What Common Purpose Ireland does

Common Purpose Ireland is a Dublin-based charity and Company Limited by Guarantee (company number 245649, charity number 20033477) established in 1996 that delivers leadership development programmes under license from The Common Purpose Charitable Trust. Its portfolio is split between Personal Development offerings — Lighthouse (senior leaders), Beacon (high-potential leaders), The Leaders for Nature Programme (emerging leaders in nature restoration), and Legacy (young people aged 18-25) — and Business Solutions covering equity/diversity/inclusion, change leadership, purpose, women in leadership, university staff and students, and leadership assessments. Programmes are delivered in-person and hybrid (online and in-person) by a 16-person team from its Riverside One, Sir John Rogerson's Quay registered office.

The organization serves institutional and individual buyers in Ireland, with public-facing logos (Google, GE, Harvard, Unilever, British Council) reflecting broader Common Purpose network associations rather than confirmed Irish contracts. There is no publicly disclosed pricing; the GTM motion is enterprise field sales via a 'Get in Touch' form with named buyer levels (CXO, VP, Director). Marketing channels include website, podcast ('The Big Spark Cast'), newsletter, blog, and alumni story content. No technology platform, proprietary software, or AI/ML capabilities are disclosed — the core 'technology' is the licensed programme content and frameworks (Leading Beyond Authority, COMPASS, Cultural Intelligence).

Revenue is not disclosed. Cumulative reported outcomes include 4,200+ programmes delivered over 30+ years, 130,000+ lifetime participants, and 87% reporting the programme was good value for time. Ownership is via the parent charitable trust structure; there are no subsidiaries, funding rounds, M&A activity, or publicly traded instruments.

Name

Common Purpose Ireland

Legal name

Common Purpose (Ireland)

Website

https://commonpurpose.ie

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Common Purpose Ireland is a Dublin-based charity, founded in 1996 and operating under license from The Common Purpose Charitable Trust, that delivers in-person and hybrid leadership development programmes to senior leaders, high-potentials, young people, and organizations across Ireland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Leadership Development Training

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

akta.pro primary industry

Executive Leadership & C-Suite Development (EDABAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH)

Keywords

• Leadership development programmes
• Executive education
• Professional training services
• Organizational development
• Leadership training

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Leadership Development Programmes: Revenue generated from delivering transformative leadership experiences for individuals and organizations. Programs include Lighthouse (senior leaders), Beacon (high-potential leaders), Leaders for Nature Programme, and Legacy (young people). Also includes business solutions for organizational needs such as equity/diversity/inclusion, change leadership, purpose, and women in leadership. Programs offered in-person and hybrid formats.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Common Purpose Ireland delivers transformative leadership development programmes for individuals and organizations across Ireland. It operates licensed personal development programmes (Lighthouse, Beacon, Leaders for Nature Programme, Legacy) and business solutions (Equity, Diversity & Inclusion; Change Leadership; Purpose; Women in Leadership; University Staff) in in-person and hybrid formats.

Product overview

Common Purpose Ireland offers a portfolio of leadership development programmes organized into Personal Development (Lighthouse, Beacon, The Leaders for Nature Programme, Legacy) and Business Solutions (Equity Diversity and Inclusion, Change Leadership, Purpose, Women in Leadership, University Staff). The programmes are delivered in-person and online, targeting senior leaders, high-potential leaders, emerging leaders, young people, and organizational teams. The organization operates under license from The Common Purpose Charitable Trust and has delivered over 4,200 programmes over 30+ years to more than 130,000 participants.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Lighthouse A leadership development programme uniquely crafted to amplify the impact of senior leaders within and beyond their organizations. Delivered in-person and aimed at senior leaders from all sectors.
• Beacon A comprehensive leadership development programme designed to unleash the boundless capabilities of high-potential leaders. Delivered in-person in Ireland.
• The Leaders for Nature Programme A programme for emerging leaders from different disciplines, communities, and backgrounds who share a common ambition to restore and regenerate nature in Ireland. Delivered in a hybrid (online and in-person) format.
• Legacy A programme challenging young people to explore the legacy they can leave on the world. Delivered in-person and designed for young people aged 18-25 years.
• Equity, Diversity and Inclusion A business solution programme that helps organizations embrace the power of equity, diversity and inclusion in their decision making. Targeted at organizational teams.
• Change Leadership A business solution that empowers individuals and teams to become change ready in an ever more disruptive world.
• Purpose A business solution helping organizations prepare their people to navigate change and uncertainty with renewed conviction.
• Women in Leadership A programme designed to drive change towards more equitable, inclusive and sustainable organizations by igniting the impact of women in leadership.
• University Staff Award-winning programmes and expertise in developing university staff, sold to higher education institutions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4,200+ programmes delivered over 30+ years
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• The Common Purpose Charitable TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommon Purpose Ireland operates programmes under license from The Common Purpose Charitable Trust. This is the parent organization that provides the programme framework and intellectual property for Common Purpose operations across multiple countries including Ireland, Australia, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Singapore, South Africa, Turkey, United Kingdom, and United States.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Common Purpose UK: UK-based headquarters of the Common Purpose network and source of the licensed programme framework; the closest functional peer given shared IP, methodology, and programme catalogue serving Common Purpose Ireland's market.
• Irish Management Institute (IMI): Ireland's premier executive education and leadership development provider, delivering in-person and hybrid programmes to senior leaders and high-potential managers — directly comparable to Common Purpose Ireland's Lighthouse and Beacon programmes and Irish enterprise customer base.
• UCD Smurfit Executive Development: Executive education arm of UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School offering leadership development, custom programmes, and EDI-focused business solutions to Irish and European enterprise clients — overlapping target customers and programme categories with Common Purpose Ireland.
• Center for Creative Leadership (CCL): Global leadership development provider with strong methodology and assessment tools; offers comparable programmes for senior leaders, high-potential talent, and women in leadership — direct competition in the leadership development category.

Broad incumbents

• Dale Carnegie & Associates: Long-established global training provider offering leadership, communication, and professional development programmes to individuals and organizations — competing in Ireland's enterprise and individual leadership development market.
• FranklinCovey: Large-scale global leadership and organizational performance provider offering enterprise solutions including leadership development, change management, and EDI — competes in the same Irish enterprise market with a much broader portfolio and stronger technology platform.
• DDI (Development Dimensions International): Global leadership development firm offering leadership assessments, executive coaching, and high-potential programmes — overlapping with Common Purpose Ireland's Beacon and Leadership Assessments offerings, particularly for multinational enterprise clients.
• Ashridge (Hult Ashridge Executive Education): Established executive education provider offering leadership development, custom programmes, and organizational consulting — competes for enterprise leadership development budgets with comparable methodologies.
• Korn Ferry: Global organizational consulting firm with significant leadership development and executive coaching practices; competes for the same Irish enterprise leadership development budget pool, particularly for senior leader cohorts comparable to Common Purpose's Lighthouse programme.

Regional players

• 30% Club Ireland: Ireland-focused campaign and cross-company initiative advancing women in leadership — directly comparable to Common Purpose Ireland's Women in Leadership business solution and overlapping Irish enterprise customer base.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/common-purpose-ireland

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Common Purpose Ireland