Year Here
Year Here is a London-based social innovation fellowship that ran a year-long postgraduate programme from 2013 to 2022, training 276 Fellows and supporting the launch of 50+ social ventures tackling inequality in Britain. It now operates as a community movement of social entrepreneurs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Year Here does
Year Here is a London-based social innovation fellowship organisation that operated a year-long postgraduate programme from 2013 to 2022, training 276 Fellows across 16 cohorts to develop practical solutions to entrenched social problems such as homelessness, educational inequity, refugee marginalisation, and isolation of older people. Its core offering was experiential rather than technological: Fellows were immersed in frontline placements (care homes, hostels, community centres across London), participated in activities such as WildCamp and 24-hour challenges, and applied human-centred design, community organising, and lean startup methodologies. The organisation did not operate a proprietary technology platform; its curriculum was delivered by faculty including Sophie Howarth, Lemn Sissay OBE, and Lady Edwina Grosvenor.
Year Here's revenue model blended partner sponsorships (local authorities, housing associations, corporations and social enterprises paid to participate, covering Fellows' costs), impact consulting engagements (74 briefs delivered over the decade for clients including the Greater London Authority, the European Union, and Guys and St Thomas' Charity), and a venture portfolio of 50+ Fellow-founded social enterprises that collectively generated over £8.5M in revenue and reached 60,000+ people. Fellows paid no course fees; financial support packages including bursaries, low-interest loans, travel discounts, and subsidised accommodation through Dot Dot Dot Property Guardians were provided. Notable Fellow-founded ventures include Chatterbox (refugee language tutors), Breakthrough (apprenticeships recruiting from prisons), Settle (youth homelessness), and Birdsong (ethical fashion).
In November 2022 Year Here closed its Fellowship programme to new cohorts after a decade; in 2023 it announced 'Year Here 2.0', repositioning as a movement of over 250 entrepreneurs and activists. The Year Here Foundation was established in 2020 as a charitable arm to widen access. The organisation remains registered as Year Here Limited in England and Wales.
Year Here firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Year Here
- Legal name
- Year Here Limited
- Website
- https://yearhere.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Year Here is a London-based social innovation fellowship that ran a year-long postgraduate programme from 2013 to 2022, training 276 Fellows and supporting the launch of 50+ social ventures tackling inequality in Britain. It now operates as a community movement of social entrepreneurs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Year Here industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Social Innovation Fellowship Education
- NAICS
- Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Alumni, Peer & Community Networking Programs (EDAMAKAM), Unpaid/Volunteer-Linked Work Placement Programs (EDAIAFAE)
Keywords
Where Year Here is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Year Here business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Partner sponsorships and program fees: Year Here operated on a unique model where external partners (local authorities, housing associations, social enterprises, corporations) paid to be involved in the fellowship program. These payments covered most of the tuition costs for Fellows. There were no course fees charged to Fellows themselves.
- Impact consulting engagements: Fellows formed consulting teams and responded to briefs set by clients including the Greater London Authority, European Union, and Guys and St Thomas' Charity. 74 impact consulting briefs were completed over the decade.
- Venture portfolio revenue: The 50+ social ventures founded by Fellows collectively generated over £8.5 million in revenue by the end of Year Here's first ten years. The ventures operated independently but remained part of the Year Here ecosystem.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Fellowship program (no cost to Fellows) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels8 records
Year Here product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Year Here ran a postgraduate, year-long social innovation fellowship program that recruited entrepreneurial Fellows to test and build solutions to entrenched social problems such as inequality, homelessness, and isolation. Beyond the fellowship, Year Here offered paid impact consulting engagements to clients including the Greater London Authority, European Union, and Guys and St Thomas' Charity, and supported a portfolio of over 50 social ventures founded by alumni Fellows.
Product overview
Year Here is a social innovation fellowship organization that operated from 2012 to 2022. Rather than a technology product company, Year Here ran a postgraduate fellowship program in social innovation that challenged entrepreneurial people to spend a year testing and building solutions to entrenched social problems. The organization did not offer a software product, platform, or technical service offering. The entity managed a portfolio of social ventures founded by fellows, including ventures in areas such as refugee support (Chatterbox), prison rehabilitation (Breakthrough), youth homelessness (Settle), ethical fashion (Birdsong), and various other social enterprises. The organization also published a Substack blog called 'How To Change Things' for changemakers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Year Here Fellowship Programme A year-long postgraduate social innovation fellowship that recruits 25-40 Fellows per cohort from diverse backgrounds to learn human-centred design, community organising, and lean startup methodology through frontline placements in London organisations and immersion experiences such as WildCamp and 24-hour challenges. Fellows graduate having built a portfolio of real social projects and, in many cases, launched a social venture. There are no course fees for Fellows; partners cover program costs.
- Impact Consulting Engagements Fellows formed consulting teams and responded to briefs set by clients including the Greater London Authority, European Union, Origin Housing, and Guys and St Thomas' Charity. 74 impact consulting briefs were completed over the decade, working with over 100 paying clients delivering social impact projects across London.
- How To Change Things (Substack Publication) A brainfood Substack publication for changemakers sharing insights on how change happens and practical resources for social entrepreneurs. Distributed via email newsletter subscription to the Year Here community and wider audience of social innovators.
