Paradigm Project

What Paradigm Project does

Paradigm Project is a UK-registered charity (No. 1191206) founded in 2020 by Joel Dunn and headquartered at The Stephen Lawrence Centre in Lewisham, London. It operates a research-led model focused on upstream education reform, addressing systemic inequities including school exclusions, the school-to-prison pipeline, racial injustice, and inadequate safeguarding through community-led participatory research and direct programme delivery. Its core products are (1) My Next Steps, a year-long digital transition programme for Year 6 students, families, and educators covering identity, friendships, stress management, online safety, and safeguarding, delivered via a digital learning platform designed for scalable UK-wide school adoption; (2) Cultural Humility Training for Educators, a two-day training with an optional leadership add-on; and (3) Bespoke Training & Consultancy for schools, local authorities, and community organisations. The organisation complements these programmes with three substantive research projects: the Race Equity in Education Group (REEG) commissioned by the Royal Borough of Lambeth & Southwark, From Intention to Impact commissioned by King's College London through Impact on Urban Health, and the School-to-Prison Pipeline research based in Newham.

The underlying technology centres on a digital learning platform for My Next Steps, prioritised for ease of implementation and accessibility across UK schools, with no public API, SDK, or AI/ML components disclosed. The organisation has 9 employees and operates with a board of trustees and a small leadership team; the founder is undertaking a PhD at the University of Cambridge to expand the school-to-prison pipeline research nationally.

The business model is grant- and donation-funded rather than transactional. Revenue streams comprise donations (one-off and monthly), grant funding (notably the Violence Reduction Unit's Innovation Fund for My Next Steps), and commissioned research (Lambeth & Southwark, King's College London). Pricing is not publicly disclosed; training and consultancy are quote-based, and programmes are funded via grants rather than per-seat pricing. Go-to-market is relationship-driven and trust-based: direct outreach to schools and local authorities, research partnerships with universities and mission-aligned organisations, and content-led demand generation through gated research reports, articles, and newsletter signup. Customer segments span schools and educators (primary), local authorities and safeguarding teams, parents and carers, children and young people, and research and advocacy organisations, with primary geographic focus on London boroughs (Lewisham, Lambeth, Southwark, Newham) and a stated intent to scale nationally.

Name

Paradigm Project

Legal name

Paradigm Project

Website

https://paradigmproject.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Paradigm Project is a UK-registered charity that delivers community-led research, digital transition programmes, and training to schools, local authorities, and educators to address racial inequity, school exclusions, and safeguarding gaps in education.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Equity Research and Training

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (6117), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth-to-Adult Transition & Life Skills (Independent Living, Soft Skills) (EDAAAFAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Mindfulness, Stress Management & Resilience Training (EDAMAIAD)

Keywords

• Education equity research
• School transition programmes
• Cultural humility training
• Youth violence prevention
• Community-led research

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Funding: Paradigm Project operates as a registered charity (No. 1191206) funded primarily through donations and grant funding. The organisation accepts one-off and monthly donations from individuals and partners. Funding has been received from the Violence Reduction Unit's Innovation Fund for the My Next Steps programme, and research has been commissioned by bodies including King's College London and the Royal Borough of Lambeth & Southwark.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Paradigm Project is a research-led UK charity that delivers the My Next Steps primary-to-secondary transition programme, Cultural Humility Training for Educators, and bespoke training and consultancy for schools and local authorities. Its work is grounded in three commissioned research projects (Race Equity in Education Group, From Intention to Impact, and School to Prison Pipeline) that generate community-led evidence on educational inequity.

Product overview

Paradigm Project is a research-led charity offering a portfolio of programmes, training, and research focused on upstream education reform. Its core offerings include My Next Steps (a digital primary-to-secondary transition programme), Cultural Humility Training for Educators (2-day training with a leadership add-on), and Bespoke Training & Consultancy services. These are complemented by three major research projects: the Race Equity in Education Group (REEG), From Intention to Impact, and School to Prison Pipeline research. All offerings are co-designed with communities and grounded in participatory, lived-experience-led approaches to drive systemic change in education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• My Next Steps: Flagship programme designed to provide comprehensive support for students during the critical transition from primary to secondary school, focusing on emotional, social, and academic preparedness
• Cultural Humility Training for Educators

