What The Relationships Project does

The Relationships Project is a UK charitable initiative founded in 2021 and hosted by Grapevine (Coventry and Warwickshire), Registered Charity 1107969, with technical operations managed by Shift Design/Shift Foundation (Charity Registration Number 1134546, London). Its mission is to move relationship-centred practice from the margins to the mainstream across communities, organisations, and systems. The organisation operates as a field-builder rather than a technology vendor, developing intellectual frameworks, evidence resources, and community platforms rather than software products. Headcount is 1-10 employees, led by Co-Leads David Robinson and Immy Robinson with adviser Rich Bell and team member Katherine Perrin.

The portfolio of programmes and resources is organised under four pillars — Network, Observatory, Academy, and Toolbox — and includes the Relational Practice Academy (cohort-based experiential learning for leaders), the Case Maker (an evidence-base resource), the Relationships Map (an interactive practitioner networking platform), the Pattern Library (reusable patterns for relational work), the Permissions Game (a scenario-based learning tool), and Community Bridgebuilders (a live programme connecting people across divides). Sub-brands include The Observatory, The Network, and The Case Maker.

The organisation is funded primarily through charitable grants, with the National Lottery Community Fund's 'Bringing People Together Fund' as the anchor funder awarded in July 2021 for a 2-year project toward a 20-year vision. No commercial pricing is applied; resources and tools are freely accessible. The customer base spans practitioners and organisations (primary), trusts and foundations (primary), regional leaders, the education sector, and healthcare providers. GTM is community-led, relying on content marketing, convenings, and learning cohorts distributed through the Relationships Map, the website, conferences, and partner organisations including New Local, Confederation of School Trusts, Save the Children, Power to Change, Northumbria University, and the After Disasters Network.

Name

The Relationships Project

Legal name

The Relationships Project

Website

https://relationshipsproject.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Relationships Project is a UK charitable initiative founded in 2021 that builds the field of relationship-centred practice through learning programmes (Relational Practice Academy), evidence resources (Case Maker, Pattern Library), and practitioner convenings, serving community builders, public sector, education, healthcare, and trusts and foundations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Sector Practice Development

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Other Individual and Family Services (62419), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Student Mentoring & Peer Support Programs (EDAJALAL), Interest-Based Communities & Forums (BPAMABAC), Research, Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) Partnerships (EDADALAK)

Keywords

• Relationship-centred practice
• Social sector education
• Community development programmes
• Relational practice training
• Charitable field-building

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: The organization is primarily funded through charitable grants, notably from the National Lottery Community Fund's Bringing People Together Fund. The project secured a 2-year funding period to work towards a 20-year vision.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Relationships Project is a UK charitable initiative that develops and provides intellectual frameworks, tools, educational programmes, and resources to help practitioners and organisations put relationships first in their work. Its offerings include cohort-based learning journeys (The Relational Practice Academy, Relational Funders Programme), an evidence base (The Case Maker), a community bridgebuilding programme, an interactive networking platform (The Relationships Map), a developing pattern library, and an engagement tool (Permissions Game). All resources are delivered free of charge, funded primarily through charitable grants.

Product overview

The Relationships Project is a UK-based initiative focused on making relational practice common practice across communities, organisations, and systems. The organisation offers a portfolio of interconnected programmes and resources, including The Relational Practice Academy (a learning programme for leaders), The Case Maker (evidence-based resource), Community Bridgebuilders programme, The Relationships Map (interactive networking platform), and a developing Pattern Library. The offering is primarily content and community-driven rather than software-based, comprising educational programmes, evidence resources, interactive tools, and convening activities. The core value proposition is building capacity for relationship-centred practice through learning, connection, and practical resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Relational Practice Academy: Developing and spreading relational practice to help transform communities, organisations and systems through tailored, practical and experiential learning programmes.
• The Observatory
• The Network
• The Case Maker
• Community Bridgebuilders

