What Springboard does

Springboard is a UK-registered charity established in 1990 that operates the country's leading hospitality talent pipeline, helping young people and jobseekers discover careers, build employability skills, and transition into employment in the hospitality, leisure, and tourism sectors. The organisation reaches over 150,000 people annually and supports more than 5,000 individuals into work each year through a portfolio of employability training programmes, careers education initiatives, and employer partnerships. Its primary beneficiaries are disadvantaged young people and unemployed jobseekers, with secondary stakeholder groups including hospitality employers seeking pre-trained talent, educational institutions delivering careers education, and individual/corporate donors funding the mission.

The charity operates an interconnected product portfolio spanning CareerScope (an online vacancy and training portal), the Digital Hospitality Academy (40+ online modules with group training and 1-2-1 mentoring), the FutureChef school cooking competition (now in its 27th year), the Diageo Learning for Life programme (8,000+ graduates since 2014, with 78% securing long-term employment), the government-funded Kickstart Scheme, and the Springboard Ambassador volunteer network (2,000+ industry professionals). Underlying technology consists principally of self-service digital learning infrastructure and a job-matching portal, supplemented by live webinars and e-learning modules converted from face-to-face training during COVID-19. A physical training hub is being established at Diageo's £73 million Guinness Open Gate Brewery in Covent Garden.

Revenue is generated entirely through donations, grants, and corporate partnerships rather than commercial sales. Income streams include individual donations ranging from £1 (Just1More) to £25,000+ (Life Patron tier), recurring monthly Friends of Springboard contributions of £20, corporate partnership fees for talent access and CSR benefits, and grants such as repeat Hilton Effect Foundation awards. The go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: direct corporate employer partnerships (Hilton, IHG, Diageo, Sodexo, BaxterStorey, Nando's, The Savoy Hotel, Whitbread), JobCentre Plus referral pathways, an 820+ educational establishment network, and signature fundraising events including the annual Springboard Awards for Excellence, the Virtual Race, and the London Hospitality Festival.

Name

Springboard

Legal name

The Springboard Charity

Website

https://springboard.uk.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Springboard is a UK-registered charity (founded 1990) operating the country's leading hospitality talent pipeline, helping over 150,000 young people and jobseekers annually access employability training, careers education, and employment pathways in the hospitality industry through employer partnerships and digital learning platforms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Charitable donations from individuals supporting Springboard's mission to help young people and jobseekers access hospitality careers. Donation options include £10, £25, £50, £75, £100, £200 or custom amounts.
2. Patron Programme: Life Patrons donate minimum £25,000 and Patrons donate minimum £5,000 to support Springboard's charitable programmes. Donations qualify for Gift Aid and higher rate tax relief.
3. Friends of Springboard: Monthly donations of £20 or annual payment of £200, with donors matched to beneficiaries and receiving progress updates
4. Just1More Campaign: Hospitality businesses encourage guests to make optional £1 donations, with funds passed directly to Springboard for employability training
5. Corporate Grants: Grants from foundations such as Hilton Effect Foundation to deliver employability training programmes
6. Business Partnership Fees: Corporate partners pay for benefits including brand awareness, access to talent pool, networking opportunities, and CSR fulfilment

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Springboard is a UK charity that helps young people and jobseekers discover careers, build confidence and skills, and move into employment in the hospitality, leisure, and tourism industry. It delivers free employability training programmes, careers education in schools, and industry partnerships connecting individuals with hospitality employers through its own digital platforms (CareerScope, Digital Hospitality Academy) and partner-led programmes (Diageo Learning for Life).

