Twinning Project
Twinning Project is a UK-registered charity, founded in 2018, that partners professional football clubs with prisons to deliver FA-accredited coaching, employability and rehabilitation programmes aimed at reducing reoffending among incarcerated populations in England, Wales and internationally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Twinning Project does
Twinning Project is a UK-registered charity (Charity number 1183066) founded in 2018 by David Dein MBE, operating a partnership programme between HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) and professional football clubs in which each prison in England and Wales is twinned with a geographically proximate club. The core product is the in-person Twinning Project Programme: club foundation coaches, supported by prison PE officers, deliver FA Level 1 Sports Leadership and coaching qualifications (plus refereeing, employability and literacy pilots) to cohorts of approximately 16 prisoners, targeting engagement of around 48 inmates per prison per year across 122 prisons. There is no proprietary software platform or digital product; the underlying technology is a credentialed, co-delivered curriculum plus a research layer with the University of Oxford and Loughborough University, including a 2024 Nature Human Behaviour study.
The revenue model is entirely non-commercial and composed of three streams: donations and fundraising (individual giving, House of Lords dinners, Behind the Whistle at Wembley), grants (FIFA Foundation, UK National Lottery Community Fund, matched funding for football club foundations), and corporate partnerships structured as CSR packages. Services are provided free to prisoners, and football club foundations apply for matched funding to deliver programmes. Headcount is small (1-10 employees; five named staff including a Global CEO, Head of Operations and Head of Football Development), with delivery executed primarily through partner club foundations. The organisation operates internationally via FIFA Foundation and national federation partnerships, with active programmes in the USA, Italy, South Africa, Romania and Australia.
Twinning Project firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Twinning Project
- Legal name
- Twinning Project
- Website
- https://twinningproject.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Twinning Project is a UK-registered charity, founded in 2018, that partners professional football clubs with prisons to deliver FA-accredited coaching, employability and rehabilitation programmes aimed at reducing reoffending among incarcerated populations in England, Wales and internationally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Twinning Project industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Prison Rehabilitation Services
- NAICS
- Vocational Rehabilitation Services (62431), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620), Child and Youth Services (62411)
- SIC
- Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Community Corrections (Probation, Parole & Reentry) (BPAIAFAE)
Keywords
Where Twinning Project is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Twinning Project business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Fundraising: Individual donations, corporate donations, and fundraising events including House of Lords dinners and celebrity events.
- Grants: FIFA Foundation grants, corporate partner grants, and matched funding for football club foundations.
- Corporate Partnerships: Strategic partnerships with corporations seeking CSR opportunities, with tailored partnership packages.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Twinning Project product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Twinning Project is a charitable rehabilitation program that partners HM Prison and Probation Service with professional football clubs to twin prisons with local clubs. It engages approximately 48 prisoners per year in each of the 122 prisons and Young Offender Institutions across England and Wales through football-based programs that improve mental and physical health and provide FA Level 1 accredited coaching and refereeing qualifications to improve employability on release.
Product overview
The Twinning Project is a single, unified charitable programme rather than a technology platform or multi-module product. It operates as a prison rehabilitation initiative that partners HM Prison and Probation Service with professional football clubs. The core programme delivers FA-accredited coaching and refereeing qualifications to prisoners through local club foundations. The offering includes the main Twinning Project Programme (football-based intervention), the FA Level 1 qualification pathway, an optional Literacy Pilot Programme, and an extension into Rugby via the Saracens partnership. There is no software platform, digital product, or modular SaaS offering — the organisation is a registered charity (number 1183066) focused exclusively on in-person prison rehabilitation delivery.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Twinning Project Programme A prison rehabilitation program that twins prisons with local professional football clubs to deliver football coaching and refereeing qualifications to prisoners, aiming to reduce reoffending and improve mental and physical health. Programs engage approximately 48 prisoners per year in each of 122 prisons and Young Offender Institutions in England and Wales.
- FA Level 1 Sports Leadership and Coaching Qualification
Quantifiable outcome
- 64% adult men reoffend within one year of release (target reduction)
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Twinning Project
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Twinning Project technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Twinning Project partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
19 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- Romanian Football Federation (FRF)corePartnership with National Penitentiary Administration (ANP) to launch Twinning Project in Romanian prison system for social reintegration.
- Supersport UnitedcoreSouth African football club partnered with FIFA Foundation and Twinning Project for program delivery.
- AS RomacoreItalian football club signed collaboration agreement to deliver rehabilitation program for inmates at Rebibbia prison. Graduation ceremony held for male and female inmates.
- Department of Correctional Services (South Africa)coreGovernment partner in South Africa enabling prison program delivery with Kaizer Chiefs.
- Kaizer ChiefscoreSouth African football club delivering Twinning Project program focusing on female inmates at Johannesburg Correctional Centre.
- D.C. UnitedsupportingUS football club delivering program in D.C. Jail for inmates awaiting court dates or sentencing.
