REN Refugee Employment Network

What REN Refugee Employment Network does

REN Refugee Employment Network (REN) is a UK registered charity (Charity Number 1196168) that operates as the country's only national network dedicated exclusively to refugee employment. Founded through collaboration in 2018 and formally launched in January 2019, REN coordinates between refugees seeking employment, employers with hiring needs, and frontline delivery organisations that provide direct refugee support. Headquartered at 54 Crewys Road, London, NW2 2AD, the charity runs a small operational team led by CEO Jenny Walton, with Network Coordinator Anais (joined June 2025) and at least one other team member, and is currently hiring a Digital Product Lead.

The organisation's core offerings include the REN Job Search Portal (a job board powered by third-party technology from SourceFlow Marketing Recruitment), Network Membership for delivery organisations, regional sub-brands such as REN Wales, and resources for both employers and case workers. REN also convenes events such as job fairs, including Scotland's Largest Refugee Job Fair held on June 17, 2025. The charity is GDPR compliant and reports having engaged 550+ employers and created 17,500+ job opportunities over the past two years. Notable partners include PwC UK, EY, Deloitte, Adecco Group, Clifford Chance, Freshfields, British Red Cross, World Jewish Relief, the UK Home Office, TERN, and Birmingham City Council.

REN's business model is non-commercial, operating on charitable funding through donations (bank transfer, PayPal), grants, and likely membership fees from network member organisations. No proprietary technology is disclosed; the job board relies on third-party infrastructure from SourceFlow, and the open Digital Product Lead role is offered at £32,000 FTE (pro rata £19,200 for three days per week), indicating modest operational budgets consistent with a small UK charity.

Name

REN Refugee Employment Network

Legal name

Refugee Employment Network

Website

https://refugeeemploymentnetwork.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

REN Refugee Employment Network is a UK registered charity operating the country's only national network dedicated to refugee employment, connecting refugees, employers, and frontline delivery organisations through a job board, membership services, and regional programmes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Refugee Employment Services

NAICS

Employment Placement Agencies (561311), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (6243)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Immigrant & Refugee Workforce Integration Programs (EDAAAOAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Integration & Inclusion Services (Housing, Education, Employment) (BPADAHAI), Refugee & Migrant Integration Enterprises (Livelihoods, Services) (BPAGALAN)

Keywords

• Refugee employment services
• Employment network coordination
• Job board platform
• Workforce integration support
• Charity membership network

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, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donations: The charity accepts donations via bank transfer and PayPal. Donations support the operational costs of coordinating the national refugee employment network.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

REN coordinates the UK's only national network dedicated exclusively to refugee employment, connecting refugee job seekers with employers through a dedicated job board platform and a membership network of over 30 delivery organisations. The network engages 550+ employers to create employment pathways and provides support services to refugees, case workers, and employers seeking to access refugee talent.

Product overview

REN Refugee Employment Network operates as the UK's only national network dedicated exclusively to refugee employment, functioning as a coordination and support body rather than a single software product. The core offering comprises a dedicated job search portal (jobs.refugeeemploymentnetwork.org) that enables refugees to find employment opportunities matching their skills, complemented by a membership network of over 25 partner organisations delivering direct employment support services. The network also includes regional operations (REN Wales) and targeted services for employers seeking to hire refugee talent, case workers supporting refugee integration, and refugee job seekers themselves.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• REN Job Search Portal

Quantifiable outcome

• 550+ employers engaged actively creating pathways to employment
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Adecco GroupcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 July 2022Major staffing and recruitment company supporting REN as a corporate partner, shown as a key supporter on the REN website alongside other major professional services firms.
• Ernst & Young (EY)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 July 2022Major professional services firm supporting REN as a corporate partner, engaging with the network to provide employment pathways for refugees.
• DeloittecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 July 2022Major professional services firm supporting REN as a corporate partner, contributing to the goal of connecting refugee talent with employment opportunities.
• Clifford ChancecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 July 2022Major international law firm supporting REN as a corporate partner, providing legal industry perspective on refugee employment.
• Freshfields Bruckhaus DeringercoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 July 2022Major international law firm supporting REN as a corporate partner.
• Home OfficecoreOthersUK government department responsible for immigration, working with REN to support refugee employment initiatives. Listed as 'Working with' on the REN website.
• TERN (The Employment Response Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTERN is a member organisation of REN, contributing to the network's collaborative approach to refugee employment.
• World Jewish ReliefcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational humanitarian NGO and member of REN, bringing experience in refugee resettlement and employment support.
• Birmingham City CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal authority member of REN, providing municipal perspective on refugee integration and employment.
• RAGU (Refugee Assessment and Guidance Unit) at London Metropolitan UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner providing refugee assessment and guidance services, member of REN network.
• ChatterboxminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial enterprise member of REN, providing language and employment support services for refugees.
• Code Your FutureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoding bootcamp for refugees, featured on REN website as a partner organisation providing tech training pathways.
• Ashford Borough CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal authority member of REN network.
• West Sussex County CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty council member of REN network.
• British Red CrosscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHumanitarian organisation and member of REN, providing refugee support services.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Hire Immigrants (Hire for Good): Canadian initiative focused on advancing immigrant and refugee employment through employer engagement, research, and awards. Comparable to REN on the employer-side of the refugee-employment equation and on a similar national-coordination remit, though geographically Canada-focused.
• Breaking Barriers: UK charity dedicated to helping refugees into meaningful employment through personalised support and employer engagement; comparable to REN in target population (UK refugees), mission (employment outcomes), and delivery model (case work plus employer partnerships), though operating as a single delivery organisation rather than a national coordination network.
• Upwardly Global: US-based non-profit that helps refugee and immigrant professionals secure skilled employment in their fields of expertise. Highly comparable to REN on target population (skilled refugees), employer partnerships, and job-placement outcomes, though operating primarily in the United States.
• World Jewish Relief: UK-based humanitarian NGO and REN member, running refugee resettlement and employment programmes including skills training and employer engagement. Directly comparable on refugee-employment delivery in the UK, though smaller in employer-coordination scope than REN.
• Tent Foundation: International non-profit focused on connecting refugees with jobs and entrepreneurship opportunities through corporate partnerships (including Airbnb, LinkedIn, Salesforce). Directly comparable to REN's employer-engagement model and refugee-employment mandate, but operating globally rather than UK-only.
• Talent Beyond Boundaries: International non-profit building employer pathways for refugees, including a Talent Catalog that matches skilled refugees with international job opportunities. Comparable to REN's employer-matching approach and refugee-employment mission, but with a stronger focus on international mobility.

Broad incumbents

• Adecco Group: Global staffing and recruitment company that is a corporate partner of REN, with broader workforce-inclusion programmes for refugees across multiple countries. Comparable as an employer-side actor in refugee employment, but operates as a commercial staffing firm rather than a non-profit coordinator.
• British Red Cross: Major UK humanitarian organisation and REN member, providing refugee support services that include employment pathways. Much broader than REN (covering emergencies, health, migration support) but a key collaborator and partial overlap on refugee-employment service delivery.
• Refugee Council: One of the largest UK charities working with refugees and asylum seekers, providing advice, advocacy, and integration support including employment. It is broader than REN (covering legal aid, welfare, resettlement) but overlaps on the employment-integration mission and competes for the same donor and policy-maker attention.

Others

• Home Office (UK Government): UK government department responsible for immigration and refugee policy, working with REN on refugee-employment initiatives. Not a direct peer but a critical ecosystem partner as both policy shaper and funder of refugee-employment pathways.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ren-the-refugee-employment-network

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 REN Refugee Employment Network