Project SEARCH
Project SEARCH is a non-profit employment-transition program run by Cricket Green School in Merton, UK, preparing pupils aged 4-19 with special educational needs for paid work via job coaching, internships, and employer partnerships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- Headquarters—
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Project SEARCH does
Project SEARCH is an employment-transition program operated within Cricket Green School, a state-funded special school and registered UK charity (No. 1144172) located in Mitcham, Surrey, within the London Borough of Merton. The program supports pupils aged 4-19 with special educational needs — including significant global learning difficulties, physical disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, and language or social-emotional challenges — to move from education into paid employment through classroom preparation, job coaching, interview and workplace-behaviour training, travel training, and structured internships.
The program operates as a licensed participant in the national DFN Project Search initiative and partners with local employers to host work placements, giving students real-world settings in which to develop and demonstrate employability skills. Cricket Green School as a whole has been judged 'Outstanding' by Ofsted in four consecutive inspections (2010, 2013, 2017, 2023), and surrounds the program with an unusually broad ecosystem for a special school: occupational, speech and language, drama, and play therapies; a music school; the Orchard Café; a CPD/training school; and community partnerships including Mitcham Town Community Trust and Attain (Merton School Partnership).
Project SEARCH does not operate a commercial business model. It is a publicly funded, non-profit program with no pricing, no customers in the commercial sense, no revenue disclosure, and no technology product. Beneficiaries are referred through Merton SEN processes, and the program's reach is effectively bounded by a single commissioning borough, with the DFN affiliation providing optional national-network reach rather than an active expansion plan visible in the source data.
Project SEARCH firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Project SEARCH
- Legal name
- Cricket Green School
- Website
- https://cricketgreen.merton.sch.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Project SEARCH is a non-profit employment-transition program run by Cricket Green School in Merton, UK, preparing pupils aged 4-19 with special educational needs for paid work via job coaching, internships, and employer partnerships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Project SEARCH industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Special Education and Employment Transition Services
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Employment Placement Agencies and Executive Search Services (56131)
- SIC
- Services-Employment Agencies (7361)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Interagency Coordination & Case Management (VR, DD, Medicaid Waivers) (EDAKANAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Career Exploration & Job Shadowing Programs (EDAMAKAC), Internship/Apprenticeship Matching & Work-Based Learning Platforms (EDAFAMAL), Youth-to-Adult Transition & Life Skills (Independent Living, Soft Skills) (EDAAAFAN)
Keywords
Project SEARCH business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Project SEARCH product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Project SEARCH is an employment-focused transition program operated within Cricket Green School that prepares students with special educational needs for paid employment. The program combines classroom-based employment preparation with real-world work experience placements at partner employer sites, supported by job coaching, interview preparation, workplace behavior training, and travel training. It is licensed through the DFN Project Search national initiative and is open to learners aged 4-19 with conditions including significant global learning difficulties, autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, and social/emotional challenges.
Product overview
Project SEARCH is an employment program and venture run by Cricket Green School to prepare students with special educational needs for work and help them transition into employment. The program provides job coaching, work experience placements, and support for young people with additional needs to find and maintain employment. It is not a technology product or software platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Project SEARCH Transition Program
Quantifiable outcome
- Multiple students have achieved employment outcomes following participation in Project SEARCH and work experience programs
Companies that use Project SEARCH
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Project SEARCH technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Project SEARCH partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- DFN Project SearchcoreProject SEARCH is affiliated with the DFN (Deborah Frances Daniels and Neil) Project Search national program, which supports young people with learning disabilities and autism to find meaningful employment through structured internship programs. Cricket Green School is a licensed participant in this program.
- Local Employers (various)coreProject SEARCH partners with local employers to provide work placement opportunities for students. Employers host students for internships and work experience, providing real-world employment settings where students can develop job skills and demonstrate their capabilities.
- Mitcham Town Community TrustminorCommunity partnership supporting broader school initiatives and community integration for students with special educational needs.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Project SEARCH competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- United Response: UK charity providing supported employment and personal development services for people with learning disabilities and autism. Comparable supported-employment model and target beneficiary cohort.
- Ambitious about Autism: UK charity running specialist education settings and employment preparation programs for children and young people with autism. Directly comparable as a charity-sector provider of education-to-employment transition pathways for autistic learners.
- Hft (learning disability): UK charity supporting people with learning disabilities, including employment support and transition services. Comparable as a specialist-sector provider focused on learning-disability employment outcomes.
Broad incumbents
- Mencap: Leading UK learning disability charity providing supported employment, education, and transition services. Comparable in serving the same beneficiary population with focus on employment outcomes for people with learning disabilities.
- National Autistic Society: Large UK charity serving people with autism, including post-16 education and employment support services. Comparable target population and overlapping employment-transition mission for young people with autism and learning disabilities.
- DFN Project Search: The national umbrella program of which Project SEARCH at Cricket Green is a licensed site. Directly comparable as both deliver structured internship-based transition-to-employment programs for young people with learning disabilities and autism across the UK.
Others
- NASEN: UK membership organisation for SEND professionals, providing training, resources, and policy advocacy. Comparable ecosystem participant supporting the broader special-education and transition-to-employment infrastructure in which Project SEARCH operates.
Regional players
- The Children's Trust: UK charity providing specialist education and rehabilitation for children with complex needs including brain injuries and neurodisability. Comparable as a specialist SEN provider with rehabilitation-to-independence focus, though serving a more medical-needs cohort.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Project SEARCH social profiles
Digital presenceProject SEARCH financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Project SEARCH leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Project SEARCH funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Project SEARCH M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
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Frequently asked questions about Project SEARCH
What does Project SEARCH do?
Project SEARCH is an employment-focused transition program operated within Cricket Green School that prepares students with special educational needs for paid employment. The program combines classroom-based employment preparation with real-world work experience placements at partner employer sites, supported by job coaching, interview preparation, workplace behavior training, and travel training. It is licensed through the DFN Project Search national initiative and is open to learners aged 4-19 with conditions including significant global learning difficulties, autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, and social/emotional challenges.
Is Project SEARCH a public or private company?
Project SEARCH is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Project SEARCH founded?
Project SEARCH was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Who are Project SEARCH's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are United Response, Ambitious about Autism and Hft (learning disability). Broad incumbents are Mencap, National Autistic Society and DFN Project Search. NASEN is listed as an others. The Children's Trust is listed as a regional player.
Does Project SEARCH have an API?
No public API is recorded for Project SEARCH.
What industry is Project SEARCH in?
Project SEARCH's product category is Special Education and Employment Transition Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAKANAM, Interagency Coordination & Case Management (VR, DD, Medicaid Waivers), with a secondary code of EDAMAKAC, Career Exploration & Job Shadowing Programs. Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 7361.