Onward Group
Onward Living, the sales arm of UK housing association Onward Homes, develops and sells affordable Shared Ownership and Rent to Buy new-build homes across the North West of England, targeting first-time buyers and key workers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersManchester, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Onward Group does
Onward Group operates in the UK affordable-housing market through Onward Living, the sales and development arm of housing association Onward Homes. The company delivers new-build residential housing under government-backed Shared Ownership (typically 10–75% purchase with subsidised rent on the retained share) and Rent to Buy (20% below market rent for up to five years, with an option to purchase) tenures, alongside affordable-rent and service-charge revenue managed through its parent. Developments are concentrated in North West England across Liverpool/Merseyside, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Cheshire, with at least nine named active sites including the flagship Farington Mews (520 homes with Keepmoat Homes), Pavilion Park in Helsby (215 homes, now with Countryside Partnerships), Signaller's Croft in Crewe (449 homes planned, with Lovell) and Foxfield Park in Moreton (66 homes).
The technology stack is fundamentally a physical-construction and regulated-tenure stack rather than a software one. Onward Living works through partnerships with national housebuilders — Lovell, Keepmoat Homes, Story Homes, Miller Homes and Countryside Partnerships — which carry the build risk and deliver the homes; Onward Living then handles sales, allocation across tenures, staircasing administration and ongoing customer management. Property specifications include PV solar panels on selected plots, Symphony fitted kitchens with Electrolux appliances, and Porcelanosa-tiled bathrooms. Specialist Shared Ownership intermediaries Metro Finance (mortgage broker) and AST Hampsons Solicitors (conveyancing) are embedded into the buyer journey. No proprietary software, API, or AI capability is disclosed.
The business model is a hybrid of capital-recycling property development and recurring rental income. Shared Ownership sales generate an upfront receipt on the sold share plus an ongoing rental stream on the retained share (typically ~2.75% per annum of the unsold share); Rent to Buy generates sub-market rental income that converts to sale on completion of the five-year term; affordable rent and service charges provide further recurring revenue through Onward Homes. Pricing is set by share percentage rather than full market value, with reservation fees of £250 and shared-ownership shares starting from £72,000 (Lockside Walk) up to £250,000+ for 40% of higher-value homes. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via on-site show homes, a self-serve website property search, Rightmove listings, social media and partner referrals. The customer base is retail: first-time buyers, growing families, key workers and downsizers priced out of the open market in the North West.
Onward Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Onward Group
- Legal name
- Onward Living
- Website
- https://onward-living.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Onward Living, the sales arm of UK housing association Onward Homes, develops and sells affordable Shared Ownership and Rent to Buy new-build homes across the North West of England, targeting first-time buyers and key workers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Onward Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Affordable Housing / Shared Ownership Home Ownership
- NAICS
- New Housing For-Sale Builders (236117), Lessors of Real Estate (5311)
- SIC
- Real Estate Dealers (For Their Own Account) (6532), Finance Lessors (6172)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Affordable Housing & First-Time Buyer Brokerage (BPAJAAAD)
Keywords
Where Onward Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Manchester
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Onward Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Shared Ownership Sales: Homebuyers purchase a share (typically 10%-75%) of a property and pay discounted rent on the remaining share owned by Onward Living. This generates mortgage income on the sold share and ongoing rental income on the retained share.
- Rent to Buy: Working people rent homes at 20% below local market rent for up to five years, enabling them to save for a deposit to purchase the home in the future.
- Affordable Rent: Homes rented at affordable rates below market value through Onward Homes parent organization.
- Service Charges: Monthly charges for communal maintenance and repairs, building insurance, and ground rent where applicable.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Shared Ownership starting prices by development |
| Usage-based | Monthly | Rent to Buy Scheme |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Staircasing (Buying Additional Shares) |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Reservation Fee |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels9 records
Onward Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Onward Living sells newly built affordable homes to individual buyers across the North West of England through the government-backed Shared Ownership scheme (buying 10–75% of a property with subsidised rent on the remainder) and the Rent to Buy scheme (renting at 20% below local market rate for up to five years to save for a deposit). Revenue is generated from initial share sales, ongoing rental income on the retained share, monthly service charges, and £250 reservation fees, with customers supported by on-site sales advisors, in-house mortgage and conveyancing referrals, and a digital property search platform.
Product overview
Onward Living operates as a housing provider offering two main affordable home ownership schemes: Shared Ownership and Rent to Buy. Shared Ownership allows buyers to purchase 10-75% of a property while paying rent on the remainder, with options to staircase to full ownership over time. Rent to Buy enables residents to rent at 20% below market rates to save for a deposit. The company sells homes across various developments in the North West of England, including Hamilton Waters, Atherton Grange, Kilnbrook Place, Pavilion Park, Creams Mill, Alston Grange, Bollin Grange, Farington Mews, Signaller's Croft, Foxfield Park, Lockside Walk, and others. Homes are sold through various house types such as The Daisyfield, The Hexham, and The Crompton, built in collaboration with housebuilders including Lovell, Countryside Partnerships, Story Homes, and Miller Homes.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Shared Ownership Government-backed home ownership scheme allowing buyers to purchase a share of a property (typically 10–75%) while paying reduced rent on the remaining share owned by the housing association. Enables smaller deposits and mortgages to help first-time buyers onto the property ladder, with the option to staircase to 100% ownership over time.