Products and services

• The Relational Practice Academy A tailored, practical and experiential learning programme for existing, emerging and next generation leaders to develop the skills, design the policies and create the conditions for relationship-centred practice. Delivered as cohort-based learning journeys to practitioners and organisational leaders across the UK.
• Community Bridgebuilders A live, interactive programme that brings people together from all walks of life to build stronger, kinder connections within and between communities through facilitated conversations. Designed for community groups and cross-sector partners across the UK.
• Relational Funders Programme A cohort-based learning journey for trusts and foundations exploring relational ways of working internally, externally and collectively. Designed for UK trusts and foundations seeking to address power imbalances and adopt more relational grant-making practices.
• The Case Maker An evidence-base resource assembling research and stories demonstrating why relationships matter and how relationship-centred practice can make an impact across various contexts, including healthcare, social services, education, and community settings. Free to access for practitioners and organisations.
• The People We Need A publication exploring why relationships matter and what this means for UK society today, arguing for policies and conditions that bring about thriving relationships. Aimed at policymakers, practitioners, and the general public.
• Pattern Library A developing library of patterns for relationship-centred practice, containing guidance and techniques for navigating common questions and challenges in relational work. Open for practitioner contributions and accessible free of charge.
• The Relationships Map An online interactive networking platform where individuals who believe in the importance of relationships can find one another, share ideas and resources, and connect with others working in the relationship-centred practice community across the UK.
• Permissions Game An interactive scenario-based game exploring the rules and norms that influence how people work and what they prioritise. Designed for team engagement and learning about organisational permissions for relational work.

Quantifiable outcome

• Switchback achieves 8% reoffending rate vs 49% national average for prison-leavers
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered primary, core and minor.

• Grapevine (Coventry and Warwickshire)primaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost organization for The Relationships Project. Registered charity 1107969. Grapevine addresses entrenched social issues relationally in Coventry and Warwickshire, providing operational hosting and co-developing relational approaches.
• New LocalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosted The Relationships Project at the Stronger Things 2026 conference, providing a platform for David Robinson to deliver a keynote address on relationship-centred practice to a wide and vital audience.
• Confederation of School TrustscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured The Relationships Project at their CEO Summit 2026, with David Robinson delivering an address on 'Being more' to school trust leaders.
• The Relationships CollectivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA group of 9 individuals representing diverse practitioners pioneering relationship-centred practice. Serves as a 'servant leader group helping to nurture the field of relationship-centred practice'. Members include Verity Howorth (Director of Training at Reach Foundation) among others.
• After Disasters NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in hosting the Relationships Learning Network, bringing together interdisciplinary expertise on relationship-centred approaches.
• Northumbria UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue and co-host for the Northumbria Convening (November 2022) where 80 relationship-centred practitioners gathered to explore relationship-centred practice.
• Save the ChildrenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosted an event with The Relationships Project to celebrate and explore stories shared by young people through The Lookout initiative.
• Power to ChangeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to support community businesses to reflect on the power and potential of relationships and develop strategies for relationship-based business success.
• Local Area Coordination NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered to surface, share and celebrate stories of lockdown relationships and the 'Spirit of Lockdown', exploring how relationships changed through Covid.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Power to Change: UK trust supporting community businesses and relationship-centred approaches. Existing partner working with the project to help community businesses develop relationship-based strategies — directly comparable mission and funder-style operating model.
• New Local: UK think tank focused on local government and community-led approaches. Already a strategic partner (hosted The Relationships Project's keynote at Stronger Things 2026), with overlapping interest in relational, community-anchored practice and similar grant-funded field-building model.
• Carnegie UK Trust: UK wellbeing-focused trust working on place-based and relational approaches to community wellbeing. Comparable long-horizon, evidence-led field-building model and similar UK trust structure.
• Reach Foundation: UK charity training young people and adults in relational, mentoring approaches. Member of The Relationships Collective (9-member group) and directly comparable in relational practice methodology.
• New Philanthropy Capital (NPC): UK charity consultancy focused on the social sector, producing evidence and analysis on charities and foundations. Comparable evidence-assembly mission (Case Maker-style) and grant-funded operating model.
• Institute for Voluntary Action Research (IVAR): UK research charity working with voluntary sector organisations on practice, relationships and infrastructure. Comparable field-building mission, similar grant-funded model, and shared emphasis on evidence-based practice and learning programmes.
• Locality: UK membership organisation supporting community organisations. Comparable relational, community-anchored field-building approach and similar convening/networking infrastructure.

Broad incumbents

• Young Foundation: UK centre for social innovation working on community-led approaches and field-building. Comparable mission around building new fields of practice and similar evidence-to-practice pipeline.
• Centre for Public Impact: Global non-profit working on public sector innovation and outcomes. Comparable in producing evidence and frameworks for systemic change, though broader in scope and larger in scale.
• Joseph Rowntree Foundation: Large UK research and policy foundation focused on poverty and community. Comparable evidence-led, long-horizon field-building model — much larger scale but thematically aligned on community wellbeing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/rships_project
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-relationships-project

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Relationships Project