- Angel City FCcoreUS women's football club, first US participant working in women's facility. Delivers six-week program for female inmates at Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood, California.
- NYC Football ClubcorePartnered with Twinning Project to teach incarcerated men soccer and life skills at Rikers Island.
- HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS)coreCore government partnership making Twinning Project the official umbrella for all collaborative projects between football and HM Prison and Probation Service. Central pillar of HMPPS strategy. Enables prison access and official status.
- Premier LeaguecorePrimary supporter providing official backing and brand association. Premier League logo appears on partnership materials and website.
- Football Association (FA)coreProvides FA accredited coaching qualifications (Level 1 Sports Leadership and coaching qualification) delivered through the program.
- English Football League (EFL)corePartner supporting club engagement across EFL member clubs.
- League Managers AssociationsupportingSupporting partner providing association resources and connections.
- University of Oxford Department of AnthropologycoreAcademic research partner conducting evaluation and research on Twinning Project outcomes. Research published in Nature Human Behaviour. Lead researcher: Dr Martha Newson.
- Loughborough University Department of CriminologycoreAcademic research partner evaluating the Twinning Project process and outcomes. Researchers include Dr Chris Kay and Dr Carolynne Mason.
- The Changing Lives Lab (Oxford)supportingResearch group conducting methodological rigour research with vulnerable and stigmatised groups including prison populations.
- Miami FCsupportingUS football club delivering Twinning Project program with graduation ceremony held for inmates.
- Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL)supportingReferee development partner involved in Behind the Whistle fundraiser event. Provided panel for event on decision-making under pressure.
- Saracens Rugby ClubsupportingFirst rugby club to deliver Twinning Project via Get Onside programme at HMP The Mount. Delivered eight-week course to 25 inmates combining employability and rugby.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Twinning Project competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Clinks: UK infrastructure body supporting the voluntary sector working in criminal justice. Not a delivery peer but a key ecosystem partner that Twinning could leverage for sector coordination and policy influence.
Direct peers
- Nacro: UK charity focused on crime reduction through housing, education, and employability services for ex-offenders. Direct mission overlap with Twinning's rehabilitation and reoffending-reduction objectives.
- St Giles Trust: UK charity providing through-the-gate support, mentoring, and employment pathways for people with criminal convictions. Comparable rehabilitation mission and beneficiary cohort to Twinning's prison-to-employment pipeline.
- Catch22: UK social business delivering rehabilitation, education, and employability services for people in custody and at risk of offending. Closely comparable mission (reducing reoffending through tailored interventions) and target beneficiary overlap.
- Laureus Sport for Good: Global foundation funding sport-for-development programmes, including sport-based criminal justice interventions. Operates as a comparable international funder and aggregator in the same category.
- User Voice: UK charity that places ex-offenders as peer researchers and council representatives within the criminal justice system. Comparable focus on amplifying prisoner voices and improving rehabilitation outcomes.
- Beyond Sport: Global network supporting and funding sport-based social interventions, including prison rehabilitation. Comparable international scaling model and beneficiary overlap in criminal justice.
- The Prince's Trust: Major UK youth charity delivering education, training, and employment support to disadvantaged young people, including those in or leaving custody. Comparable target population and employability outcomes focus.
- Saracens Foundation (Get Onside): Delivers a sport-based (rugby) rehabilitation program in HMP The Mount, an early model of the same through-the-gate approach that Twinning has now extended to football clubs internationally.
Emerging players
- Right To Play: International NGO using sport and play to support marginalized children, including those in juvenile justice settings. Overlap in sport-based intervention methodology for vulnerable youth.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Twinning Project social profiles
Digital presenceTwinning Project compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Twinning Project financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Twinning Project leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Twinning Project funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Twinning Project 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 Twinning Project
What does Twinning Project do?
The Twinning Project is a charitable rehabilitation program that partners HM Prison and Probation Service with professional football clubs to twin prisons with local clubs. It engages approximately 48 prisoners per year in each of the 122 prisons and Young Offender Institutions across England and Wales through football-based programs that improve mental and physical health and provide FA Level 1 accredited coaching and refereeing qualifications to improve employability on release.
Is Twinning Project a public or private company?
Twinning Project is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Twinning Project founded?
Twinning Project was founded in 2018. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Twinning Project based?
Twinning Project is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Twinning Project make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations and Fundraising is the primary driver. The others are grants and corporate Partnerships.
Who are Twinning Project's main competitors?
Clinks is listed as an others. Direct peers are Nacro, St Giles Trust, Catch22, Laureus Sport for Good, User Voice, Beyond Sport, The Prince's Trust and Saracens Foundation (Get Onside). Right To Play is listed as an emerging player.
Does Twinning Project have an API?
No public API is recorded for Twinning Project.
What industry is Twinning Project in?
Twinning Project's product category is Prison Rehabilitation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIAFAE, Community Corrections (Probation, Parole & Reentry). Its NAICS code is 62431 and its SIC code is 7990.