What Combined Cadet Force (CCF) | Official does

The Combined Cadet Force (CCF) is a UK youth organisation, founded in 1948 with roots traceable to 1859, that delivers military-themed and character-development training to pupils in over 500 state-funded and independent secondary schools. It operates as a partnership between the Ministry of Defence (covering uniformed sections, training and the Cadet Expansion Programme) and the schools themselves, structured into three sections — Royal Navy/Royal Marines, Army, and Royal Air Force — and reports a current cohort of more than 51,400 cadets supported by over 4,100 Cadet Force Adult Volunteers. The Combined Cadet Force Association (CCFA) functions as the charity arm handling membership, fundraising, and insurance. Activity is concentrated in the UK across England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.

CCF's core product is structured extra-curricular training that combines drill, leadership, expedition, STEM and community engagement with section-specific technical training such as synthetic flight instruction delivered through VR rigs and Microsoft Flight Simulator, sailing and seamanship for the Royal Navy/Royal Marines section, and fieldcraft for the Army section. Curriculum breadth has been deliberately extended beyond traditional military activities into cyber and digital skills (via CyberFirst/NCSC), mental-health support (Care First counselling and the Kooth digital platform), and STEM enrichment (Xtreme Everest). The underlying technology stack is therefore best characterised as a mixed delivery platform — physical training estate plus third-party digital tools — rather than a proprietary software platform.

The organisation is funded primarily through Ministry of Defence grants underwriting the Cadet Expansion Programme, supplemented by school contributions, CCFA membership fees, fundraising, and insurance receipts. CCF is not a commercial entity and does not monetise through pricing tiers or product sales; "customers" are schools and their pupils, while the dominant revenue counterparty is the UK government. Strategic direction is set by MOD policy, and operational delivery is executed through CFAVs and partner schools.

Name

Combined Cadet Force (CCF) | Official

Legal name

Combined Cadet Force (CCF)

Website

https://combinedcadetforce.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

UK youth organisation, founded 1948, delivering military-themed and character-development training through a Ministry of Defence–school partnership in 500+ secondary schools, serving 51,400+ cadets across three armed-forces sections.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Development Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialized Military Schools (Aviation, Naval, Cyber, Intelligence, Medical) (EDAHAOAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) Academies & Leadership Schools (EDAHAOAF), Military Preparatory Schools & Academy Prep Programs (EDAHAOAI)

Keywords

• Military youth training
• Youth development programmes
• School cadet forces
• Adventurous training activities
• Leadership skills education

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Charitable Activities: CCFA operates as a registered charity promoting the ideals and activities of CCF. Revenue comes from membership fees (minimum £50/year for Band A, £10/year for Band B), donations, and grant programmes. 82p in every pound is spent on charitable activity supporting CCF contingents and their cadets.
2. Insurance Services: CCFA manages collective Group Personal Accident (GPA) Scheme, Contingent Public Liability, and Travel Insurance purchased through the association on a per-trip basis for member contingents.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Combined Cadet Force (CCF) is a UK youth development organisation delivering military-themed training and education through contingents embedded in over 500 secondary schools. It operates three service sections — Royal Navy/Royal Marines, Army and Royal Air Force — offering leadership, fieldcraft, marksmanship, drill, adventurous training, flying, sailing and nationally recognised qualifications. The programme is delivered free to cadets via a formal educational partnership between each host school and the Ministry of Defence, with support from the Combined Cadet Force Association (CCFA) charity.

Product overview

The Combined Cadet Force (CCF) is a nationwide youth organization operating through educational partnerships between schools and the Ministry of Defence, with over 500 contingents in secondary schools across the UK. The organization offers three service sections (Royal Navy/Royal Marines, Army, and Royal Air Force) as its core products, each providing age-appropriate training in leadership, fieldcraft, marksmanship, drill, first aid, and adventurous training. Beyond the three service sections, CCF provides supplementary products including an Adventurous Training Programme (offering climbing, kayaking, parachuting, canyoning, and more), Skills and Qualification Programmes (Duke of Edinburgh's Award, BTECs, first aid, vocational qualifications), and Synthetic Flight Training using flight simulators and VR. The supporting infrastructure includes the Combined Cadet Force Association (CCFA), which administers grant programmes (Small Grants up to £350, Group Activity Grants up to £750), the CCFA Personal Accident Insurance Scheme, Care First 24/7 counselling services for adult volunteers, and the Employer Recognition Scheme. The organization does not operate as a technology product but rather as a structured youth development programme focused on Skills for Life.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Combined Cadet Force (CCF) Youth Programme A nationwide youth development programme delivered in over 500 UK secondary schools, offering structured military-themed training (leadership, fieldcraft, drill, first aid, adventurous training) under a partnership between each host school and the Ministry of Defence. Targets students aged 12–18 across Royal Navy/Royal Marines, Army and Royal Air Force sections.
• CCF Royal Navy and Royal Marines Section The Naval section of the CCF (Royal Navy sponsors around 150 CCF sections), offering afloat training as its defining activity, including RYA-certified courses in dinghy, powerboat, yacht and motor cruising, plus adventurous training in paddlesports, mountaineering and scuba diving, with annual camps at Britannia Royal Naval College and other naval facilities.
• CCF Army Section The Army section of the CCF (31,470 cadets across 405 UK schools), providing drill, skill at arms, shooting, fieldcraft, first aid, adventurous training, cyber/information skills and opportunities to gain nationally recognised qualifications such as the Duke of Edinburgh's Award and BTECs.
• CCF Royal Air Force Section The RAF section of the CCF (9,000 cadets across 230 RAF sections), forming part of Royal Air Force Air Cadets (RAFAC). Offers approximately 36 flying scholarships annually, aviation and aerospace activities, STEM, synthetic flight training, cyber programmes and the Qualified Aerospace Instructor Course.
• Adventurous Training Programme

