Stepping Stones NI
Stepping Stones NI is a Lisburn-based registered charity (founded 1996) that supports people with learning disabilities, neurodiverse individuals, and unemployed youth across Northern Ireland through training, employment academies, and six social enterprises.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersLisburn, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Stepping Stones NI does
Stepping Stones NI is a registered charity and private limited company (Stepping Stones NI Ltd, Company No: NIO31411, Charity No: NIC100727) founded in 1996 in Lisburn, Northern Ireland. The organization supports people with learning disabilities, neurodiverse individuals (autism, ADHD, dyslexia), and those facing barriers to employment such as youth aged 16-24 not in education, training, or employment. It delivers five core services — Learning Disability Support, Youth Service, Employment & Training, Community Support, and Employer Partnerships (branded Hire for Good) — through six wholly-owned social enterprises that serve as realistic training platforms: three cafés (The Courtyard Café, The Gatelodge Café, 2nd Avenue Café), a wedding stationery business (Pink Elephant), a guild-commended picture framing business, and a horticulture and wellbeing hub (Navigation House).
The revenue model combines three streams: commercial revenue from social enterprises (café sales, wedding stationery, picture framing), government grant funding (UK Government Prosper Programme 2023-2026, UK Shared Prosperity Fund, South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust, Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council, Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council), and charitable donations via JustGiving. The organization claims 100% of social enterprise customer revenue is reinvested into its mission. Its go-to-market approach is relationship-driven — direct engagement with employer partners (EE, HCLTech, Henderson Retail, Premier Inn, DFDS, McCulla, Mount Charles, Popeyes) to co-develop bespoke recruitment academies, combined with referral-based candidate pipelines through health trusts and community organizations.
The organization is led by Chief Officer Paula Jennings (awarded MBE in 2025) with a senior leadership team covering social enterprise operations, marketing, quality and impact, finance, and employability. It employs 22 staff operating across four locations in Lisburn and Newtownards, with services delivered exclusively within Northern Ireland. Reported outcomes include an 88% retention rate of placed recruits and a 100% employment success rate for the DFDS Logistics Academy cohort.
Stepping Stones NI firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Stepping Stones NI
- Legal name
- Stepping Stones NI Ltd
- Website
- https://steppingstonesni.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Stepping Stones NI is a Lisburn-based registered charity (founded 1996) that supports people with learning disabilities, neurodiverse individuals, and unemployed youth across Northern Ireland through training, employment academies, and six social enterprises.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Stepping Stones NI industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Disability Employment Services
- NAICS
- Vocational Rehabilitation Services (6243), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (624310), Other Technical and Trade Schools (611519)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Workforce Readiness, Career Pathways & Youth Employment Nonprofits (BPAGADAF), Youth & Young Adult Workforce Programs (Out-of-School Youth) (EDAAAOAD)
Keywords
Where Stepping Stones NI is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lisburn
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
Stepping Stones NI business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Social Enterprise Operations: Revenue generated from operating six social enterprises including three cafes, a wedding stationery business, and a picture framing business. 100% of customer money is reinvested to support the organization's training mission.
- Government Funding & Grants: Funding from UK Government through Prosper Programme (2023-2026), UK Shared Prosperity Fund, South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust, Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council, and Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council.
- Donations: Charitable donations through JustGiving platform to support operations and create opportunities for people with learning disabilities.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Stepping Stones NI product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Stepping Stones NI is a Northern Ireland charity that delivers training, skills development, and employment pathways for people with learning disabilities and barriers to employment, working alongside 16–24 year-olds not in education, training, or employment. The organization operates six social enterprises (three cafés, a wedding stationery business, a picture framing business, and a horticulture/wellbeing hub) that function as real working environments for trainees, and provides Employer Partnerships (Hire for Good) offering bespoke recruitment academies, six months of on-the-job support, and Inclusion & Diversity training to hiring managers. 100% of customer money from social enterprises is reinvested into the organization's mission.
Product overview
Stepping Stones NI is a charity organization offering a portfolio of support services for people with learning disabilities and barriers to employment. The core services include Learning Disability Support, Youth Service (16-24 year olds), Employment & Training, Community Support, and Employer Partnerships (Hire for Good). These services are delivered through six social enterprises that serve as realistic training platforms: three cafés (The Gatelodge Café, The Courtyard Café, 2nd Avenue Café), a wedding stationery business (Pink Elephant), a picture framing business, and a horticulture and wellbeing hub (Navigation House). All social enterprises reinvest 100% of customer money to support the organization's mission of creating meaningful training and employment opportunities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Navigation House: Horticulture and wellbeing hub located at 148 Hillsborough Road, Lisburn, BT27 5QY
- The Gatelodge Café
- The Courtyard Café
- Pink Elephant Wedding Stationery
- 2nd Avenue Café
Products and services
- Learning Disability Support
Quantifiable outcome
- 88% retention rate of recruits placed through employment academies
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Stepping Stones NI
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Stepping Stones NI technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Stepping Stones NI partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- South Eastern Health and Social Care TrustcoreHealth trust partner supporting placements for people with learning disabilities in social enterprises, providing day opportunities and hands-on training.
