Special Talent Exchange Program

What Special Talent Exchange Program does

Special Talent Exchange Program (STEP) is a cross-disability, women-led, and youth-led non-governmental organization founded in 1997 and headquartered in Islamabad, Pakistan. The organization serves persons with disabilities (PWDs) across Pakistan through 16 documented programs including Psychosocial Support Services, Disability Job Center (DJC), Disability-Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction (DiDRR), Inclusive Education, Inclusive Sport, Accessibility Audits, Leadership Development, Political Participation, and Direct Support including assistive device distribution. STEP also operates the Center for Research on Inclusive Development and serves as secretariat for the National Forum of Women with Disability (NFWWD).

STEP operates as a non-profit funded entirely through grants from institutional donors and development partners, including UNFPA, UK DFID/Aid, UNESCAP, Sightsavers, GIZ, Light For the World, Global Disability Innovation Hub (UCL under AT2030 programme), British High Commission, US Embassy Pakistan, and corporate sponsors including Telenor Pakistan and Mari Energies. Programs are delivered free of charge to beneficiaries through direct service delivery, partner networks, training workshops, and digital platforms. The organization reaches across Pakistan's five major regions (Islamabad Capital Territory, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan) through 20+ partner organizations and has received recognition including the 2024 WIN DRR Leadership Award and the 2024 Khadija Tul Kubra Awards.

STEP's technology assets include the DiDRR E-Learning Portal (didrrlearning.com) developed with NDMA and UNESCAP, providing interactive disaster risk reduction training for professionals; the Disability Job Center portal (disabilityjobcenter.pk) connecting PWDs with employment opportunities; and a referenced Equal Access mobile application. The organization maintains active presence across Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram for community engagement. Leadership comprises Muhammad Atif Sheikh (President), Muhammad Atif (Executive Director), and Abia Akram (Project Director). STEP publishes annual reports, newsletters, and national/international disability publications through its research center.

Name

Special Talent Exchange Program

Legal name

Special Talent Exchange Program (STEP)

Website

https://step.org.pk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Special Talent Exchange Program (STEP) is a cross-disability, women-led, and youth-led Pakistani non-governmental organization founded in 1997 that delivers employment, education, disaster risk reduction, psychosocial support, and advocacy programs for persons with disabilities, funded by international development grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Rights and Inclusion Services

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGACAG

Disability Services & Independent Living Support

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Health & Medical Nonprofits

SECONDARYBPAGALAM

Disability Services & Assistive Solutions (Accessibility, Assistive Tech)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Enterprises & Impact Organizations

SECONDARYBPAGADAH

Special Education, Disability Support & Inclusive Education Nonprofits

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Education & Youth Development Nonprofits

SECONDARYBPADAIAM

Injury Prevention, Disability & Rehabilitation Programs

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Global Health & Population Programs

SECONDARYMPAKACAH

Disability & Adaptive Sports Organizations (Paralympic, Special Olympics)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Collegiate & Amateur Sports Organizations (NCAA, Federations, Clubs)

SECONDARYEDAKAIAJ

AT Funding, Procurement & Compliance Support (IEP/504 Documentation)

Education/Special Education & Learning Support Services/Assistive Technology (AT) Assessment, Devices & Training

Keywords

• Disability inclusion services
• Disability rights advocacy
• Psychosocial support services
• Inclusive education programs
• Employment facilitation

Headquarters

HQ city

Islamabad

HQ country

Pakistan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: STEP operates as a non-profit organization funded through grants and partnerships with international development organizations, UN agencies, foreign governments, and corporate sponsors. Major funders include UK DFID/Aid, UNFPA, UKAid, and various international NGOs.
2. Project-Based Funding: The organization receives funding for specific projects such as GBV prevention, disability-inclusive DRR, assistive technology initiatives, and inclusive education programs. Projects are implemented on behalf of donors like UNFPA, UK DFID, and Global Disability Innovation Hub.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

STEP delivers a portfolio of disability inclusion programs free of charge to persons with disabilities in Pakistan, spanning psychosocial support for GBV survivors, employment facilitation through the Disability Job Center, disability-inclusive disaster risk reduction training via the DiDRR E-Learning Portal, inclusive education, inclusive sport, accessibility audits, policy advisory, and leadership development. Programs are implemented in collaboration with government agencies, UN bodies, and international NGOs and funded through grants from donors such as UK DFID/Aid, UNFPA, UNESCAP, GIZ, and corporate sponsors.

Product overview

Special Talent Exchange Program (STEP) is a cross-disability, women-led, and youth-led non-profit organization founded in 1997, dedicated to mainstreaming disability in development. The organization operates as a program-based NGO offering multiple interconnected services rather than a unified technology product. Core programs include: Psychosocial Support Service providing GBV referral support; Disability Job Center (DJC) for employment facilitation; Disability Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction with the DiDRR E-Learning Portal and Toolkit; Inclusive Education; Inclusive Sport; Disability Inclusive ICT; Leadership Development; Center for Research on Inclusive Development; Accessibility Audits; Direct Support including assistive device distribution; Advisory on Disability Policy; and Political Participation initiatives. Supporting services include Disability Equality Training (DET), Sign Language Courses, and various publications. Programs are delivered in collaboration with government agencies, UN bodies (UNESCAP, UNFPA), international organizations (Sightsavers, GIZ, Light For the World), and local OPDs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Psychosocial Support Service
• Disability Job Center (DJC)
• DiDRR E-Learning Portal
• Accessibility Audits
• Disability Equality Training (DET)
• Sign Language Course

Quantifiable outcome

• National Wheelchair Cricket Tournament bringing together 8 teams of wheelchair users
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered key, core and minor.

