UFA - University Of The First Age

What UFA - University Of The First Age does

UFA - University of the First Age is a UK-registered educational charity (Charity No. 1061308, Company No. 03319307), founded in 1996 and headquartered in Birmingham, operating with a staff of approximately 23. Its core offering is a portfolio of youth leadership programmes (Lead Learners, Super Leader Days, Peer Tutoring, Students of Today Leaders of Tomorrow, Young Researchers and Evaluators) and accompanying professional development for teachers (Lead Practitioner, Transforming Learning, INSET Days, Whole School Transformation). All programmes are built on UFA's proprietary '10 Learning Essentials' framework, which codifies pedagogical principles drawn from education research, neuroscience, and psychology to develop metacognition, self-regulation, feedback processes, and collaborative learning.

UFA generates revenue through a mix of direct programme fees from schools (for example, £3,600 per Lead Learners three-day cohort and £165 per person per day for Whole School Transformation), contracted delivery of National Citizen Service (NCS) programmes across multiple UK regions under the NCS Trust, charitable grants from trusts such as The Mercer's Company Charitable Trust, and a wholly-owned subsidiary tuition agency, Top Tutors (Registered Company No. 8375862), operating in London, the Home Counties, and Birmingham. The organisation distributes programmes through direct field sales to schools, a train-the-trainer capacity-building model, and NCS regional teams, supplemented by the YoUFA youth network for youth voice and governance.

Since inception, UFA reports reaching over 750,000 young people, training 5,000 teachers and youth workers, and supporting 2,000 schools across the UK. Strategic positioning centres on evidence-based impact (documented outcomes such as 100% improved/maintained attendance and 93% improved punctuality in at-risk cohorts), reciprocity between peer tutors and tutees, and sustainable school capacity-building rather than dependency on external delivery. Governance is provided by a Board of Trustees chaired by chartered accountant Jason R Smith, with day-to-day leadership from Chief Executive Paul Evans (appointed 2016).

Name

UFA - University Of The First Age

Legal name

University of the First Age

Website

https://ufa.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

UFA (University of the First Age) is a UK educational charity, founded in 1996 and based in Birmingham, that delivers youth leadership programmes and teacher professional development to primary and secondary schools across the UK, alongside contracted National Citizen Service delivery and a tuition agency subsidiary.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Birmingham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Programme Fees: UFA charges schools and organisations for programme delivery including Lead Learners (£3,600 for three-day programmes) and Whole School Transformation (£165 per person per day). These are direct service fees for training and professional development programmes.
2. Charitable Donations and Grants: UFA receives funding from charitable trusts such as The Mercer's Company Charitable Trust for specific projects like tracking the impact of Peer Tutoring on young people in West Midlands schools.
3. National Citizen Service (NCS) Contracts: UFA is contracted by the NCS Trust to deliver National Citizen Service programmes to young people across multiple UK regions, providing structured youth development experiences during school holidays.
4. Top Tutors Tuition Agency: UFA operates a subsidiary tuition agency (Top Tutors, Registered Company No. 8375862) providing tutoring services in London, Home Counties, and Birmingham, generating revenue through connecting tutors with parents, guardians, and schools.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

UFA is a UK educational charity that delivers leadership development programmes for children and young people aged 8-18, plus professional development training for teachers and youth workers. Its offerings include direct-delivery youth programmes (Lead Learners, Super Leader Days, Peer Tutoring, Students of Today Leaders of Tomorrow, Young Researchers and Evaluators), school-focused professional development (Lead Practitioner, Transforming Learning, INSET Days, Whole School Transformation), contracted National Citizen Service delivery, and a subsidiary tuition agency (Top Tutors).

Product overview

UFA (University of the First Age) is an educational charity offering a portfolio of leadership development programmes for young people and professional development training for adults. The core offerings include youth programmes (Lead Learners, Super Leader Days, Peer Tutoring, Students of Today Leaders of Tomorrow, Young Researchers and Evaluators) and professional development programmes (Lead Practitioner, Transforming Learning, INSET Days, Whole School Transformation). Additionally, UFA operates subsidiary services including National Citizen Service (NCS) delivery, the Top Tutors tuition agency, and the YoUFA youth network. All programmes are underpinned by UFA's 10 Learning Essentials framework focused on developing leadership characteristics.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• YoUFA: A network of young people influencing UFA and making a difference, providing young people with a voice in the organization.
• Top Tutors
• UFA at NCS