- Triangle Housing AssociationmajorPartner in the Prosper Programme consortium supporting people into employment across Northern Ireland.
- The Appleby TrustminorPartner in the Prosper Programme consortium.
- Access to Employment LtdminorPartner in the Prosper Programme consortium providing employment support services.
- Compass Advocacy NetworkminorPartner in the Prosper Programme consortium.
- EEmajorTelecommunications employer partner recruiting through inclusive academies. Strong relationship helping people find employment in local communities.
- HCLTechmajorTechnology services partner through Employment Academy helping individuals transition from unemployment to fulfilling careers.
- Henderson RetailmajorRetail employer partner supporting inclusive employment practices.
- Premier InnmajorHospitality employer successfully recruiting candidates across Belfast sites through tailored academies.
- PopeyesminorFood service employer recruiting talented and valued staff through inclusive recruitment.
- DFDSmajorLogistics partner achieving 100% employment success through their academy. Provides manual handling and health & safety training with guaranteed interviews.
- McCullaminorWarehouse operator supporting warehouse academy participants into employment (Owen and Andrew began new careers).
- Mount CharlesminorFood service partner offering catering and hospitality recruitment opportunities.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Stepping Stones NI competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Mencap: UK learning disability charity providing employment support, advocacy, and services. Overlaps with Stepping Stones NI on learning disability employment pathways but operates as a national advocacy and service organization rather than a regional social-enterprise-led training provider.
- Leonard Cheshire: Large UK charity supporting people with disabilities including employment pathways. Comparable mission around disability inclusion and skills development, though broader in scope (residential care, education) than Stepping Stones NI's focused employment/youth offering.
Direct peers
- United Response: UK charity supporting people with learning disabilities and autism, including employment and skills pathways. Comparable service portfolio and target population, with overlap on supported employment and social enterprise operating models.
- Catch-22: UK social business delivering employability programmes, youth services, and inclusion-focused support. Closely comparable employment-academy model and target population (people facing barriers to employment), operating as a commissioned-service provider to government.
- The Prince's Trust: UK youth charity focused on 16-30 year olds not in education, employment, or training, providing training, mentoring, and employment pathways. Direct overlap with Stepping Stones NI's Youth Service offering, though at significantly greater scale and brand recognition.
- Remploy: UK specialist employment services provider focused on disabled and disadvantaged people. Direct peer on disability employment pathways and inclusive recruitment support, now operating as a workforce solutions business within the UK employment services market.
- Shaw Trust: UK charity providing employment services, skills training, and disability employment support across the country. Directly comparable to Stepping Stones NI's core model of placing people with barriers into work, but operating at significantly greater national scale.
Regional players
- Social Enterprise NI: Northern Ireland social enterprise membership body that recognized Stepping Stones NI with a 2025 award. Functions as a sector ecosystem/enabler rather than a direct competitor but represents the closest regional peer network and policy advocate.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Stepping Stones NI social profiles
Digital presenceStepping Stones NI compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Stepping Stones NI financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Stepping Stones NI leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Stepping Stones NI subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries6 records
Stepping Stones NI funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Stepping Stones NI 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 Stepping Stones NI
What does Stepping Stones NI do?
Stepping Stones NI is a Northern Ireland charity that delivers training, skills development, and employment pathways for people with learning disabilities and barriers to employment, working alongside 16–24 year-olds not in education, training, or employment. The organization operates six social enterprises (three cafés, a wedding stationery business, a picture framing business, and a horticulture/wellbeing hub) that function as real working environments for trainees, and provides Employer Partnerships (Hire for Good) offering bespoke recruitment academies, six months of on-the-job support, and Inclusion & Diversity training to hiring managers. 100% of customer money from social enterprises is reinvested into the organization's mission.
Is Stepping Stones NI a public or private company?
Stepping Stones NI is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Stepping Stones NI founded?
Stepping Stones NI was founded in 1996. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Stepping Stones NI based?
Stepping Stones NI is headquartered in Lisburn, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Stepping Stones NI make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Social Enterprise Operations are the primary driver. The others are government Funding & Grants and donations.
Who are Stepping Stones NI's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Mencap and Leonard Cheshire. Direct peers are United Response, Catch-22, The Prince's Trust, Remploy and Shaw Trust. Social Enterprise NI is listed as a regional player.
Does Stepping Stones NI have an API?
No public API is recorded for Stepping Stones NI.
What industry is Stepping Stones NI in?
Stepping Stones NI's product category is Disability Employment Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGACAG, Disability Services & Independent Living Support, with a secondary code of BPAGADAF, Workforce Readiness, Career Pathways & Youth Employment Nonprofits. Its NAICS code is 6243 and its SIC code is 8300.