Focus On Labour Exploitation (FLEX)

What Focus On Labour Exploitation (FLEX) does

FLEX (Focus on Labour Exploitation) is a UK-registered charity founded in 2013 and headquartered at The Foundry, 17 Oval Way, London, that works to end labour exploitation, forced labour, and human trafficking. The organization operates through five interconnected service lines: participatory research grounded in a proprietary Feminist Participatory Action Research (FPAR) methodology; evidence-based policy advocacy across modern slavery, immigration, and employment law; a business engagement programme built around its flagship Worker-Centred Model (an HRDD framework combining the Worker Engagement and Safeguarding Framework (WESF) and Human Rights Assessment (HRA)); bespoke training for frontline and statutory organizations; and convening of expert groups including LEAG, the Taskforce on Survivors of Trafficking in Immigration Detention, and the Working Group on Women Workers. FLEX employs 17 staff and is registered as Charity no. 1159611 and Company no. 8451701 in England and Wales.

Its core technology is methodological rather than software-based: FPAR is a novel research architecture in which workers with lived experience are engaged as paid Peer Researchers involved in every step of the research process, generating evidence (e.g., surveys of 134 cleaners and 326 Latin American women) that traditional approaches cannot capture. The Worker-Centred Model extends this into outsourced service supply chains, combining WESF (designed to make workers feel safe in reporting) with HRA tools to help businesses meet due diligence obligations.

FLEX operates as a non-profit funded by charitable donations and foundation grants. Training workshops are delivered free of charge to eligible community-based and frontline organizations, underwritten by City Bridge Foundation. The business engagement stream and policy advisory work represent a more commercial-adjacent channel. Customer segments include at-risk workers (cleaners, domestic workers, migrant workers), community/NGO frontline organizations, statutory services and public officials, government policymakers, and businesses with outsourced service supply chains.

Name

Focus On Labour Exploitation (FLEX)

Legal name

Focus on Labour Exploitation

Website

https://labourexploitation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

FLEX is a UK-registered charity founded in 2013 that combats labour exploitation through participatory research, policy advocacy, business engagement, training, and coalition building, serving at-risk workers, frontline organizations, businesses, and policymakers in the UK.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Labour Rights Advocacy

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus & Resilience Programming (BPADAEAK)

Keywords

• Labour rights advocacy
• Participatory action research
• Human rights due diligence
• Modern slavery training
• Worker engagement frameworks

Headquarters

HQ city

London, London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable Activities and Donations: FLEX is a registered charity (Charity no. 1159611) that operates through donations and charitable activities. They receive funding from foundations such as City Bridge Foundation for specific projects like training programmes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

FLEX is a registered UK charity that works to end labour exploitation by combining participatory research with workers, evidence-based policy advocacy, training for frontline and statutory bodies, and a proprietary Worker-Centred Model for human rights due diligence in outsourced supply chains. Its core deliverables are research reports, policy briefings, training workshops (online and in-person), and HRDD frameworks such as WESF and HRA, offered primarily free of charge to community organisations and on a project basis to businesses and government stakeholders.

Product overview

FLEX offers a portfolio of interconnected services focused on ending labour exploitation: research services using participatory approaches with workers; policy work providing evidence-based advocacy; business engagement developing human rights due diligence frameworks; training programmes for frontline organisations; and networks & coalitions facilitating expert collaboration. Their flagship programme is the Worker-Centred Model, an HRDD framework combining Worker Engagement and Safeguarding Framework (WESF) with Human Rights Assessment (HRA) tools for outsourced service supply chains.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Research Services Participatory research that identifies and analyses the systems and structures driving labour exploitation, working 'with' rather than 'on' at-risk workers using the Feminist Participatory Action Research (FPAR) methodology and a network of paid Peer Researchers. Outputs include published reports and briefings used by community organisations, businesses and policy stakeholders.
• Policy Work
• Business Engagement Programme
• Training Programmes Bespoke in-person and online training workshops on identifying and responding to labour exploitation, covering employment rights, modern slavery indicators and migrants' rights. Delivered free of charge to community-based and frontline organisations across the UK, and on a paid or commissioned basis to statutory bodies, with a 'Train the Trainer' package for Modern Slavery leads.
• Networks & Coalitions
• FLEX Worker-Centred Model (Human Rights Due Diligence Programme) A Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD) programme for outsourced service supply chains, co-created with workers and grounded in their lived experience. Combines the Worker Engagement and Safeguarding Framework (WESF) and the Human Rights Assessment (HRA) to help businesses identify risks, meet regulatory requirements and improve supplier performance.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 200 individuals from frontline organizations trained on labour exploitation identification and response
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

