
- Browne Jacobson LLPkey strategicRanked #2 in 2025 Social Mobility Employer Index and top entrant for two consecutive years. Runs Social Mobility Incubator sharing insights and tools with clients and other organizations.
- BPcorporate partnerProvides APP BP Engineering Programme for students interested in engineering. Supports work experience residential placements.
- PA Consultingcorporate partnerProvides APP PA Consulting Springboard Programme for students interested in general business, consultancy, politics and sustainability, shaped around UN Sustainable Development Goals.
- Warner Music Groupcorporate partnerPreviously offered internships to SMF programme participants.
- AstraZenecacorporate partnerPreviously offered internships to SMF programme participants.
- YouGovcorporate partnerProvides internships to SMF students. Testimonial: 'The students placed here have been switched on, intelligent young people with lots of potential.'
- CNX Therapeuticskey strategicAward-winning partnership expanded to include work placement and mentoring programme, creating new pathways for young people from underrepresented backgrounds.
- Schroderscorporate partnerRanked #22 in 2025 Social Mobility Employer Index.
- Macquariecorporate partnerRanked #62 in 2025 Social Mobility Employer Index.
- ARUPcorporate partnerProvides work experience placements for SMF engineering students. Hosts Cardiff regional office at Arup premises.
- Samsungcorporate partnerCorporate partner supporting SMF's work.
- Skycorporate partnerCorporate partner supporting SMF's work.
- HarperCollinscorporate partnerCorporate partner supporting SMF's work.
- White & Casecorporate partnerProvides law insight programme and residential work experience placements for SMF students.
- Herbert Smith Freehillscorporate partnerProvides law insight programme and residential work experience placements.
- Akin Gumpcorporate partnerEmployer partner for residential work experience programmes.
- Ketchum PRcorporate partnerTestimonial: 'The talent we've been fortunate enough to bring in has been exceptional. We've felt constantly supported by the Foundation to create a valuable experience for our interns.'
Scale indicators14 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Social Mobility Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Sutton Trust: UK charity focused on improving social mobility through research, programmes, and policy advocacy targeting young people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Operates similar university access programmes, summer schools, and employer engagement initiatives, making it the closest direct competitor to SMF's APP and Employer Index.
- Generation UK: UK division of global employment charity providing free training and job placement support for young people from lower income backgrounds into professional careers. Directly comparable to SMF's APP in career readiness, employer matching, and outcome measurement.
- The Prince's Trust: Major UK youth charity supporting 11-30 year olds into education, employment, and training through mentoring, training programmes, and employer partnerships. While broader in age range and scope, it competes with SMF for the same corporate partnership funding, government contracts, and youth employability outcomes.
- Career Ready: UK charity providing paid internships, mentoring, and masterclasses to students from lower income backgrounds, very similar in model to SMF's APP. Targets 16-19 year olds in schools across the UK, with comparable employer partnership structure and student outcomes focus.
- Speakers for Schools: UK social mobility charity providing state school students with free work experience, employer talks, and virtual insight programmes. Directly comparable to SMF's APP Reach and Residential programmes in connecting students from less privileged backgrounds with top employers.
- Impetus: UK charity that supports and invests in other charities focused on education and employment for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. Comparable in targeting the same beneficiary population and competing for the same trust and corporate funder pool as SMF.
- The Bridge Group: UK social mobility research and consultancy charity that advises employers on socio-economic diversity and inclusion strategy. Comparable to SMF's Employer Index benchmarking work and Class Pay Gap research, and a cited SMF partner/supporter in company materials.
- Brightside Trust: UK mentoring charity supporting young people from under-represented backgrounds into higher education and professional careers, with a strong online mentoring model. Highly comparable to SMF's e-mentoring platform approach and student demographic.
Emerging players
- Social Mobility Foundation Employer Index competitors (e.g., Timewise Foundation): Timewise is a UK social enterprise and consultancy that advises employers on flexible hiring and inclusive practices, with overlapping employer benchmarking and advisory services compared to SMF's Employer Index and corporate partnership offerings.
- UpReach: UK social mobility charity focused specifically on supporting undergraduates from lower socioeconomic backgrounds into competitive graduate employers. Operates a similar employer partnership model and outcome-tracking approach, with overlap on the university-to-graduate-career transition phase of SMF's APP.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Social Mobility Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceThe Social Mobility Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Social Mobility Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
The Social Mobility Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Social Mobility Foundation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Social Mobility Foundation
What does The Social Mobility Foundation do?
The Social Mobility Foundation delivers the Aspiring Professionals Programme (APP), a five-year structured programme that supports high-achieving students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds from Year 12/S5 through to their first graduate job. The programme combines mentoring, skills workshops, university application support (including UCAS personal statement checking), and guaranteed work experience placements with partner employers across law, finance, consulting, engineering, media, and medicine sectors. Delivery occurs in-person through APP City across eight UK cities and remotely through APP Reach, supplemented by residential work experience in London, Glasgow, and Middlesbrough.
Is The Social Mobility Foundation a public or private company?
The Social Mobility Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Social Mobility Foundation founded?
The Social Mobility Foundation was founded in 2006. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Social Mobility Foundation based?
The Social Mobility Foundation is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does The Social Mobility Foundation make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Corporate Partnerships are the primary driver. The others are trust and Foundation Grants, individual Donations and research and Advocacy Partnerships.
Who are The Social Mobility Foundation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sutton Trust, Generation UK, The Prince's Trust, Career Ready, Speakers for Schools, Impetus, The Bridge Group and Brightside Trust. Emerging players are Social Mobility Foundation Employer Index competitors (e.g., Timewise Foundation) and UpReach.
Does The Social Mobility Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Social Mobility Foundation.
What industry is The Social Mobility Foundation in?
The Social Mobility Foundation's product category is Youth Education and Social Mobility Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAAAFAN, Youth-to-Adult Transition & Life Skills (Independent Living, Soft Skills), with a secondary code of EDALAFAN, Accessibility, Accommodations & Assistive Services. Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8200.