Products and services

• My Next Steps A digital, year-long transition programme for Year 6 students, families, and educators supporting the move from primary to secondary school, covering identity, friendships, stress management, online safety, communication, critical thinking, and safeguarding.
• Cultural Humility Training for Educators A two-day training for teaching and support staff on cultural humility, equity-led practice, allyship, and systemic change, with an optional one-day leadership add-on for senior teams.
• Bespoke Training & Consultancy Tailored training and consultancy for schools, local authorities, and community organisations covering inclusive behaviour practice, cultural humility, safeguarding and exploitation awareness, or transition-focused interventions.
• Race Equity in Education Group (REEG) Research A community-led research project in Lambeth and Southwark exploring race equity in education through participatory methods with young people, families, educators, and community stakeholders.
• From Intention to Impact Research Community-led research commissioned by King's College London on cultural humility approaches to safeguarding Black girls in education, conducted in partnership with Mindset Matters UK and Milk Honey Bees.
• School to Prison Pipeline Research Research exploring the school-to-prison pipeline through the lens of lived experience, based in Southwark and Lambeth, using creative and participatory methods including poetry workshops and focus groups.

Quantifiable outcome

• Schools using the My Next Steps programme report students feeling more confident and prepared for secondary school transition.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 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

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.

• King's College London / Impact on Urban HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKing's College London, through funding from Impact on Urban Health, commissioned the 'From Intention to Impact: A Cultural Humility Approach to Safeguarding Black Girls in Education' research. This was conducted in partnership with Paradigm Project and Jade Ecobichon-Gray of Mindset Matters UK, producing a landmark community-led research report.
• Royal Borough of Lambeth & SouthwarkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Royal Borough of Lambeth & Southwark commissioned the Race Equity in Education Group (REEG) research, developed by Paradigm Project in collaboration with a cross-sector steering group. This place-based, people-led research project engaged nearly 300 young people across the boroughs.
• Mindset Matters UK (Jade Ecobichon-Gray)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJade Ecobichon-Gray of Mindset Matters UK co-authored the 'From Intention to Impact' research with Paradigm Project and co-facilitates the Cultural Humility Training for Educators programme alongside Joel Dunn.
• Milk Honey BeessupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMilk Honey Bees, founded by Ebinehita Iyere, provided foundational work on the lived experiences of Black girls in education that informed the From Intention to Impact research partnership with Paradigm Project and Mindset Matters UK.
• Six Local Organisations (REEG Partnership)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSix local organisations partnered with Paradigm Project in the Race Equity in Education Group (REEG) research, contributing to an intergenerational community-led equity project in Lambeth & Southwark that engaged participants aged 8 to 80+.
• The Stephen Lawrence CentreminorOthersParadigm Project is hosted at The Stephen Lawrence Centre in Lewisham, London SE8 4HU. This is the organisation's office location rather than a formal partnership.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Centre for Education and Youth: UK think tank and charity focused on education policy and youth services for marginalised young people. Comparable in policy-influencing research focus, education equity framing, and evidence-to-practice orientation.
• Place2Be: UK children's mental health charity providing in-school counselling and emotional support. Comparable in school-based delivery, focus on pupil wellbeing, and target audience of vulnerable children — though Place2Be is significantly larger and broader.
• Drive Forward Foundation: UK charity supporting young people in care or leaving care to access education and employment. Comparable in upstream/transition support for marginalised young people and partner-of-local-authority delivery model.
• Leaders Unlocked: UK charity supporting young people to participate in decision-making and co-produce research with public institutions. Comparable in participatory research methodology, lived-experience-led approach, and policy influence focus.
• Transforming Lives for Good (TLG): UK early-intervention charity providing school-based mentoring and trauma-informed support for children struggling in education. Comparable in early-intervention philosophy, school delivery model, and focus on behaviour/exclusion outcomes.
• Achievement for All: UK education charity that partners with schools to improve outcomes for vulnerable and disadvantaged pupils, including those at risk of exclusion. Directly comparable in mission, school-engagement model, and upstream preventative framing.
• Black Equity Organisation: UK charity advancing racial equity across systems including education, employment, and health. Comparable in race-equity focus, research and policy advocacy orientation, and community-rooted evidence approach.
• The Difference: UK charity tackling educational inequality in state schools by placing high-calibre graduates as teaching assistants and pupil advocates. Operates in the same education-equity, school-based intervention space with a focus on excluded or marginalised pupils.
• School-Home Support: UK charity working with schools and families to tackle absence, reduce exclusion, and improve engagement. Directly comparable target audience (vulnerable pupils and families), school-embedded delivery model, and preventative framing.

Broad incumbents

• Impetus: UK charity focused on disadvantaged young people's education and employment outcomes, conducting its own research and backing youth-focused charities. Comparable in mission and evidence-led approach, but broader in scope and significantly larger.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/paradigmprojectuk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

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 Paradigm Project