MAMA Youth Project
MAMA Youth Project is a BAFTA-winning UK charity that delivers free 13-week TV production bootcamps to young people aged 18-30 from underrepresented backgrounds, placing graduates with 100+ major UK broadcasters and production companies.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What MAMA Youth Project does
MAMA Youth Project is a BAFTA-winning UK registered charity (no. 1119238) founded in 2005 by Bob Clarke that delivers free, intensive TV and media production training to young people aged 18-30 from underrepresented and challenging backgrounds. Its core offering is a 13-week bootcamp in which trainees collectively produce a 6-episode, 30-minute magazine programme ("What's Up TV") that has aired on Sky One, gaining hands-on experience across research, camera operation, sound recording, editing, and post-production using industry-standard equipment including AVID Media Composer. The training-to-employment pathway concludes with CV refinement, interview coaching, and placement support, with alumni gaining ongoing career guidance. The organization operates a two-sided marketplace model: trainee supply comes primarily through partnerships with Job Centre Plus offices across the UK, while employer demand flows through an "MY Talent" portal where 100+ partner organizations (including BBC, Sky, ITV Studios, Channel 4, Banijay, Fremantle, Endemol Shine, The Farm Group, Procam, and Warner Bros) source diverse entry-level talent. All services are provided free of charge to both trainees and employers, with the charity funded by corporate sponsorships, donations (including via JustGiving), and grant income. Headquartered at Garden Studios, The Hive, 42-50 Steele Road in London, MAMA Youth has worked with over 1,000 young people since founding, filled 144 paid roles in 2024, and recently expanded its training model to Birmingham.
MAMA Youth Project firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- MAMA Youth Project
- Legal name
- MAMA Youth (registered charity in England and Wales, no 1119238)
- Website
- https://mamayouth.org.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- MAMA Youth Project is a BAFTA-winning UK charity that delivers free 13-week TV production bootcamps to young people aged 18-30 from underrepresented backgrounds, placing graduates with 100+ major UK broadcasters and production companies.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
MAMA Youth Project industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Vocational Media Training
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (61), Child and Youth Services (62411)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Youth & Young Adult Workforce Programs (Out-of-School Youth) (EDAAAOAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Youth-to-Adult Transition & Life Skills (Independent Living, Soft Skills) (EDAAAFAN), Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD), Coaching, Mentoring & Instructional Support (On-site/Virtual) (EDACAIAC)
Keywords
Where MAMA Youth Project is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
MAMA Youth Project business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Charitable Donations and Grants: MAMA Youth operates as a registered charity (no. 1119238) funded by donations, corporate sponsorships, and potentially government grants for vocational training programmes.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Free Training Programme for Young People |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
MAMA Youth Project product offering
Product offeringCore offering
MAMA Youth Project provides free, intensive 12-16 week hands-on TV production training programs to young people aged 18-30 from underrepresented backgrounds, who collectively produce a broadcast-quality magazine show ("What's Up TV") aired on Sky One. The charity then places graduates with leading UK media employers through its MY Talent pool platform and provides ongoing career support including CV refinement, interview coaching, and alumni mentorship throughout their careers.
Product overview
MAMA Youth Project is a BAFTA-winning charity offering a single, integrated training-to-employment pathway for young people aged 18-30 from underrepresented backgrounds. The core offering consists of an intensive TV Production Training Program where trainees produce the broadcast-level 'What's Up TV' show on Sky One, followed by access to the 'MY Talent' pool connecting graduates with industry partners, supplemented by ongoing career support and mentorship. The organization does not operate as a traditional SaaS or technology product company.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- TV Production Training Program A free, intensive 12-16 week hands-on training program for young people aged 18-30 from underrepresented and challenging backgrounds, providing practical training in TV and media production including research, production, camera operation, sound recording, editing (using AVID Media Composer), and post-production. Trainees produce a broadcast-quality TV program (What's Up TV) as part of the curriculum, gaining practical experience and industry-standard skills.
- What's Up TV A 6-episode, 30-minute magazine show produced entirely by MAMA Youth trainees and broadcast on Sky One. The show provides trainees with practical broadcast experience across various production roles, including research, camera operation, sound recording, editing, and post-production, resulting in a broadcast credit for participants.
- MY Talent Pool A dedicated talent pool platform connecting MAMA Youth trained alumni with industry employers. Registered partner employers can search the alumni directory, view CVs, read testimonials, and check candidate availability to make recruitment decisions for production roles.
- Career Support Services Comprehensive ongoing career support including CV refinement, interview coaching, and career guidance provided to MAMA Youth alumni throughout their career journey, alongside a mentor program connecting alumni with industry professionals.
Quantifiable outcome
- 100+ companies advertise roles for MAMA Youth alumni
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use MAMA Youth Project
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
MAMA Youth Project technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
MAMA Youth Project partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- BBCcoreThe BBC is a key industry partner providing work placements for MAMA Youth graduates. Following the training programme, alumni receive 4-week placements at BBC departments including News and Current Affairs, Comedy, Entertainment Development, Factual, Drama, and Events.
- SkycoreSky provides work placements and has hired numerous MAMA Youth graduates across various departments including Sky Sports, Sky Comedy, Sky Movies, Sky Vision, and Sky Studios. Sky staff also mentor trainees during the programme.
