Alternative Provision Network
The Alternative Provision Network is a UK national directory and membership platform connecting alternative education providers, schools, and local authorities across all 213 UK local authorities, offering tiered subscriptions from £95 to £395 per year for verified listings and resource access.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersRomford, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Alternative Provision Network does
The Alternative Provision Network is a UK-based national directory and community platform that connects alternative education providers with schools, pupils referral units, colleges, and local/regional/national government commissioning bodies. Operating under the legal entity BEP Appointments (UK) Ltd from Romford, the platform serves the alternative provision (AP) sector — education for pupils who cannot attend mainstream school due to exclusion, medical needs, or at-risk status — and covers all 213 local authorities across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
The platform is built on WordPress with membership management plugins and Stripe payment integration, and consists of four core products: a Provider Directory searchable by sector, local authority, and keyword; a Local Authority Directory covering all UK LAs; a Resource Library of 35 documents including DfE guidance, Ofsted frameworks, parliamentary reports, and templates; and a tiered Membership Platform. Free basic listings are offered to providers for visibility, with paid verified memberships providing full provision descriptions, Ofsted ratings, capacity, pricing, and contact details.
The business model is subscription-based, with annual membership tiers ranging from £95 (Tutor) to £395 (Local/National Government), plus £10 Day Pass and £20 Week Pass options for occasional users. Distribution is exclusively self-serve via the website, with SEO-driven acquisition through the directory and resource library. The company has 5 employees, no disclosed external funding, no parent company, and operates as a bootstrapped, membership-funded niche utility within the UK education sector.
Alternative Provision Network firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Alternative Provision Network
- Legal name
- BEP Appointments (UK) Ltd
- Website
- https://alternativeprovision.net
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Alternative Provision Network is a UK national directory and membership platform connecting alternative education providers, schools, and local authorities across all 213 UK local authorities, offering tiered subscriptions from £95 to £395 per year for verified listings and resource access.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Alternative Provision Network industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Education Directory Services
- NAICS
- Educational Services (611), Professional Organizations (81392), Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services (5192)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Independent Educational Consultant Case Management & Service Coordination (EDAKACAO)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Virtual Special Education & Related Services (IEP Delivery Online) (EDAJADAG)
Keywords
Where Alternative Provision Network is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Romford
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Alternative Provision Network business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Membership Subscriptions: Annual membership fees paid by AP providers, schools, local authorities, and government bodies for access to the directory and network resources. Tiered pricing based on organization type with different access levels.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Tutor(s) membership for individual tutors and small tutor groups |
| Subscription | Annual | Alternative Provider (Unregistered) for organizations not yet registered with Ofsted |
| Subscription | Annual | Alternative Provider (Registered) for Ofsted registered AP organisations |
| Subscription | Annual | School membership for mainstream or independent schools |
| Subscription | Annual | Local/National Government for local authority teams and national government bodies |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Day Pass for 24 hours access |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Week Pass for 7 days access |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Alternative Provision Network product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Alternative Provision Network operates a national UK-wide online directory and membership community that connects alternative education providers, schools, local authorities, and government commissioners. The platform offers searchable provider and local authority directories, a curated resource library, tiered annual memberships (£95–£395), and short-term day and week passes for occasional users.
Product overview
The Alternative Provision Network is a national directory and community platform that connects schools, local authorities, and alternative education providers. The platform consists of a Provider Directory for finding and verifying AP providers, a Local Authority Directory covering 213 UK local authorities, a Resource Library with 35 guidance documents and reports, and a tiered Membership Platform. Free basic listings and paid verified memberships (ranging from £95 to £395/year) provide graduated access to provider details, contact information, pricing, and Ofsted ratings.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Provider Directory
- Local Authority Directory
- Resource Library
Companies that use Alternative Provision Network
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Alternative Provision Network technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Alternative Provision Network partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Alternative Provision Network competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Tes: Major UK and global education marketplace with job boards, resources, and school services. Comparable in serving schools and local authorities with directory and resource products, though it operates across a much broader education portfolio.
- Arbor Education: UK-based MIS (management information system) provider for schools and MATs. Comparable in selling software subscriptions to UK schools and local authorities, with potential adjacency in AP placement tracking.
- School Guide: Long-standing UK school directory and information platform. Comparable in providing a searchable directory of UK schools and education providers, with SEO-driven content as a top-of-funnel channel.
Regional players
- EdPlace: UK-focused online education platform providing worksheets and tutoring resources. Comparable as a UK education subscription service targeting schools and parents, though focused on academic content rather than AP commissioning.
Emerging players
- Tutorful: UK online tutoring marketplace connecting tutors with students and schools. Comparable in operating a marketplace model for UK education services and serving similar buyer personas (schools, parents, LAs).
- SchoolDash: UK education data platform providing school and local authority information. Comparable in aggregating UK education data and serving commissioners and policymakers, with some overlap in the LA directory functionality.
- Lytmus: UK education platform serving schools and local authorities with workforce and placement data. Comparable in addressing the operational needs of LAs and schools in the specialist education space.
Others
- EdTech UK: UK trade body representing the education technology sector. Comparable as an ecosystem convener for UK education providers and stakeholders, though primarily an advocacy organization rather than a directory.
Direct peers
- The SEND Network: UK-based membership network for SEND professionals, schools, and providers. Comparable in operating a membership-based model serving local authorities, schools, and specialist providers in the SEND/AP space.
- SENDirect: A UK directory that connects families and professionals with SEND and alternative provision services. Directly comparable in providing a curated directory of specialist education providers across the UK.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Alternative Provision Network social profiles
Digital presenceAlternative Provision Network financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Alternative Provision Network leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Alternative Provision Network funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Alternative Provision Network 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 Alternative Provision Network
What does Alternative Provision Network do?
The Alternative Provision Network operates a national UK-wide online directory and membership community that connects alternative education providers, schools, local authorities, and government commissioners. The platform offers searchable provider and local authority directories, a curated resource library, tiered annual memberships (£95–£395), and short-term day and week passes for occasional users.
Is Alternative Provision Network a public or private company?
Alternative Provision Network is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Alternative Provision Network founded?
Alternative Provision Network was founded in 2017. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Alternative Provision Network based?
Alternative Provision Network is headquartered in Romford, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Alternative Provision Network make money?
One revenue line is on record: membership Subscriptions.
Who are Alternative Provision Network's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Tes, Arbor Education and School Guide. EdPlace is listed as a regional player. Emerging players are Tutorful, SchoolDash and Lytmus. EdTech UK is listed as an others. Direct peers are The SEND Network and SENDirect.
Does Alternative Provision Network have an API?
No public API is recorded for Alternative Provision Network.
What industry is Alternative Provision Network in?
Alternative Provision Network's product category is Education Directory Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAKACAO, Independent Educational Consultant Case Management & Service Coordination, with a secondary code of EDAJADAG, Virtual Special Education & Related Services (IEP Delivery Online). Its NAICS code is 611 and its SIC code is 8200.