SparkSafe LtP
SparkSafe LtP is a not-for-profit charitable trust operating the UK's first electrical Licence to Practise system, licensing and verifying individual electrical workers and contractors for Northern Ireland public sector construction and maintenance projects via a cloud-based compliance platform.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersBallymena, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What SparkSafe LtP does
SparkSafe LtP is a not-for-profit charitable trust and division of the Electrical Training Trust (ETT), established to improve quality and raise standards in the UK electrical contracting industry. Operating from Ballymena, Northern Ireland, the company runs the first and only electrical Licence to Practise (LtP) system in the UK construction industry, a cloud-based online platform that assesses and categorises electrical workers into four licence tiers (Apprentice Electrician, Qualified Electrician, Assessed Qualified Electrician, and Restricted Electrical Worker) and connects individual worker identity to specific construction and maintenance projects via their employer and main contractor to the client. Supporting modules include a Workforce Composition Report providing project-level visibility of contractor workforce mix, an independent online and on-site Compliance Auditing Service, and a public-facing 'Find a Licensed Electrical Worker' verification tool. The platform is well embedded in Northern Ireland public procurement under the PGN 01/16 policy framework, with ~75% of NI electrical workers registered, 1,400+ projects, ~1,000 completed compliance audits, and over £1 billion of public sector construction and maintenance contracts specifying SparkSafe LtP requirements.
The company operates a subscription-based revenue model funded entirely by the industry. Electrical contractors pay an annual registration fee of £485 for system access, while individual electrical workers pay multi-year licence fees (£140/3 years for AQE/QE/REW and £100/3 years for AE). Client access is free, creating a freemium procurement-side funnel that drives compliance-driven adoption through public contract specification. Go-to-market combines a policy-driven sales motion (mandated via NI public procurement), direct self-service registration through an online portal, and active presence at industry CPD events including Stay Connected NI, NIFHA conferences, and Electrical Safety Roundtable meetings. The organisation is governed by a small team of six with leadership including Chairman Lewis Darragh, former Chief Executive Derek Thompson, and Systems & Compliance Director Charlotte Bamber, supported by voluntary DPO Amanda McCloskey. Strategic partnerships with TESP, NET, ESR, and NIFHA extend the platform's reach and credibility beyond its core NI public sector base.
SparkSafe LtP firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SparkSafe LtP
- Legal name
- SparkSafe LtP
- Website
- https://sparksafeltp.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- SparkSafe LtP is a not-for-profit charitable trust operating the UK's first electrical Licence to Practise system, licensing and verifying individual electrical workers and contractors for Northern Ireland public sector construction and maintenance projects via a cloud-based compliance platform.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SparkSafe LtP industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Construction Compliance Software
- NAICS
- Testing Laboratories and Services (541380), Engineering Services (54133)
- SIC
- Electrical Work (1731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Third-Party Certification, Code Compliance & Regulatory Inspection (ASME/API/ISO) (EUAEAHAN)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Electrical Permitting, Inspection Preparation & Compliance Services (HSAOADAL), Testing, Commissioning & Electrical Safety (NFPA 70E/Arc Flash) (EDAOABAM)
Keywords
Where SparkSafe LtP is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ballymena
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
SparkSafe LtP business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Electrical Contractor Registration: Electrical contractors pay an annual registration fee of £485 towards development, maintenance and use of the SparkSafe LtP system. Payment options include online credit/debit card or invoice.
- Electrical Worker Licences: Individual electrical workers pay for 3-year licences: AQE, QE, and REW licences at £140 (or promotional £105), and AE (Apprentice Electrician) at £100 (or promotional £65).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Electrical Contractor Annual Registration - £485 per year |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | AQE/QE/REW Worker Licence - £140 for 3 years (promotional £105) |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Apprentice Electrician (AE) Licence - £100 for 3 years (promotional £65) |
| Freemium | Monthly | Free Client Access |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
SparkSafe LtP product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SparkSafe LtP operates an online Licence to Practise (LtP) system that assesses and categorises electrical workers by licence type (Apprentice Electrician, Qualified Electrician, Assessed Qualified Electrician, Restricted Electrical Worker) and connects individual worker identity to specific construction and maintenance projects via their employer and main contractor. The core offering includes a Workforce Composition Report module, an independent compliance auditing service, and a public-facing worker verification tool, all delivered through a cloud-based members portal primarily used by Northern Ireland public sector clients to gatekeep contractor workforces.