Product overview

Springboard is a UK charity operating a multi-product portfolio focused on helping young people and jobseekers discover careers, build skills, and move into employment in the hospitality, leisure, and tourism industry. The core offering comprises employability training programmes (Digital Hospitality Academy, Diageo Learning for Life, Kickstart Scheme), careers education platforms (CareerScope, FutureChef), and professional volunteer networks (Ambassador Programme). Supporting infrastructure includes fundraising initiatives (Just1More, Virtual Race), business partnership programmes, and the annual Awards for Excellence event. The organisation reaches over 150,000 people annually and has supported 5,000+ people into work each year through these interconnected programmes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 86% of supported individuals secure work in hospitality industry, with 81% remaining in roles for over 12 months
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Kevin Campbell FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 November 2025New initiative 'Beyond the Game' to support young people, including footballers transitioning out of club academies, into hospitality careers. Partnership received positive engagement from PFA and Premier League clubs. Combines Springboard's 35-year track record with Foundation's commitment to community support.
• DiageoflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 September 2025Eleven-year partnership renewal for a further three years to deliver the Learning for Life programme, helping individuals gain hospitality skills and employment. Over 8,000 graduates supported since 2014, with 838 new participants in 2025 alone. The programme includes new digital courses and the upcoming Guinness Open Gate Brewery training hub in Covent Garden.
• Royal Lancaster LondonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmployer partner where Springboard trainee Tyana King-Wagner now works after completing programme. Represented at King's Garden Party alongside CEO and Operations Director.
• CH&CominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmployer partner where Springboard trainee Youssef Shamar now works after completing programme. CH&Co is a catering and hospitality company.
• HiltoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partner supporting FutureChef and Ambassadors programmes. Hilton employees volunteer within local communities to inspire next generation of hospitality employees. Hilton also represented on Springboard board through HR business partner Nicola Wilton.
• IHG Hotels & ResortscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor employer partner participating in Learning for Life programme and hiring graduates. Multiple award category sponsor for Springboard Awards for Excellence 2026.
• SodexocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate patron and employer partner. Sodexo sponsors Technology and Innovation Award and Springboard Ambassador of the Year Award at Springboard Awards. CEO Chris Gamm is Chair of Springboard with Allister Richards as COO at CH&Co.
• Savoy Educational TrustcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHeadline sponsor for FutureChef competition and Springboard Awards Partner of the Year 2026. Supports educational initiatives in hospitality industry.
• BaxterStoreycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate patron and employer partner. Sponsors Training Programme Award and Springboard Ambassador of the Year Award at Springboard Awards for Excellence. Mentoring support for FutureChef competitors.
• Diageo Learning for LifeflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFlagship hospitality skills programme with over 8,000 UK graduates. Springboard delivers digital and face-to-face training with 78% of graduates securing employment. 838 new participants in 2025, with 778 completing the course.
• King Charles IIIflagshipOthersMet Springboard trainees at opening of Diageo's Johnnie Walker Princes Street venue in Edinburgh. Trainees demonstrated skills at new Learning for Life training centre.
• Rishi SunakminorOthersFormer Prime Minister met Springboard trainees Pedram Keshavarz and Precious Brann-Nicol at launch of Guinness at Old Brewer's Yard, discussing Springboard's efforts to help sector recovery.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The Clink Charity: UK charity training prisoners and ex-offenders in professional catering and hospitality, then placing them into industry roles. Closely comparable to Springboard in mission (hospitality employability charity), beneficiary support model, and reliance on employer partnerships for placement.
• Catch22: UK social business delivering employability, education, and skills programmes for disadvantaged young people and adults. Comparable as a UK charity/social-purpose organisation providing employability training and pathways into employment across multiple sectors, with similar beneficiary segments to Springboard.
• Hospitality Action: UK hospitality industry charity providing welfare, wellbeing, and financial support to hospitality workers. Comparable as a UK hospitality-focused charity operating in the same donor, corporate patron, and employer-partnership ecosystem as Springboard.

Others

• City & Guilds: UK vocational qualifications awarding body providing certifications across hospitality and other sectors. Comparable as part of the UK vocational-skills ecosystem in which Springboard's training programmes operate, but does not deliver employability training or job placement directly.
• Movement to Work: UK coalition of employers committed to providing youth employment opportunities, of which Springboard is a recognised delivery partner. Comparable as part of the same youth-employability ecosystem and awards framework, though Movement to Work functions as a coalition rather than a direct training or placement charity.
• Institute of Hospitality: UK professional body for hospitality managers and leaders, providing membership, training, and career resources. Comparable as a UK hospitality workforce-development organisation engaging the same employer and professional ecosystem as Springboard, though focused on professional development rather than entry-level employability.
• NCFE: UK educational charity and vocational awarding organisation providing qualifications across multiple sectors including hospitality. Comparable as an enabling infrastructure provider in the UK vocational-training space, though it is not a direct employability charity competing with Springboard.
• UKHospitality: UK trade association representing hospitality businesses including hotels, restaurants, and pubs. Comparable as an industry body advocating for hospitality workforce and skills policy, with overlapping employer relationships though not a direct delivery peer to Springboard.

Broad incumbents

• The Prince's Trust: Large, established UK youth charity supporting disadvantaged young people into employment, training, and education. Comparable in mission, beneficiary segment, and employer-engagement model, but operates at significantly larger scale and across all sectors rather than specialising in hospitality.
• People 1st International: UK sector skills organisation focused on workforce development for hospitality, retail, and related service industries. Comparable as a UK hospitality-skills specialist, although it operates more as a standards/qualifications body than as a direct employability training charity like Springboard.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Springboard_UK
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/springboarduk
• Facebookfacebook.com/springboardukcharity
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/springboarduk
• Instagraminstagram.com/Springboard_UK

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Springboard