Bristol Together

What Bristol Together does

Bristol Together is a Bristol-based Community Interest Company (CIC) founded in 2011 by Paul Harrod that employs and trains recently released prisoners in the construction industry. Its core operations comprise two integrated lines: small-scale new build housing development (typically schemes of up to 12 dwellings) and building/refurbishment contract services for charities, social enterprises and other clients. Employees are recruited directly via prison partnerships and trained on the job across a broad curriculum of trades — plasterboarding and plastering, rendering, roofing, tiling, kitchen fitting, bricklaying, stone masonry, plumbing, and painting and decorating — delivered alongside experienced tradespeople on live projects.

The business model blends property development revenue (one-off sale of completed dwellings, primarily off-plan to local housing associations such as Brighter Places and Solon Housing Association for affordable rent) with project-based building contract revenue from charities and social enterprises. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; as a CIC with an asset lock, all profits are reinvested into subsequent development projects rather than distributed. Since 2011 the company has employed more than 130 ex-offenders, delivered or refurbished over 120 properties, and reports a reoffending rate of less than 10% during employment versus national averages exceeding 25% within six months.

The go-to-market is community-led and relationship-driven: Bristol Together recruits from prisons, secures off-take commitments from housing associations, and wins refurbishment contracts through direct procurement relationships with charities and social enterprises in the Bristol area. Capital has come from charitable trust equity (Barrow Cadbury Trust, Tuixen Foundation, Treebeard Trust in May 2020) and project finance (including £300k from City Funds / Bristol & Bath Regional Capital as part of a £2.5m package in January 2021). The company operates entirely within Bristol and adjacent parts of Southwest England, with no national or international footprint.

Name

Bristol Together

Legal name

Bristol Together Community Interest Company

Website

https://bristoltogether.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Bristol Together is a Bristol-based Community Interest Company that employs and trains recently released prisoners in construction, building small new-build housing schemes for local housing associations and providing refurbishment contract services to charities and social enterprises in the Bristol area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Affordable Housing Development

NAICS

Residential Building Construction (2361), New Multifamily Housing Construction (except For-Sale Builders) (236116), New Single-Family Housing Construction (except For-Sale Builders) (236115), Services to Buildings and Dwellings (5617)

akta.pro primary industry

Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)

Keywords

• Affordable housing development
• Property refurbishment services
• Construction training programs
• Social enterprise construction
• Ex-offender rehabilitation

Headquarters

HQ city

Bristol

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Property Development and Sale: Bristol Together develops small new build housing schemes (typically up to 12 dwellings) and sells completed developments to local housing associations for affordable rented accommodation. All profits are reinvested into the next development project. Revenue is generated through the sale of completed residential properties.
2. Building Contract Services: Provides high-quality building services to build, renovate or refurbish properties on behalf of clients. This includes refurbishment contracts for charities and social enterprises, creating training opportunities for employees while generating contract income.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Bristol Together is a Community Interest Company that creates full-time jobs for recently released prisoners by employing and training them on the job to build new homes and renovate existing properties. It operates two service lines: small new build housing developments (typically up to 12 dwellings) sold off-plan to local housing associations for affordable rent, and building contract services (refurbishment, renovation and construction) delivered for charities, social enterprises and other clients. All construction work is carried out by ex-offenders receiving shoulder-to-shoulder on-the-job training across a wide range of building trades.

Product overview

Bristol Together is a Community Interest Company (CIC) offering two core service lines: New Build Housing Development and Building Contract Services. As a developer, it creates small new build housing schemes (typically up to 12 dwellings) sold to housing associations for affordable rent. Its building contract arm provides renovation and refurbishment services to clients. All construction work employs recently released prisoners who receive on-the-job training in building skills. Profits are reinvested into subsequent development projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• New Build Housing Development Small new build housing development projects, typically up to 12 dwellings, constructed by Bristol Together and sold completed (often off-plan) to local housing associations for affordable rented accommodation. Construction is carried out by recently released prisoners receiving on-the-job training across a full range of building trades. Examples include the 10-apartment Shirehampton scheme, the 6-home Knowle West development for Solon Housing Association, the 6-apartment Staple Hill Road Fishponds scheme for Brighter Places, the 12-apartment Tavistock Road Knowle West project and the 6-home Crest/Lodway Road Brislington scheme.
• Building Contract Services Construction, renovation and refurbishment services delivered by Bristol Together on behalf of external clients, including charities and social enterprises. The service line smooths peaks and troughs in the new build development pipeline and provides additional on-the-job training opportunities for recently released prisoners. Example projects include refurbishment of a 2-bedroom house in Easton for homelessness charity Developing Health & Independence (DHI), a refurbishment for Syrian refugees on Sedgemoor Road in Bath, and a nursery extension in Easton for children's nursery provider Raised in Bristol.

Quantifiable outcome

• Less than 10% reoffending rate while employed (vs. 25%+ national average within 6 months)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Cyfoes: Welsh social enterprise providing construction training and employment for ex-offenders, operating in a comparable model but focused on Wales rather than Bristol/South West England.

Direct peers

• Switchback: UK charity supporting young men leaving prison into long-term employment, including within the construction sector — comparable target population and rehabilitation-through-work ethos.
• Bounce Back: London-based CIC training ex-offenders in construction trades (painting, decorating, plastering) and working with housing associations to deliver refurbishment projects — directly analogous to Bristol Together's model.

Others

• Nacro: Large UK charity working across the criminal justice system including resettlement and employment support for ex-offenders; a broader ecosystem partner rather than a direct construction competitor.
• User Voice: UK charity bringing the voice of people in prison and on probation into policy and service design — a potential partnership or referral channel for Bristol Together's employment programme.
• LandAid: UK property industry charity tackling youth homelessness, including through funding affordable housing — an adjacent ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor.
• Centre for Social Justice: UK think tank producing influential reports on criminal justice reform and employment pathways for ex-offenders — an ecosystem influencer rather than an operational competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Willmott Dixon: Major UK contractor with well-developed social value programmes, including training and employment initiatives for disadvantaged groups in residential construction — overlapping customer base of housing associations and affordable-housing developers.
• Wates Group: UK construction and property services group with explicit social purpose programmes targeting ex-offenders and disadvantaged groups, delivering affordable and social housing for housing associations — overlapping end customers.
• Morgan Sindall: UK construction and regeneration group with a substantial affordable-housing and community development pipeline delivered for housing associations — a much larger incumbent operating in the same customer space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bristol-together-community-interest-company

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Bristol Together