What The Platform Project CIC does

The Platform Project CIC is a UK Community Interest Company founded in 2017 by Sadie Sharp, headquartered in Swindon and operating with a 17-person team across South West England with limited international activity in The Gambia. It delivers a five-programme youth development ecosystem (CONNECT therapeutic mentoring, ENGAGE alternative provision, DISCOVER personalised tutoring, BOOST employability and enterprise, and ASPIRE vocational provision, with an additional Group Projects layer) targeting young people aged 5–24 who cannot thrive in mainstream education due to SEND, SEMH needs, trauma, anxiety, school avoidance, or NEET risk. Programmes blend trauma-informed therapeutic approaches, practical interest-led learning, youth-led enterprise projects, and King's Trust Personal Development & Employability qualifications, with reported outcomes including an 89% positive destination rate, 94% improved mental health on Connect, attendance uplifts from 24% to 82% for EBSA students, and a 100% GCSE and Functional Skills pass rate.

The business model is multi-stream: the primary income comes from commissioned places funded by schools, local authorities (Swindon, Wiltshire), and NHS partnerships for alternative provision and therapeutic mentoring; secondary income derives from private tutoring at £50/hour (£45/hour multi-programme), charitable donations and fundraising (PayPal donations, gala dinners, sponsored challenges), and small transaction-based income from student enterprise fayres. Pricing is largely term- or contract-based, reflecting commissioning cycles rather than transactional software licensing. Distribution is relationship-led, driven by referrals from schools, local authorities, parents/carers, and community events, supported by organic social media (Instagram, Facebook), HubSpot-hosted newsletter signup, open events, fayres, and earned media coverage including BBC News and Swindon Advertiser.

Underlying technology is operational rather than product technology: a website content platform, HubSpot forms, PayPal donations, a PayPal donate button, and standard productivity tools. There are no patents, software products, APIs, or proprietary AI capabilities; the value-creation engine is the team's trauma-informed qualifications, the safeguarding/QA-cleared operating model, and the curriculum combining therapeutic mentoring with enterprise-based learning. Quality Assurance reviews passed with both Swindon and Wiltshire Local Authorities and King's Trust form the compliance substrate that underpins commissioning eligibility.

Name

The Platform Project CIC

Legal name

The Platform Project CIC

Website

https://platformproject.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Platform Project CIC is a Swindon-based Community Interest Company delivering alternative provision, therapeutic mentoring, personalised tutoring, and employability programmes for young people aged 5–24 with SEND, SEMH, trauma, or NEET-related barriers. It operates five programmes commissioned by local authorities, schools, and the NHS, reporting an 89% positive destination rate.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Education and Alternative Provision Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Child and Youth Services (62411), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (6243), Educational Support Services (6117)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Behavioral Health & MTSS/RTI Tiered SEL Supports (EDAKAMAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth-to-Adult Transition & Life Skills (Independent Living, Soft Skills) (EDAAAFAN), Family Engagement & Caregiver Support Programs (SEL/Mental Health) (EDAKAMAK)

Keywords

• Youth alternative provision
• Therapeutic mentoring
• Employability programmes
• Enterprise education
• Personalised tutoring

Headquarters

HQ city

Swindon

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Alternative Provision Commissions: The organisation receives funding and commissions from schools, local authorities (Swindon and Wiltshire), and educational commissioners to deliver alternative provision programmes for young people who cannot thrive in mainstream education. This is the primary revenue stream.
2. Private Tutoring Fees: The Discover Personalised Tutoring programme charges £50 per hour for private bookings (£45 per hour for students attending multiple programmes). This provides supplementary revenue from parents and carers seeking additional educational support.
3. Charitable Donations and Fundraising: The organisation accepts donations via PayPal and other channels, runs fundraising events (gala dinners, charity challenges), and receives support from corporate sponsors for events and programmes. These donations support the not-for-profit mission.
4. Enterprise Revenue from Student Trading: Young people on enterprise programmes create and sell products at fayres, with profits returned to participants in the form of vouchers. This is a youth development tool rather than significant revenue generation for the organisation itself.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Platform Project CIC delivers commissioned youth development services across five integrated programmes: therapeutic SEMH mentoring (CONNECT), alternative provision for disengaged students (ENGAGE), personalised 1:1 tutoring for SEND/SEMH pupils (DISCOVER), a 12-week employability and enterprise course (BOOST), and a vocational programme for 16-19 year olds (ASPIRE). Programmes combine trauma-informed therapeutic support with interest-led, youth-enterprise project work and King's Trust qualifications. Services are sold primarily to schools, local authorities, and the NHS through commissioning contracts, with private tutoring available directly to parents and carers.

