Project Preparation Trust
Project Preparation Trust is a South African non-profit (founded 1992) that prepares and conceptualises pro-poor development projects for communities, vulnerable groups, and government departments, with a portfolio spanning informal settlement upgrading, housing, ECD, and livelihoods.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1992
- HeadquartersDurban, South Africa
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Project Preparation Trust does
Project Preparation Trust (PPT) is a South African non-profit trust (NPO 065-849, PBO 930026332) established in 1992, prior to the country's first democratic elections, to prepare and conceptualise pro-poor development projects on behalf of communities, vulnerable groups, and government. The organisation is headquartered in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, with an operating presence in Port Elizabeth (Eastern Cape), and operates with a core staff of approximately ten augmented by outsourced service providers and partner organisations.
PPT runs a portfolio of twelve programme areas rather than a single product: Informal Settlement Upgrading; Livelihoods and Economic Development; the eThekwini Micro Enterprise Support (IESP) pilot; Special Needs Group Housing; Early Childhood Development (ECD); Housing and Infrastructure; a Facilitation Unit; the Ukulungisa Project Preparation Fund (a national revolving fund); Policy & Strategy work; Skills and Capacity Building; Sustainable Energy; and Land Issues & Land Reform. Its proprietary technical assets include the Rapid Assessment and Categorisation (RAC) methodology for informal settlements — which classifies settlements as A, B1, B2, or C and has been adopted by Metro, Provincial, and National upgrading programmes — and an electronic socio-survey approach using Android tablets with local Khandu software. It also maintains an extensive Knowledge Resources library of toolkits, guidelines, and case studies (over 180 files across categories such as ECD, Housing & Infrastructure, and Informal Settlement Upgrading).
PPT's revenue model is a non-profit project-preparation services model: it does not sell products or charge fees, but secures funding from international donors (USAID, European Union, UNDP, Flanders Government, DG Murray Trust, Jobs Fund/DBSA, National Development Agency) and from local, provincial, and national government departments (eThekwini Municipality, KZN Department of Human Settlements, National Department of Human Settlements). The Ukulungisa Project Preparation Fund introduces a managed-services element by recovering preparation funding from approved capital housing subsidies and recycling it. Cumulatively, PPT has leveraged approximately R2.04 billion in capital funding for 205 pro-poor development projects benefiting over 220,738 households, with a current pipeline of 45 projects representing R255 million in projected capital value. Its customer base is concentrated in South African public-sector and development-funder counterparties.
Project Preparation Trust firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Project Preparation Trust
- Legal name
- Project Preparation Trust
- Website
- https://pptrust.org.za
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1992
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Project Preparation Trust is a South African non-profit (founded 1992) that prepares and conceptualises pro-poor development projects for communities, vulnerable groups, and government departments, with a portfolio spanning informal settlement upgrading, housing, ECD, and livelihoods.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Project Preparation Trust industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Development Project Preparation Services
- NAICS
- Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (9251), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Social Advocacy Organizations (81331)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Project Preparation Facilities & Technical Assistance Windows (BPADAOAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Real Estate Public-Private Partnership (PPP) & Infrastructure-Adjacent Real Estate Advisory (BPAJANAL), Real Assets — Social Infrastructure / PPP (Schools, Hospitals, Government Facilities) (FSAHAIAH)
Keywords
Where Project Preparation Trust is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Durban
- HQ country
- South Africa
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices2 records
Markets served
Project Preparation Trust business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Donor Funding: PPT receives funding from various international and local donors including USAID, European Union, Flanders Government, DG Murray Trust, National Development Agency, Jobs Fund, and private donors. Funds are used for specific developmental programmes and project preparation.
- Government Grants and Contracts: PPT receives funding and contracts from various government departments including eThekwini Municipality, National and Provincial Departments of Human Settlements, and municipalities for project preparation services.
- Ukulungisa Project Preparation Fund (Revolving Fund): National initiative that helps address infrastructure backlogs by providing preparation funding which is recovered from capital housing subsidies approved, then reutilised for additional projects.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Project Preparation Trust product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Project Preparation Trust (PPT) is a South African non-profit organisation that prepares and manages developmental projects on behalf of communities, vulnerable groups, and government. It delivers project preparation services across twelve programme areas including informal settlement upgrading, housing and infrastructure, special needs group housing, early childhood development (ECD), livelihoods and economic development, micro-enterprise support, policy and strategy development, facilitation, sustainable energy, land issues, and the Ukulungisa Project Preparation Fund.
Product overview
Project Preparation Trust is a non-profit organization (NPO: 065-849, PBO: 930026332) established in 1993 that operates as a portfolio of development programmes rather than a unified technology product. The organization offers twelve distinct programme areas focused on pro-poor development: Informal Settlement Upgrading, Livelihoods and Economic Development, eThekwini Micro Enterprise Support (IESP), Special Needs Group Housing, Early Childhood Development (ECD), Housing and Infrastructure, Facilitation Unit, Ukulungisa Project Preparation Fund, Policy & Strategy Work, Skills and Capacity Building, Sustainable Energy, and Land Issues & Land Reform. These programmes are complemented by an extensive Knowledge Resources library containing publications, toolkits, and guidelines. The organization prepares and manages developmental projects at scale, develops policies and strategies, and innovates based on real-world experience, working closely with communities, government, donors and civil society organisations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Informal Settlement Upgrading
Quantifiable outcome
- R2.04 billion in capital funding awarded for 205 pro-poor development projects benefiting over 220,738 households
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Project Preparation Trust
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Project Preparation Trust technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Project Preparation Trust partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- eThekwini MunicipalitycorePrimary government partner providing counterpart funding and commissioning project preparation work. PPT works closely with eThekwini's Economic Development Unit and other departments.
