What Big Issue Recruit does

Big Issue Recruit is a UK-based non-profit recruitment service that operates free of charge to both candidates and employers. It connects employers with job seekers who have experienced homelessness, long-term unemployment, or lack of qualifications, providing dedicated Job Coach matching, vacancy promotion and management, pre-hire coaching, and ongoing post-placement support including financial, digital, and wellbeing resources. The service operates across multiple sectors including environmental and waste management, social housing, warehouse and logistics, public sector, and hospitality, with employer partners such as Veolia, Baxter Storey, Dott, C&C Group, Expd8, and Bute Energy.

The offering is delivered as a human-centered service rather than a technology platform. There is no proprietary algorithmic matching or automated screening layer; matching and support are performed by trained Job Coaches via direct employer outreach and a candidate website portal. The service also includes flexible hiring options (direct hires, try-before-you-hire, fully outsourced recruitment) and an add-on annual Social Value Impact Reporting module that enables employer partners to measure inclusive hiring outcomes aligned with ESG and Social Value Act reporting requirements.

Big Issue Recruit is a subsidiary of the Big Issue Group, operating under the legal entity The Big Issue Limited, a UK private company. The unit employs roughly 8 people and is funded as part of the Big Issue Group's social mission rather than as a commercial venture, with no disclosed pricing, subscription fees, or revenue contracts. Distribution runs through direct enterprise employer partnerships, a candidate-facing self-serve website, and cross-promotion across the wider Big Issue Group ecosystem including Big Issue Invest, Big Exchange, and Big Issue vendor networks.

Name

Big Issue Recruit

Legal name

The Big Issue Limited

Website

https://jobs.bigissue.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Big Issue Recruit is a UK non-profit free recruitment service that connects employers with candidates who have experienced homelessness, long-term unemployment, or lack of qualifications, providing Job Coach matching, vacancy management, and post-hire support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Recruitment Services

NAICS

Employment Placement Agencies (561311)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

General Permanent Placement (Multi-Industry) (BPACAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Recruiting Administration Outsourcing (Recruitment Support, Scheduling, Onboarding Ops) (BPACAKAG), Interview Coaching & Hiring Process Preparation (BPACAOAI)

Keywords

• Inclusive recruitment services
• Job coaching support
• Social value hiring
• Workforce inclusion programs
• Barriers to employment

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Free Recruitment Services: Big Issue Recruit provides its recruitment services free of charge to both candidates and employers. The service is funded as part of the Big Issue Group's social mission, operating as a nonprofit recruitment initiative rather than a commercial venture.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Big Issue Recruit is a free recruitment service that connects UK employers with job seekers who have experienced homelessness, long-term unemployment, or lack of qualifications. The service pairs employers and candidates through dedicated Job Coaches, provides one-to-one coaching, confidence building, workplace skills training, and ongoing post-placement guidance. For employers, it offers vacancy promotion and management, flexible hiring options (direct hires, try-before-you-hire, fully outsourced recruitment), and annual social value impact reporting.

Product overview

Big Issue Recruit is a single, unified recruitment service focused on inclusive employment. The core offering consists of a free job matching service that connects employers with overlooked talent, paired with dedicated Job Coaching and Mentoring for candidates. For employers, the service includes vacancy promotion, flexible hiring options (direct hires, try-before-you-hire, and fully outsourced recruitment), and post-hire coaching for candidates. An add-on Social Value Impact Reporting module enables employers to measure and report on their social impact. The service spans multiple sectors including environmental/waste management, social housing, warehouse/logistics, public sector, and hospitality.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Recruitment Matching Service
• Job Coaching and Mentoring

Named customers6 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Baxter StoreycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBaxter Storey is an employer partner of Big Issue Recruit, providing employment opportunities in the hospitality and catering sector for candidates who have faced employment barriers.
• DottcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDott is a micro-mobility company that partners with Big Issue Recruit to offer employment opportunities in the transportation sector for candidates facing barriers to work.
• C&C GroupcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerC&C Group is a beverages and grocery company that partners with Big Issue Recruit to provide job opportunities in the hospitality and retail sectors for candidates seeking employment.
• Expd8coreGTM or Marketing PartnerExpd8 is a logistics and supply chain company that partners with Big Issue Recruit to offer warehousing and logistics employment opportunities for candidates facing barriers to work.
• Bute EnergycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBute Energy is a renewable energy company that partners with Big Issue Recruit to provide employment opportunities in the environmental sector.
• VeoliacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerVeolia is an environmental services company providing waste management solutions that partners with Big Issue Recruit to create employment opportunities in the environmental and waste management sector for candidates facing barriers to employment.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Walking With The Wounded: UK charity delivering employment programmes for veterans and wounded service personnel. Comparable in mission-driven recruitment and employer partnership model, with similar free-to-candidate and wraparound support structure.
• Evenbreak: UK-based inclusive job board and recruitment service focused on candidates with disabilities and long-term health conditions. Directly comparable to Big Issue Recruit in mission (connecting overlooked talent with employers) and free-to-candidate model, though more technology-led.
• Remploy: Established UK provider of employment services for people with disabilities and health conditions. Comparable in targeting a similar underrepresented candidate pool and working with employers on inclusive recruitment, but operates at significantly greater scale as an established social enterprise.
• Leonard Cheshire Disability: UK charity supporting disabled people into employment through tailored programs and employer partnerships. Highly comparable mission and beneficiary profile to Big Issue Recruit, with overlapping employer engagement in inclusive hiring.
• Catch22: UK social business delivering employment, skills, and inclusion programmes for people facing barriers to work. Comparable as a charity/social enterprise running employer-facing inclusive recruitment with coaching and wraparound support, overlapping directly with Big Issue Recruit's model.
• EmployAbility: UK charity providing recruitment and consultancy services for students and graduates with disabilities. Closely aligned with Big Issue Recruit's mission of connecting underrepresented candidates to employers, though focused on a narrower graduate talent segment.
• The Poppy Factory: UK charity supporting veterans with physical and mental health conditions into employment. Directly comparable in offering coaching, employer engagement, and tailored placement support for a specific underrepresented candidate population.

Broad incumbents

• Shaw Trust: Large UK charity delivering employment, skills, and inclusion services including disability and long-term unemployment programmes. Comparable mission and employer engagement model, but at substantially larger scale and with broader service portfolio than Big Issue Recruit.
• Reed: One of the UK's largest generalist recruitment agencies and job boards. Comparable as a UK recruitment services incumbent with broad multi-sector coverage, but does not specialize in candidates facing employment barriers or in social-impact positioning.
• Adecco UK: Major UK staffing and recruitment provider across permanent, temporary, and outplacement services. Comparable as a broad incumbent in employment services with programmes supporting diverse candidates, but operates at very different scale and breadth.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/big-issue-recruit

Compliance2 records

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 Big Issue Recruit