- ITV StudioscoreITV Studios partnered with MAMA Youth to offer a nine-month paid placement within their Global Distribution Division as part of a bespoke recruitment outreach for the training bootcamp.
- ProcamcoreProcam TV, the largest TV equipment hire company in Britain, is a key partner providing 13-week paid work placements and often extending permanent contracts to MAMA Youth graduates.
- FremantlecoreFremantle provides work placements and has hired MAMA Youth graduates for roles including Office Runner and development positions.
- Hat Trick ProductionscoreHat Trick Productions has hired multiple MAMA Youth graduates following work placements, including for roles on shows like Room 101.
- Endemol ShinecoreEndemol Shine Group provides work placements and has hired graduates through the PACT Indie Diversity Scheme, often offering permanent positions upon completion.
- The Farm GroupcoreThe Farm Group, a leading post-production company responsible for editing shows like X-Factor and Graham Norton, provides placements and has hired graduates as Edit Assistants and Trainee Edit Assistants.
- Lime PicturescoreLime Pictures worked with MAMA Youth on digital media training programmes and recruited interns from the latest cohort.
- Warner BroscoreWarner Bros UK (including Wall To Wall and Headstrong Pictures) has employed MAMA Youth graduates in production secretary and development roles.
- BanijaycoreBanijay, a major production company, partners with MAMA Youth to source diverse talent for their productions.
- Buzz 16coreBuzz 16 has employed MAMA Youth graduates and recognises the charity as a key partner for sourcing outstanding diverse talent.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
MAMA Youth Project competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Career Ready: UK social mobility charity delivering paid internships, mentoring, and masterclasses to young people aged 14-24 from low-income backgrounds. Comparable to MAMA Youth in employer-led talent pipeline model targeting underrepresented youth, though cross-sector rather than media-specialized.
- Speakers for Schools: UK charity connecting state school students with employers and work experience opportunities, including routes into the creative industries. Comparable to MAMA Youth in mission of opening industry access to underrepresented youth.
Direct peers
- Into Film: UK-wide charity using film and media to engage and develop young people, providing training, viewing experiences, and career pathways into the creative industries. Comparable to MAMA Youth in youth-focused media education and creative-career pipeline mission.
- Creative Access: UK social enterprise focused on improving diversity in the creative industries through training, mentoring, and paid internship placements. Closely comparable to MAMA Youth in mission (underrepresented talent), employer-talent matching model, and creative-industry focus.
- National Film and Television School (NFTS): UK's premier film and television training institution delivering intensive, hands-on production training placing graduates into the UK screen sector. Comparable to MAMA Youth in producing industry-ready graduates for the same employer base.
- The TV Collective: UK collective advancing inclusion and diversity in the television industry through networking, mentorship, and career development. Directly comparable to MAMA Youth in serving underrepresented talent seeking UK TV production careers.
- ScreenSkills: UK's sector skills body for the screen industries, funding training and workforce development across film, TV, animation, and games. Directly comparable to MAMA Youth as another pipeline builder feeding UK broadcasters and production companies with trained talent.
Broad incumbents
- The Prince's Trust: One of the UK's largest youth charities, supporting 11-30 year olds from disadvantaged backgrounds into education, training, and employment. Comparable in youth-employability mission and corporate partnership model, though operating across all sectors rather than specializing in TV/media.
Others
- Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC): UK research and policy hub focused on the creative industries, tracking diversity, skills, and workforce trends. Comparable to MAMA Youth as a stakeholder shaping the same UK creative-talent policy and funding ecosystem.
- BBC Academy: BBC's internal training, development, and apprenticeship function, including routes for entry-level and diverse talent into BBC production roles. Comparable to MAMA Youth as a parallel supply route for diverse broadcast talent, owned by a major MAMA Youth employer partner.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
MAMA Youth Project social profiles
Digital presenceMAMA Youth Project financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
MAMA Youth Project leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
MAMA Youth Project funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
MAMA Youth 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 MAMA Youth Project
What does MAMA Youth Project do?
MAMA Youth Project provides free, intensive 12-16 week hands-on TV production training programs to young people aged 18-30 from underrepresented backgrounds, who collectively produce a broadcast-quality magazine show ("What's Up TV") aired on Sky One. The charity then places graduates with leading UK media employers through its MY Talent pool platform and provides ongoing career support including CV refinement, interview coaching, and alumni mentorship throughout their careers.
Is MAMA Youth Project a public or private company?
MAMA Youth Project is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was MAMA Youth Project founded?
MAMA Youth Project was founded in 2005. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is MAMA Youth Project based?
MAMA Youth Project is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does MAMA Youth Project make money?
One revenue line is on record: charitable Donations and Grants.
Who are MAMA Youth Project's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Career Ready and Speakers for Schools. Direct peers are Into Film, Creative Access, National Film and Television School (NFTS), The TV Collective and ScreenSkills. The Prince's Trust is listed as a broad incumbent. Others are Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC) and BBC Academy.
Does MAMA Youth Project have an API?
No public API is recorded for MAMA Youth Project.
What industry is MAMA Youth Project in?
MAMA Youth Project's product category is Vocational Media Training. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAAAOAD, Youth & Young Adult Workforce Programs (Out-of-School Youth), with a secondary code of EDAAAFAN, Youth-to-Adult Transition & Life Skills (Independent Living, Soft Skills). Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8200.