33 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Latin American Women's Rights Service (LAWRS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 February 2022FLEX partnered with LAWRS and East European Resource Centre (EERC) on a project to prevent labour exploitation in the UK's cleaning sector. The partnership involves an information campaign targeted at cleaners from Eastern European and Latin American communities, awareness-raising in various languages, and collaborative training sessions with GLAA officers and local organizations.
• Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 February 2022Collaboration with GLAA on the cleaning sector prevention initiative, where GLAA provides enforcement expertise and FLEX provides community outreach and training. GLAA officers participate in training sessions across the UK.
• East European Resource Centre (EERC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 February 2022Partner with FLEX and LAWRS on preventing exploitation in the cleaning sector, focusing on Eastern European workers.
• Anti-slavery London Working Group (LWG)minorOthersEstablished by the Human Trafficking Foundation. FLEX is a member participating in shaping UK responses to labour exploitation.
• ATMG – The Anti-Trafficking Monitoring GroupminorOthersLed by Anti-Slavery International. FLEX participates in this monitoring group.
• BASNET – The UK's BME Anti-Slavery NetworkminorOthersAssociate member of the BME Anti-Slavery Network.
• Corporate Justice CoalitioncoreOthersFLEX is a member of the Corporate Justice Coalition working on corporate accountability and supply chain transparency.
• ETI – The Ethical Trading Initiative NGO CaucuscoreOthersFLEX participates in ETI's NGO Caucus working on ethical supply chains.
• GAATW – The Global Alliance Against Trafficking in WomenminorOthersInternational coalition member working on trafficking in women issues globally.
• IMIXminorOthersUK-based migration advocacy organization. FLEX is a member.
• LSI – La Strada InternationalminorOthersInternational network working against trafficking in human beings. FLEX is a member.
• PICUM – The Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented MigrantsminorOthersInternational platform focused on undocumented migrants. FLEX is a member.
• Independent Workers of Great Britain (IWGB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFLEX collaborated with IWGB (grassroots union) to run workshops with Latin American and Afro-Caribbean cleaners in the UK for the Worker-Centred Model pilot.
• Lift the Ban CampaignminorOthersFLEX is a supporter of the Lift the Ban Campaign advocating for asylum seekers' right to work.
• #ThisIsNotWorking CampaignminorOthersLed by Trades Union Congress (TUC). FLEX is a supporter of this campaign against sexual harassment in the workplace.
• #StepUpMigrantWomenminorOthersLed by Latin American Women's Rights Service (LAWRS). FLEX supports this campaign for migrant women.
• #PayYourWorkers CampaignminorOthersLed by Clean Clothes Campaign. FLEX is a supporter of this campaign for worker pay equity.
• Unchecked UKminorOthersFLEX is a supporter of Unchecked UK campaign.
• Ashiana SheffieldminorOthersPast member of the Working Group on Women Workers.
• East European Resource Centre (EEAC)minorOthersPast member of the Working Group on Women Workers.
• KalayaanminorOthersPast member of the Working Group on Women Workers; provides advice and support to migrant domestic workers.
• King's College London (Prof. Cathy McIlwaine and Shereen Hussein)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partners and past members of the Working Group on Women Workers.
• Leigh DayminorOthersLegal firm and past member of the Working Group on Women Workers.
• Maternity ActionminorOthersPast member of the Working Group on Women Workers.
• Rights of WomenminorOthersPast member of the Working Group on Women Workers.
• The Voice of Domestic WorkersminorOthersPast member of the Working Group on Women Workers.
• Trades Union Congress (TUC)minorOthersPast member of the Working Group on Women Workers.
• UNISONminorOthersPast member of the Working Group on Women Workers.
• Unite the UnionminorOthersPast member of the Working Group on Women Workers.
• Young Women's TrustminorOthersPast member of the Working Group on Women Workers.
• Nottingham Rights LabcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership on live-in migrant care workers in London, exploring risks of exploitation. Partnered with FLEX, Institute of Public Care at Oxford Brookes University, and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
• Institute of Public Care at Oxford Brookes UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner on live-in migrant care workers study.
• London School of Hygiene and Tropical MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner on live-in migrant care workers study.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Verité: International research and advisory NGO working on labour rights in supply chains through worker-driven research methodologies. Directly comparable to FLEX's FPAR approach and human rights due diligence service offering, with broader geographic reach.
• Human Trafficking Foundation: UK charity that established and convenes the Anti-slavery London Working Group, of which FLEX is a member. Closely comparable as a UK convening and policy-influence body on modern slavery, operating in overlapping networks.
• Kalayaan: UK charity providing advice and advocacy to migrant domestic workers, many of whom are vulnerable to labour exploitation. Overlaps directly with FLEX's domestic worker and migrant worker segments and shared Working Group on Women Workers.
• Institute for Human Rights and Business (IHRB): International centre of excellence on business and human rights, providing due diligence frameworks, corporate advisory, and policy leadership. Strong overlap with FLEX's Worker-Centred Model and business engagement vertical, particularly on supply-chain HRDD.
• Latin American Women's Rights Service (LAWRS): UK charity supporting Latin American migrant women experiencing gender-based violence and labour exploitation. Co-research and co-delivery partner with FLEX on cleaning-sector labour exploitation research involving the same populations.
• Stronger Together: UK and global programme providing tools, training, and resources to businesses and labour providers to address modern slavery in supply chains. Directly comparable as a UK charity focused on worker-engagement-led anti-exploitation tools for the supply-chain market.

Broad incumbents

• Trades Union Congress (TUC): UK national trade union centre leading campaigns on workplace sexual harassment (#ThisIsNotWorking) and migrant worker rights. Overlaps with FLEX's policy advocacy and coalition membership on labour standards enforcement issues.
• Anti-Slavery International: The world's oldest international human rights organisation focused on slavery and related exploitation. Compares to FLEX on the policy advocacy, international coalition, and direct-frontline engagement axes, with a much broader portfolio across trafficking, bonded labour, and child exploitation.
• Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA): UK statutory enforcement body that investigates labour exploitation and licensing in agriculture and wider supply chains. A direct collaboration partner with FLEX on cleaning-sector prevention work and a counterpart on the enforcement side of the same problem FLEX addresses from the worker-voice side.

Regional players

• East European Resource Centre (EERC): UK charity supporting Eastern European migrant communities and addressing labour exploitation in cleaning, construction, and hospitality. Co-research partner with FLEX on the 2022 cleaning-sector prevention initiative, sharing target population and methodology.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/focus-on-labour-exploitation-flex-

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Focus On Labour Exploitation (FLEX)