Product overview
SparkSafe LtP is a not-for-profit charitable trust offering a single unified online platform — the Electrical Licence to Practise (LtP) System — designed to improve quality and raise standards in the UK electrical contracting industry. The system centres on an online licensing and workforce composition reporting tool that authenticates the identity and qualifications of electrical workers and connects them to specific projects. Four licence tiers are offered: Apprentice Electrician (AE), Qualified Electrician (QE), Assessed Qualified Electrician (AQE), and Restricted Electrical Worker (REW). Supporting modules include the Workforce Composition Report (providing project-level visibility of workforce make-up by licence type), a Compliance Auditing Service (independent on-site and desktop auditing), and a public-facing 'Find a Licensed Electrical Worker' verification tool. The platform is free for Clients and is primarily used by public procurement organisations in Northern Ireland to gatekeep contractor workforces on construction and maintenance projects.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Licence to Practise (LtP) System A project-specific, end-to-end online system that assesses and categorises electrical workers by licence type, connecting individual worker identity and competency to specific construction and maintenance projects via their employer and main contractor to the Client.
- Workforce Composition Report (WCR) An online report that summarises the make-up of an electrical contractor's workforce by licence type on a project-by-project basis, providing Clients with visibility, transparency, and reporting tools that deter fraud and encourage improved contract performance.
- Compliance Auditing Service An independent online and on-site compliance auditing service aimed at preventing the supply chain from resourcing Client projects with unlicensed electrical workers, providing pass/fail audit reports with recommendations.
- Find a Licensed Electrical Worker Tool An online search feature on the SparkSafe homepage that enables Clients to verify a worker's identity, photograph, and licence status by entering the worker's first name and membership number.
- Apprentice Electrician (AE) Licence Licence for electrical installation apprentices undertaking an industry-approved Level 3 Electrotechnical Electrical Installation Apprenticeship; available at £100 for 3 years (or £65 promotional) with a 100% rebate available for new 2020 entrants.
- Qualified Electrician (QE) Licence Licence for workers who have undertaken accredited NVQ Level 3 electrical installation apprenticeship training or progressed through the industry-approved Mature Candidate Assessment or Electrical Worker Assessment programme; £140 for 3 years (£105 promotional).
- Assessed Qualified Electrician (AQE) Licence Higher-standard licence for qualified electricians who, in addition to meeting QE requirements, have been technically assessed on-site by a UKAS accredited certification body to the IET's Electrotechnical Assessment Specification standard; £140 for 3 years (£105 promotional).
- Restricted Electrical Worker (REW) Licence Licence category for unqualified or underqualified electrical workers, providing evidence to the Client that the worker is not fully qualified; helps Clients meet CDM risk obligations by identifying the proportionality of unqualified workers; £140 for 3 years (£105 promotional).
- Electrical Contractor Annual Registration Annual registration service for electrical contractors at £485 per year, covering development, maintenance and use of the SparkSafe system. Includes a system user certificate issued annually with contractor name, membership number, registration date and expiry date.
Quantifiable outcome
- 75% of NI electrical workers registered with SparkSafe
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use SparkSafe LtP
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
SparkSafe LtP technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
SparkSafe LtP partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered secondary, minor and core.
- Super RodsecondarySparkSafe LtP is supporting Super Rod's 'Save Our Sparks' safe isolation campaign. Campaign inspired by Michael Adamson's death and promoted by Louise Adamson to raise awareness of electrical safety practices.
- Klein ToolsminorSurvey prize sponsor for Safe Isolation survey conducted by SparkSafe on behalf of Save Our Sparks campaign. Prize bundle worth over £300 at trade price.
- NIFHA (Northern Ireland Federation of Housing Associations)secondarySparkSafe exhibited at NIFHA annual conference in June 2023. Demonstrated system for protecting housing association clients from risks associated with unqualified electrical workers on capital build and maintenance projects.
- Electrical Safety Roundtable (ESR)coreSparkSafe became member of the Electrical Safety Roundtable in November 2022. Attended first ESR meeting 'Electrical Safety in the Home' and House of Commons reception celebrating 10 years of ESR. Actively participates in industry forum working to improve electrical safety standards.
- ETT (Electrical Training Trust)coreETT is the parent charitable trust (Charity No. XR20056, NI Reg No. 32292) that established SparkSafe LtP. SparkSafe is a division of ETT. ETT organizes Stay Connected NI Industry CPD Event where SparkSafe exhibits.
- Stay Connected NIsecondaryIndustry CPD event organized by ETT where SparkSafe LtP exhibits. Provides platform for meeting NI-based Electrical Contractors and Facilities Management Contractors to explain LtP requirements.
- The Electrotechnical Skills Partnership (TESP)coreTESP is a not-for-profit CIC formed by ECA, JIB, NET, SELECT, and Unite the Union. SparkSafe promotes TESP-developed training routes for becoming qualified electricians. Both organisations work toward improving industry standards and apprenticeship pathways.
- NET (National Electrotechnical Training)coreNET provides AM2 certificate verification tool. SparkSafe references NET AM2 Certificate Checker as a resource for verifying electrician qualifications. NET is also a founding member of TESP.