Product overview

The Platform Project CIC operates as a five-programme youth development ecosystem designed to support young people at different stages of their educational and career journeys. The core portfolio consists of CONNECT (therapeutic SEMH mentoring for ages 5-18+), ENGAGE (alternative provision for ages 11-16), DISCOVER (personalised tutoring for ages 11-16), BOOST (employability programme for ages 16-24), and ASPIRE (vocational programme for ages 16-19). These programmes can function independently or be combined to provide integrated support, with young people often accessing multiple services simultaneously. The organisation's development model achieves an 89% success rate in progressing young people into education, employment, or self-employment through youth-led enterprise projects, practical skills development, and personalised support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DISCOVER: Personalised Tutoring Service for young people aged 11-16 who struggle in mainstream education due to SEND, SEMH, or trauma-related challenges.
• ENGAGE
• BOOST
• CONNECT
• ASPIRE

Products and services

• CONNECT Therapeutic Mentoring Trauma-informed, attachment-based therapeutic SEMH mentoring for young people aged 5–18+, providing tailored 1:1 support including transport, family liaison, and transition back into education. Delivered by Thrive Practitioners, NLP and Coaching-qualified mentors, and overseen by a Designated Safeguarding Lead.
• ENGAGE Alternative Provision Alternative provision for students aged 11–16 who struggle to attend or engage in mainstream education due to low attendance, exclusion risk, SEND/SEMH needs, trauma, anxiety, or low confidence. Combines practical, interest-led projects with structured support, King's Trust Personal Development & Employability qualification pathway, and youth-led enterprise opportunities.
• DISCOVER Personalised Tutoring Highly personalised 1:1 tutoring for secondary-aged students (11–16) who cannot engage in mainstream education due to SEND, SEMH, trauma, low attendance, or learning-resistant behaviours. Delivered by qualified teachers using flexible, practical, interest-based activities for GCSE and Functional Skills preparation, achieving a 100% pass rate on those qualifications.
• BOOST Employability & Enterprise Programme A 12-week employability and enterprise course for young people aged 16–24 (including those at risk of NEET), providing hands-on experience through youth-led business projects, CV and interview preparation, work placements, and King's Trust qualification. Designed to move participants into work or self-employment.
• ASPIRE Vocational Programme Vocational, careers-focused course for 16-19 year olds who struggle to engage with mainstream further education, including those with SEND, SEMH needs, low attendance, or barriers such as trauma and anxiety. Delivers 10 hours per week over 3 terms in a small, work-style environment covering employability, life and IT skills, enterprise experience, and work placements.
• Group Projects & Tutoring Group-based training and tutoring sessions delivered alongside the core programmes, offering youth-led enterprise projects in areas such as barista training, customer service, food and hygiene, printed goods, digital media, and upcycling. Used both as standalone group bookings and as add-on modules alongside Connect, Engage, Discover, Boost, or Aspire enrolments.