- Rent to Buy Affordable rental scheme allowing working residents to rent a home at 20% below local market rate for up to five years, enabling them to save for a deposit and eventually purchase the property outright or via Shared Ownership.
Quantifiable outcome
- Smaller deposits: Example shows 5% deposit on 25% share could be as low as £3,722 vs £30,000 for open market purchase
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Onward Group
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Onward Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Onward Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and support.
- LovellcoreNational housebuilder (part of Morgan Sindall Group) chosen to deliver the first 139 new homes at Signaller's Croft development in Crewe. Using innovative timber frame construction to accelerate delivery. Also delivering 66 affordable homes at Foxfield Park in Wirral.
- Keepmoat HomescoreNational housebuilder partnered on Farington Mews, a flagship 520-home development in Leyland where Onward Living was allocated a selection of 3 and 4-bedroom homes to sell through Shared Ownership.
- Metro FinancecoreSpecialist Shared Ownership mortgage broker providing free initial affordability assessments and mortgage advice. Present at show home events and open days to offer financial guidance to prospective buyers.
- AST Hampsons SolicitorssupportLong-established law firm with offices in North West England, specializing in Shared Ownership conveyancing with over 110 years combined experience in property transactions.
- Story HomessupportHousebuilder at Elston Park development in Grimsargh where Onward Living sells homes through Shared Ownership, helping local people get on the property ladder.
- Miller HomessupportHousebuilder at Turnstone Grange development in Somerford, Cheshire where some homes were allocated for affordable Shared Ownership by Onward Living.
- Countryside PartnershipscoreNational housebuilder appointed in 2024 to take over and complete the 215-home Pavilion Park development in Helsby after previous contractor Lane End Developments entered administration in 2023.
- Onward HomescoreParent housing association organization. Onward Living is the sales/arm of Onward Homes. Residents sometimes transition from renting with Onward Homes to Shared Ownership through Onward Living. Also delivers affordable rent homes alongside Shared Ownership developments.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Onward Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Home Group: National housing association with Shared Ownership, Rent to Buy, and affordable rent products. Closely comparable to Onward Living in tenure mix and customer segment, though with broader UK geographic coverage.
- Guinness Partnership: National housing association offering Shared Ownership and affordable rent. Similar profit-for-purpose structure and customer focus on first-time buyers priced out of the open market.
- Metropolitan Thames Valley: Housing association with Shared Ownership and affordable home sales across London and the South East. Comparable tenure mix and shared ownership staircasing economics.
- Peabody: Major London and South East housing association with significant Shared Ownership and affordable home sales. Comparable in affordable housing product mix, staircasing mechanics, and government-backed scheme positioning.
- L&Q: One of the UK's largest housing associations, offering Shared Ownership and affordable rent across multiple regions with a national footprint. Directly comparable to Onward Living in product (Shared Ownership sales) and customer segment (first-time buyers).
- LiveWest: South West-focused housing association with a Shared Ownership sales programme. Comparable in being a regional housing association sales arm, but serves a different geographic market.
- Clarion Housing: The UK's largest housing association, operating a Shared Ownership programme alongside affordable rent. Comparable in business model — housing association sales of new-build shared ownership homes — though at materially larger scale and broader geographic reach.
- Orbit Group: Housing association offering Shared Ownership and affordable new-build homes across the Midlands and South. Comparable in sales-led affordable housing model, though operating in different geographies.
- Hyde Group: Housing association providing Shared Ownership, Rent to Buy and affordable homes across London and the South East. Closely aligned with Onward Living's tenure mix and target first-time buyer segment.
- Sovereign Housing Association: Large housing association with a Shared Ownership sales operation. Comparable product set and government-funded development model, with broader regional coverage across southern England.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Onward Group social profiles
Digital presenceOnward Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Onward Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Onward Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Onward Group 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 Onward Group
What does Onward Group do?
Onward Living sells newly built affordable homes to individual buyers across the North West of England through the government-backed Shared Ownership scheme (buying 10–75% of a property with subsidised rent on the remainder) and the Rent to Buy scheme (renting at 20% below local market rate for up to five years to save for a deposit). Revenue is generated from initial share sales, ongoing rental income on the retained share, monthly service charges, and £250 reservation fees, with customers supported by on-site sales advisors, in-house mortgage and conveyancing referrals, and a digital property search platform.
Is Onward Group a public or private company?
Onward Group is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Onward Group founded?
Onward Group was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Onward Group based?
Onward Group is headquartered in Manchester, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Onward Group make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Shared Ownership Sales are the primary driver. The others are rent to Buy, affordable Rent and service Charges.
Who are Onward Group's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Home Group, Guinness Partnership, Metropolitan Thames Valley, Peabody, L&Q, LiveWest, Clarion Housing, Orbit Group, Hyde Group and Sovereign Housing Association.
Does Onward Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for Onward Group.
What industry is Onward Group in?
Onward Group's product category is Affordable Housing / Shared Ownership Home Ownership. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAJAAAD, Affordable Housing & First-Time Buyer Brokerage. Its NAICS code is 236117 and its SIC code is 6532.