- NICEICminorThird-party electrical accreditation scheme. SparkSafe distinguishes its Licence to Practise system as providing different services than NICEIC's third-party certification credentials.
- NAPITminorThird-party electrical accreditation scheme. SparkSafe developed AQE licence type in response to industry development initiative by NAPIT. Distinguishes LtP services from NAPIT's third-party certification.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
SparkSafe LtP competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- SELECT: SELECT is the trade association for the electrical contracting industry in Scotland, providing certification, training, and technical support. It is comparable as an established regional electrical trade accreditation scheme analogous to SparkSafe's NI-focused role.
Broad incumbents
- ECA (Electrical Contractors' Association): ECA is the UK's leading trade association for electrotechnical and building-services contractors, representing the broader industry. It overlaps with SparkSafe on workforce-standards advocacy and is also a founding member of TESP (a SparkSafe partner), making it a structural industry peer.
- City & Guilds: City & Guilds is the UK's leading vocational qualification awarding body, underpinning electrical worker qualifications that SparkSafe categorises (AQE, QE, AE, REW). It is a foundational credentialing peer whose qualifications feed SparkSafe's licence types.
- Construction Industry Training Board (CITB): CITB is the industry training board for the UK construction sector, supporting skills and workforce competency across trades. It is comparable as a sector-wide workforce-quality body with overlapping mission around apprenticeship pathways and contractor standards.
- Certsure: Certsure operates the NICEIC and ELECSA brands as a certification body for electrical contractors across the UK. It competes with SparkSafe in third-party electrical workforce accreditation but at significantly broader UK scale.
- Gas Safe Register: Gas Safe Register is the official gas registration body in the UK, providing an analogous mandatory worker-licensing model for the gas industry. It is a comparable industry-licensing peer demonstrating the precedent for SparkSafe's workforce-certification approach in adjacent trades.
- JIB (Joint Industry Board): JIB is the recognised industry body for the electrotechnical sector in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, setting employment standards and grading for electricians. It addresses similar workforce-quality concerns as SparkSafe and is a TESP founder, making it a directly comparable industry-standards peer.
Direct peers
- NAPIT: NAPIT is one of the leading UK registration bodies for electricians, plumbers, heating engineers, and other trades. SparkSafe developed its AQE licence in response to an industry initiative by NAPIT, evidencing direct competition in workforce competency certification.
- NICEIC: NICEIC is the UK's largest electrical contracting certification body, providing third-party accreditation for electrical contractors and workers. SparkSafe explicitly distinguishes its Licence to Practise model from NICEIC's certification credentials, making it a direct comparator in the same customer segments.
- NET (National Electrotechnical Training): NET provides the AM2 competence assessment — a key industry gatekeeping mechanism for qualified electricians — and SparkSafe integrates with the NET AM2 Certificate Checker. NET is a directly comparable competency-verification peer with overlapping functionality.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
SparkSafe LtP social profiles
Digital presenceSparkSafe LtP financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SparkSafe LtP leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
SparkSafe LtP funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SparkSafe LtP M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about SparkSafe LtP
What does SparkSafe LtP do?
SparkSafe LtP operates an online Licence to Practise (LtP) system that assesses and categorises electrical workers by licence type (Apprentice Electrician, Qualified Electrician, Assessed Qualified Electrician, Restricted Electrical Worker) and connects individual worker identity to specific construction and maintenance projects via their employer and main contractor. The core offering includes a Workforce Composition Report module, an independent compliance auditing service, and a public-facing worker verification tool, all delivered through a cloud-based members portal primarily used by Northern Ireland public sector clients to gatekeep contractor workforces.
Is SparkSafe LtP a public or private company?
SparkSafe LtP is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was SparkSafe LtP founded?
SparkSafe LtP was founded in 1998. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is SparkSafe LtP based?
SparkSafe LtP is headquartered in Ballymena, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does SparkSafe LtP make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Electrical Contractor Registration is the primary driver. The others are electrical Worker Licences.
Who are SparkSafe LtP's main competitors?
SELECT is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are ECA (Electrical Contractors' Association), City & Guilds, Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), Certsure, Gas Safe Register and JIB (Joint Industry Board). Direct peers are NAPIT, NICEIC and NET (National Electrotechnical Training).
Does SparkSafe LtP have an API?
No public API is recorded for SparkSafe LtP.
What industry is SparkSafe LtP in?
SparkSafe LtP's product category is Construction Compliance Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAEAHAN, Third-Party Certification, Code Compliance & Regulatory Inspection (ASME/API/ISO), with a secondary code of HSAOADAL, Electrical Permitting, Inspection Preparation & Compliance Services. Its NAICS code is 541380 and its SIC code is 1731.