Products and services

• Lead Learners Three-day programme for young people aged 8-18 designed to develop skills and confidence to set up, run and evaluate mainstream and/or extra-curricular learning for other young people, including development of metacognition and feedback processes.
• Super Leader Days One-day intensive programme introducing leadership skills and characteristics to young people (recommended Year 7 or 8) through participatory workshop carousel activities exploring self-leadership, decision-making, responsibility, risk and consequences.
• Peer Tutoring Training programme in which young people are trained and supported to help other young people learn. Peer tutors can support primary to secondary transition or mainstream and extra-curricular learning activities.
• Students of Today, Leaders of Tomorrow Leadership course giving young people the opportunity to develop and explore leadership skills through activities including 'Leading Self and Others', 'Accountability' and 'Project Management'. Can be delivered directly or through trained staff.
• Young Researchers and Evaluators Three-day programme for young people to develop research and evaluation skills and become confident to lead projects evaluating aspects of their school or organisation using the Young Evaluator's Toolkit.
• Whole School Transformation Comprehensive professional development programme creating measurable and fundamental whole school change by putting young people's leadership at the heart of the organisation. Includes training courses delivered over 12 months or longer, with a minimum of ten and maximum of twenty people per course.
• Lead Practitioner Professional development training for adults to enable them to run UFA programmes with young people, supporting staff to increase expectations and aspirations of students.
• Transforming Learning Professional development programme focused on transforming learning through leadership, based on UFA's 10 Learning Essentials framework.
• INSET Days Training provision for school staff delivered during In-Service Education and Training (INSET) days.
• National Citizen Service (NCS) Delivery Contracted delivery of National Citizen Service programmes for young people aged 15-17 across multiple UK regions, providing social action and leadership development opportunities during school holidays.
• Top Tutors (Subsidiary Tuition Agency) Subsidiary tuition agency covering London, the Home Counties, and Birmingham, providing private tutoring services to students by connecting tutors with parents, guardians, and schools.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of participants showed improved or maintained attendance in a three-year programme with young people at risk or excluded
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 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 core and minor.

• YoUFAcoreOthersYoUFA is UFA's youth network providing a structure for young people to influence the organisation and make a difference. It represents a key partnership between UFA and the young people it serves, giving them a voice in organisational decision-making.
• Top TutorsminorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerTop Tutors is UFA's subsidiary tuition agency (Registered Company No. 8375862) operating in London, Home Counties, and Birmingham. It provides a commercial revenue stream while extending UFA's educational reach.
• National Citizen Service (NCS) TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUFA is contracted by the NCS Trust to deliver National Citizen Service programmes to young people across multiple UK regions. On NCS contracts, UFA acts as a processor of information under guidance from the NCS Trust.
• E-ACT AcademiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUFA partners with multiple E-ACT academies including West Walsall and Willenhall for Peer Tutoring programmes and has delivered programmes at Reedswood Primary EACT Academy and Victoria Park Primary Academy.
• Maverick TelevisionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with UFA on the Sheldon Heath Media Summer Challenge, where Maverick Television staff led delivery of technical film-making training alongside UFA's trained peer tutors.
• Sage GatesheadminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural organisation that has collaborated with UFA on Peer Facilitators and Young Researchers and Evaluators programmes, including work with the Juice Festival in Newcastle.
• Peterborough Learning PartnershipminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUFA is working with the Peterborough Learning Partnership on the 'Seeing is Believing' project to promote Peer Tutor programmes in local primary schools.
• Derbyshire Virtual SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDerbyshire's Virtual School has partnered with UFA to work with vulnerable young people, providing funding and support for Peer Tutor programmes for students at risk or excluded from mainstream schooling.
• Birmingham City UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUFA has conducted 'cafe conversation' sessions with Birmingham City University students, discussing topics such as career reflections and professional development.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The Prince's Trust: Major UK youth-development charity supporting 11–30 year-olds through education, training, and enterprise programmes. Highly comparable to UFA as a UK-based charity delivering structured personal development programmes to young people, though operating at significantly larger scale.
• UK Youth: National membership body and charity for the youth sector in the UK, supporting youth organisations with training, advocacy, and programme frameworks. Comparable to UFA as a UK youth-development charity offering training and programme infrastructure to organisations working with young people.
• Raleigh International: UK youth-development charity delivering structured programmes (expeditions, community projects) to develop leadership, employability, and citizenship in young people aged 17–24. Comparable to UFA's NCS delivery and youth leadership-development programmes in cohort and outcomes focus.
• City Year UK: UK youth-service charity placing young mentors in schools to support pupil attainment, attendance, and engagement. Directly comparable to UFA's school-based peer-tutoring and leadership-development model, with similar institutional buyer (schools) and similar volunteer/young-person cohort.
• Scouts UK: UK youth organisation offering structured programmes that develop skills, leadership, and character in young people aged 4–25. Comparable to UFA's mission of building leadership and character in young people, though delivered through a uniformed youth-movement model rather than school-based delivery.
• The Tutor Trust: UK charity recruiting and training university students as tutors to deliver small-group tuition in schools. Comparable to UFA's Peer Tutoring model in target customers (UK schools) and tutoring-for-attainment mission, though using university-student tutors rather than school-age peer tutors.
• Action Tutoring: UK charity delivering volunteer-led tutoring to disadvantaged primary and secondary school pupils. Closely comparable to UFA's Peer Tutoring programmes and Top Tutors subsidiary, with a similar school-buyer model and focus on attainment outcomes for disadvantaged learners.
• Girlguiding UK: UK youth organisation providing structured personal development and leadership programmes for girls and young women. Comparable to UFA's leadership-development mission and programmes (Students of Today, Leaders of Tomorrow; Lead Learners) though operating as a mass-membership youth organisation.

Others

• National Youth Agency: Government-supported standards body for youth work in England, providing training, qualifications, and policy support to youth organisations. Adjacent to UFA as a sector infrastructure and standards provider rather than a direct programme-delivery competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Explore Learning: UK-based private tutoring company delivering maths, English, and 11-plus tuition to children through centres and online. Comparable to UFA's Top Tutors subsidiary as a UK tutoring provider, but operates as a larger commercial incumbent rather than a charity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ufa---university-of-the-first-age

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about UFA - University Of The First Age