Quantifiable outcome

• 51,400+ cadets and 4,100+ adult volunteers across 500+ UK schools
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers9 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Care FirstcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner24/7 confidential counselling and support service for CCF adult volunteers and their immediate families, including professional counselling (online or phone), health monitoring app, and online financial tools. After trial in Scotland, now available UK-wide.
• KoothcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFree, safe and anonymous mental health and wellbeing support platform readily available to all cadets, providing immediate access to therapists, councillors and online support.
• Defence Relationship ManagementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports employers on their journey within the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) as companies can become bronze, silver and gold recognized employers supporting the CCF.
• Ministry of DefencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormal educational partnership between schools and Ministry of Defence to deliver CCF activities. MOD provides support, training guidance, and framework for the cadet forces.
• Royal Air ForcecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlong with Air Training Corps, forms Royal Air Force Air Cadets (RAFAC). CCF (RAF) is the RAFAC section providing aviation-themed cadet experience with approximately 36 flying scholarships annually.
• Royal NavycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRoyal Navy sponsors around 150 CCF sections. Provides afloat training emphasis with leadership, afloat activities, adventurous training. Annual camps at Britannia Royal Naval College and other naval facilities.
• Jordan Wylie MBEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdventurer, television personality and Army Cadets National Ambassador who launched Xtreme Everest expedition. Leading expedition from lowest point on Earth (Dead Sea) to Mount Everest summit in 2028.
• National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports CyberFirst Adventurers Award programme that introduces young people to fundamentals of cyber security, digital safety, and modern problem-solving.
• St John AmbulanceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCFA provides point of contact with St John Ambulance and other organizations including CVC, the Council for Cadet Rifle Shooting, and Duke of Edinburgh's Award.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• RAF Air Cadets (RAFAC): RAF Air Cadets comprises the Air Training Corps and the CCF (RAF) section, and is co-sponsored by the RAF. It is a direct peer for the RAF section of CCF, sharing aviation training pathways including approximately 36 flying scholarships annually and synthetic flight training infrastructure.
• Army Cadet Force (ACF): The Army Cadet Force is the single-service Army youth organisation operating across the UK and the most direct peer to the CCF Army section. ACF shares the same MOD sponsorship structure, similar cadet age range, and a comparable activity portfolio, making it the closest direct peer for the land-based contingent model.
• Volunteer Cadet Corps: The Volunteer Cadet Corps is a MOD-sponsored cadet programme for young people in communities without school-based detachments. It overlaps directly with CCF's mission of MOD-sponsored youth development and serves as an alternative entry point into military-themed cadet activity.
• Sea Cadets (Sea Cadet Corps): Sea Cadets is the Royal Navy-sponsored youth organisation delivering afloat and waterfront training to UK cadets aged 10-18. It is a direct peer to the CCF Royal Navy/Royal Marines section, sharing RN sponsorship, RYA-certified afloat training pathways, and a comparable cadet demographic.

Broad incumbents

• Girlguiding UK: Girlguiding is the principal female-focused youth organisation in the UK offering structured skills, leadership, and adventurous activity programmes. It competes with CCF for the same volunteer and cadet pool in the secondary school segment.
• Scouts UK: Scouts UK is the UK's largest uniformed youth organisation and the dominant non-military alternative for character and skills development in schools and communities. It competes with CCF for parental attention, volunteer hours, and school extracurricular slots across the same 12-18 age range.

Regional players

• Cadet Forces (Canadian Cadet Organizations): The Canadian Cadet Organizations are the UK-equivalent state-sponsored military youth programme (Royal Canadian Sea, Army, and Air Cadets). They share the same tri-service government-sponsored model as CCF but operate in a different geography with parallel rather than competing cohorts.
• US JROTC (Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps): JROTC is the US high-school-based military youth development programme sponsored by each branch of the US Armed Forces. It is the international analogue to CCF in terms of school-based delivery, tri-service offerings, and Department of Defense partnership.

Emerging players

• The Duke of Edinburgh's Award: The Duke of Edinburgh's Award is delivered through schools and youth organisations across the UK and is actually embedded within CCF programmes. It is an adjacent peer in that DofE is a parallel qualification pathway cadets can pursue, while also being a competing extracurricular structure for school time.
• St John Ambulance Cadets: St John Ambulance Cadets is a youth programme for 11-17 year olds delivering first aid, healthcare, and community service training with a uniformed structure. It overlaps with CCF in volunteer-based uniformed youth development, particularly through first aid training pathways.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ccfcadets
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC6_xbaqCso4LbEzPnBz9UXA
• Facebookfacebook.com/cadetsinschools
• Instagraminstagram.com/cadetsinschools
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/combined-cadet-force-ccf

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Combined Cadet Force (CCF) | Official