• Nowshera Special People Welfare Organization (NEPWO)keyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 January 2025Local partner for Provincial Consultation and Training Workshop on Assistive Technology Access in Nowshera, KP
• Global Disability Innovation Hub, UCLcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 January 2025Partnership under #AT2030programme funded by UKAid for OPD Capacity Building and Impact Pilot, focusing on assistive technology access in Pakistan
• NUST (National University of Sciences and Technology)keyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 January 2025Host partner for National Consultation on Assistive Technology hosted by STEP
• National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 May 2024Collaboration on launching innovative e-learning toolkit on disability-inclusive disaster risk reduction, working with disaster management professionals
• United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 May 2024Trilateral partnership with NDMA for developing and launching comprehensive e-learning toolkit for disability-inclusive disaster risk reduction
• UNESCOkeyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 December 2011Co-organization of International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2011 solidarity walk and advocacy events in Islamabad
• SAAYA AssociationkeyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 February 2010Co-organizer of National Wheelchair Cricket Tournament 2010 for promoting inclusive sports
• Pakistan Youth AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 February 2010Partner in National Wheelchair Cricket Tournament 2010
• Milestone Society for Special PersonsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 February 2010Partner in National Wheelchair Cricket Tournament 2010
• Election Commission of PakistankeyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Partnership for election observation and awareness programs to promote accessible voting for persons with disabilities
• International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES)keyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Collaboration on Bye-Election observation in Islamabad to assess accessibility and challenges faced by PWDs at polling stations
• US Embassy PakistancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on accessibility and inclusion initiatives including the Pakistan-US Alumni Accessibility and Inclusion Job Fair and Khadija Tul Kubra Awards
• SightsaverscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership on disability inclusion programs, including co-organization of Global Disability Summit Pakistan 2018 and National Consultation Workshop on Barriers to Inclusive Development
• British High CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint organization of Chevening Scholarship Briefing Sessions for Persons with Disabilities and support for inclusive education programs
• Telenor PakistankeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerKhuddar Pakistan initiative partnership including assistive technology training labs, accessibility audits, and disability equality training for staff. Also collaborated on career development workshops for PWDs.
• CHIP OrganizationkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partner for disability equality training programs, accessibility audits, and inclusive development initiatives in Pakistan
• Malteser InternationalkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerHumanitarian organization partner in disability-inclusive initiatives
• HelpAge InternationalkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Pakistan-US Alumni Accessibility and Inclusion Job Fair 2024
• National Forum of Women with Disability (NFWWD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSTEP serves as the secretariat for NFWWD, advancing rights of women with disabilities in Pakistan

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Light for the World: International disability-focused NGO providing funding and technical support to STEP and operating in overlapping areas of inclusive education, employment, and assistive technology across developing markets.
• CBM Global Disability Inclusion: Large international disability-focused INGO working on inclusive development, eye health, and community-based rehabilitation across Asia. Directly comparable as a grant-funded disability inclusion organization with overlapping program categories.
• National Forum of Women with Disabilities (NFWWD) Pakistan: Pakistan-based women-disability advocacy network for which STEP serves as secretariat. Directly comparable as a national-level, women-focused, cross-disability advocacy platform with overlapping governance and membership base.
• CHIP Organization (Comprehensive Health & Immunization Program): Pakistan-based NGO partner of STEP on disability equality training, accessibility audits, and inclusive development. Operates similar community-level inclusion programs and competes for similar domestic funding streams.
• Sightsavers Pakistan: International disability NGO with active Pakistan operations and a long-standing STEP partnership (Global Disability Summit 2018, National Consultation Workshops). Directly competes for the same donor funding pools while operating across overlapping disability inclusion verticals.
• Humanity & Inclusion (Handicap International): Large international INGO operating across disability inclusion, inclusive DRR, rehabilitation, and GBV programming in Pakistan and the broader region. Directly comparable as a multi-program, grant-funded disability organization with overlapping verticals including DiDRR and psychosocial support.
• NOWPDP (Network of Organizations Working for People with Disabilities, Pakistan): Pakistan-based national network of disability NGOs focused on employment, inclusion, and advocacy. Operates similar employment-facilitation and rights-advocacy programs targeting Pakistani PWDs, directly competing for donor and beneficiary attention.
• Special Olympics Pakistan: National affiliate of Special Olympics delivering inclusive sports programs for PWDs in Pakistan. Directly comparable on the 'Inclusive Sport' program vertical where STEP also operates wheelchair cricket tournaments and adaptive sports events.

Others

• Women's International Network for Disaster Risk Reduction (WIN DRR): Asia-Pacific network that awarded STEP's Project Director the 2024 WIN DRR Leadership Award. Comparable as a women-led DRR-focused network with overlapping gender-inclusive DRR programming and similar donor ecosystem.

Emerging players

• Global Disability Innovation Hub (GDI Hub), UCL: UK-based research and innovation hub partnering with STEP under the AT2030 programme for assistive technology access. Comparable as an AT-focused, donor-funded hub with overlapping assistive technology and inclusive innovation mandates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/steppakistan
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/STEPMediaCell
• Facebookfacebook.com/STEPIslamabad
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/steppakistan
• Instagraminstagram.com/steppakistan

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Special Talent Exchange Program