- Year Here Venture Portfolio
Quantifiable outcome
- 92% of Fellows rated the programme positively
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Year Here
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Year Here technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Year Here partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Dot Dot Dot Property GuardianscorePartnership with Dot Dot Dot Property Guardians enabled Year Here to offer affordable housing options for Fellows, widening access to the Fellowship. Dozens of Fellows received discounted accommodation through this arrangement.
- New Philanthropy CapitalminorPartnered with New Philanthropy Capital as part of the social innovation curriculum, providing Fellows with expertise in philanthropy and social investment.
- Bain & CompanyminorPartnered with Bain & Company as part of the social innovation curriculum, providing Fellows with access to business consulting expertise and methodologies.
- The Bromley By Bow CentreminorThe Bromley By Bow Centre was a key organizational partner. CEO Rob Trimble described Year Here as 'a gentle tidal wave of social innovation'.
- Origin HousingminorOrigin Housing hosted Fellow Sneh Jani Patel for her frontline placement, where she developed the Repair and Care project embedding welfare checks in contractor outreach.
- Greater London AuthorityminorThe Greater London Authority commissioned impact consulting projects from Year Here, including work on the Mayor's Civic Crowdfunding Programme.
- Guys and St Thomas' CharityminorGuys and St Thomas' Charity set social innovation briefs for Year Here consulting teams as part of the fellowship curriculum.
- Sophie Howarth (School of Life)minorCo-founder of School of Life and faculty lead at Year Here, Sophie Howarth led initiatives including the Hackney Human Library challenge.
- Lady Edwina GrosvenorminorCriminal justice philanthropist and member of the Year Here faculty, providing expertise and mentorship on justice-related social issues.
- Lemn Sissay OBEminorPoet and member of the Year Here faculty, contributing to the curriculum and leadership development program.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Year Here competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Ashoka: Global network identifying and supporting leading social entrepreneurs (Ashoka Fellows). Comparable in mission and Fellow-style model, but operates at much larger global scale and focuses on system-change innovators rather than early-stage cohorts.
- The King's Trust (formerly The Prince's Trust): Major UK youth charity supporting young people into education, employment, and enterprise. Comparable in UK youth/early-career social mobility mission and enterprise programmes, but operates at massive scale with broader scope than Year Here's social innovation focus.
- Echoing Green: Global fellowship for emerging social entrepreneurs offering seed funding and leadership development. Closely comparable in the Fellow-model and venture-creation ambition, but operates globally and with a more selective, higher-profile cohort.
- Social Enterprise UK: UK membership body for social enterprises, providing advocacy, networking, and business support. Comparable in serving UK social entrepreneurs and ventures, but operates as a trade body rather than directly running fellowship programmes.
Direct peers
- UnLtd: UK foundation supporting early-stage social entrepreneurs through awards, incubation, and investment. Directly comparable as a UK-based social entrepreneur support organisation; UnLtd is also an existing financial partner of Year Here (it awarded the Big Venture Challenge in 2016).
- Bethnal Green Ventures: UK early-stage accelerator and pre-seed investor backing tech-for-good startups. Directly comparable to Year Here's venture-creation function; Bethnal Green Ventures is also an existing financial partner of Year Here ventures, indicating close ecosystem overlap.
- School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE): UK-based charity that runs accredited learning programmes, grants, and support for social entrepreneurs. Directly comparable to Year Here in target audience (aspiring social entrepreneurs), UK geography, and non-degree educational model, though SSE offers formal accreditation.
Others
- Clore Social Leadership: UK programme developing leadership skills in the social sector through fellowships and training. Comparable in the leadership-fellowship model and UK-based audience, though focused on developing existing leaders rather than launching social ventures.
Regional players
- Big Issue Invest: UK social enterprise investment arm of The Big Issue providing loans, grants, and support to early-stage social enterprises. Comparable in audience (UK social enterprises) and venture-support function, though focused on capital provision rather than fellowship-style education.
Emerging players
- Acumen Academy: Global learning community for social entrepreneurs offering online courses and leadership development. Comparable in curriculum and audience (social entrepreneurs), though delivered primarily online at global scale rather than via UK-based experiential fellowships.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Year Here social profiles
Digital presenceYear Here financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Year Here leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Year Here funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Year Here 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 Year Here
What does Year Here do?
Year Here ran a postgraduate, year-long social innovation fellowship program that recruited entrepreneurial Fellows to test and build solutions to entrenched social problems such as inequality, homelessness, and isolation. Beyond the fellowship, Year Here offered paid impact consulting engagements to clients including the Greater London Authority, European Union, and Guys and St Thomas' Charity, and supported a portfolio of over 50 social ventures founded by alumni Fellows.
Is Year Here a public or private company?
Year Here is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Year Here founded?
Year Here was founded in 2013. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Year Here based?
Year Here is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Year Here make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Partner sponsorships and program fees are the primary driver. The others are impact consulting engagements and venture portfolio revenue.
Who are Year Here's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Ashoka, The King's Trust (formerly The Prince's Trust), Echoing Green and Social Enterprise UK. Direct peers are UnLtd, Bethnal Green Ventures and School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE). Clore Social Leadership is listed as an others. Big Issue Invest is listed as a regional player. Acumen Academy is listed as an emerging player.
Does Year Here have an API?
No public API is recorded for Year Here.
What industry is Year Here in?
Year Here's product category is Social Innovation Fellowship Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDADAHAC, Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts, with a secondary code of EDAMAKAM, Alumni, Peer & Community Networking Programs. Its NAICS code is 813219 and its SIC code is 8200.