Quantifiable outcome

• 89% of young people successfully return to education, employment, or enterprise
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel SwindonminorOthers · 1 January 2026Venue sponsor for 10-year anniversary gala dinner (June 2027). Donating afternoon tea for two as a raffle prize, returning 10% of bar spend to the charity, and offering discounted accommodation rates for attendees.
• The King's TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025The Platform Project delivers King's Trust Personal Development & Employability qualifications across all programmes. This partnership enables young people to work towards recognised qualifications while participating in enterprise and employability programmes. The partnership was renewed following a positive quality review.
• Cole Easdon Consultants LimitedminorOthers · 1 January 2025Corporate partner that donated 8 laptops to support young people's enterprise projects, qualifications, and CV work. Also donated stationery supplies. The organisation is based at Edison Park, near The Platform Project's office.
• Land & WaveminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Adventure sports provider partnering for the 'Conquer the Coast' charity challenge - a 13k coastal walk with optional 5k kayak, raising funds for programmes supporting 16-24 year olds who are NEET.
• Just4FunminorOthers · 1 January 2025Local business sponsor for Primary Big Business Day event. Representative (Sean and Poppy) joined the judging panel for primary students' business idea competition.
• Swindon Town in the CommunityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Community programme from Swindon Town Football Club. Player Libby delivered careers talks about sports industry opportunities and led football skills workshops for Engage programme students.
• Swindon WildcatsminorOthers · 1 January 2025Local sports organisation listed as a channel through which people hear about The Platform Project's events, indicating partnership for community engagement and referrals.
• NatWest SwindoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024NatWest Swindon branch staff (Jane and Emma) deliver financial literacy sessions covering banking, loans, credit cards, and mortgages. Students receive hands-on help setting up online banking. A behind-the-scenes branch visit explores banking career opportunities.
• Thriving Through VentureminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Charity organisation facilitating international youth development work. Partnered for enterprise workshop delivery at Gunjur Senior Secondary School in The Gambia, West Africa, and for the Conquer the Coast charity challenge.
• Silverbells Children's WelfareminorOthers · 1 January 2020Long-term supporter of a charity-run school in Nakuru, Kenya, providing education, food, social and health care to approximately 100 vulnerable children aged 4-11. The Platform Project runs annual fundraising campaigns for winter food and Christmas celebrations.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Place2Be: UK charity providing school-based mental health counselling and SEMH support for children and young people. Closely comparable therapeutic, school-linked delivery model and NHS/local authority commissioning relationships.
• Third Space Learning: UK online 1:1 tutoring provider focused on disadvantaged and SEND pupils, partnering with schools for maths and English catch-up. Closely comparable to Discover tutoring programme in target market and school-commissioned delivery model.
• Nudge Education: UK-based alternative provision provider offering 1:1 mentoring and re-engagement support for students who have disengaged from mainstream school. Directly comparable therapeutic, relationship-led model targeting SEMH and disengaged learners in similar age range.
• Academy21: UK alternative provision provider delivering online tutoring and full-time educational packages for students unable to attend mainstream school. Directly comparable AP and SEMH cohort with commissioned provision model serving local authorities.
• Tute Education: UK online alternative provision and tutoring service for students excluded from mainstream school, including SEMH and SEND cohorts. Directly comparable commissioned provision delivery to schools and LAs across multiple regions.

Broad incumbents

• Acorn Care & Education: UK provider of specialist education, SEMH, and alternative provision for children and young people with complex needs. Comparable SEND/SEMH cohort but operates larger independent schools and residential settings rather than community-based AP.
• Catch22: Large UK social enterprise running multiple programmes for disadvantaged young people including alternative provision, employability, and SEMH support. Overlapping mission and commissioning relationships but at significantly greater scale and geographic breadth.
• The King's Trust (formerly Prince's Trust): Major UK youth charity delivering employability, enterprise, and personal development programmes for 11-30 year olds. Directly comparable Boost employability offering and existing delivery partner of The Platform Project for qualification accreditation.

Others

• St Giles Trust: UK social enterprise supporting disadvantaged young people and adults into employment through training and mentoring. Comparable mission and employability focus (related to Boost programme) but wider client base including ex-offenders and adult learners.

Emerging players

• YoungMinds: UK charity focused on children and young people's mental health, providing resources, training, and advocacy. Comparable SEMH mission and NHS/third-sector relationships, but primarily an advocacy/training provider rather than direct service deliverer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/theplatformproject
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-platform-project

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 The Platform Project CIC