- KZN Department of Human SettlementscorePPT developed the KZN Informal Settlement Upgrading Strategy for the department and provides ongoing project preparation support.
- National Department of Human SettlementscorePPT developed the National Special Needs Housing Policy in collaboration with the department and engages on policy matters.
- Ilifa LabantwanacorePartner in ECD programme work, collaborating on infrastructure improvements and centre support in KZN municipalities.
- Training and Resources for Early Childhood Education (TREE)corePartner in ECD programmes providing training and resources for early childhood development initiatives.
- University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN)coreAcademic partner collaborating on ECD support projects and research initiatives.
- Network Action Group (NAG)supportingPartner in ECD centre surveys and infrastructure improvement programmes.
- Durban University of TechnologysupportingAcademic institution partner in development programmes.
- Ukulungisa Project Preparation FundcoreNational initiative managed by PPT that addresses infrastructure backlogs and promotes more effective preparation practices. Has leveraged R490 million in capital funding for municipal infrastructure projects.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Project Preparation Trust competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Independent Development Trust (IDT): IDT is a South African development management agency focused on poverty alleviation and project implementation for government. It is directly comparable to PPT because both prepare and manage pro-poor development projects on behalf of government departments, and a PPT trustee is a senior IDT regional manager.
- Slum Dwellers International (SDI): SDI is a global network of community-led organizations focused on informal settlement upgrading and tenure security. It is comparable to PPT because both work on incremental informal settlement upgrading, community-led enumeration, and pro-poor housing solutions across developing-country contexts.
- Habitat for Humanity South Africa: Habitat for Humanity South Africa focuses on low-income housing and shelter solutions, including informal settlement upgrading. It is comparable to PPT because both target the same beneficiary base (low-income and informal settlement households) and work closely with government on housing delivery.
- Planact: Planact is a South African NGO working on urban planning, informal settlement upgrading, and pro-poor development in municipalities. It is directly comparable to PPT because both provide project preparation and advisory support to municipalities on housing and human settlements.
Emerging players
- Ilifa Labantwana: Ilifa Labantwana is an ECD-focused South African NGO and a strategic partner of PPT. It is comparable because both operate in the same under-served ECD ecosystem in KZN and collaborate on ECD centre infrastructure, registration support, and capacity building.
- Network Action Group (NAG): Network Action Group is a South African NGO working on ECD centre infrastructure and is a strategic partner of PPT. It is comparable because both focus on early childhood development and community-based infrastructure improvements in under-serviced areas.
- Urban LandMark: Urban LandMark was a South African initiative supporting urban land management for poor communities. It is comparable to PPT because both operate at the intersection of urban planning, land reform, and pro-poor development in South Africa.
Broad incumbents
- Corobrik Community Trust / National Housing Development Corporation: The National Housing Development Corporation implements low-income housing projects nationally. It is comparable to PPT because both are involved in housing delivery for low-income South Africans and work with national Department of Human Settlements, though at very different scales.
- South African Local Government Association (SALGA): SALGA represents South African municipalities and supports their capacity for service delivery including human settlements. It is comparable to PPT because both work to build municipal capacity for housing and infrastructure delivery, though SALGA operates as an association rather than project preparation trust.
- Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA): DBSA is a major development finance institution in South Africa that funds and supports infrastructure and human settlements projects. It is a financial partner of PPT via the Jobs Fund and operates at significantly larger scale; comparable because both fund and structure pro-poor development projects at national level.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Project Preparation Trust social profiles
Digital presenceProject Preparation Trust compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Project Preparation Trust financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Project Preparation Trust leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles16 records
Project Preparation Trust funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Project Preparation Trust 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 Project Preparation Trust
What does Project Preparation Trust do?
Project Preparation Trust (PPT) is a South African non-profit organisation that prepares and manages developmental projects on behalf of communities, vulnerable groups, and government. It delivers project preparation services across twelve programme areas including informal settlement upgrading, housing and infrastructure, special needs group housing, early childhood development (ECD), livelihoods and economic development, micro-enterprise support, policy and strategy development, facilitation, sustainable energy, land issues, and the Ukulungisa Project Preparation Fund.
Is Project Preparation Trust a public or private company?
Project Preparation Trust is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Project Preparation Trust founded?
Project Preparation Trust was founded in 1992. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Project Preparation Trust based?
Project Preparation Trust is headquartered in Durban, South Africa, in the Africa region.
How does Project Preparation Trust make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donor Funding is the primary driver. The others are government Grants and Contracts and ukulungisa Project Preparation Fund (Revolving Fund).
Who are Project Preparation Trust's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Independent Development Trust (IDT), Slum Dwellers International (SDI), Habitat for Humanity South Africa and Planact. Emerging players are Ilifa Labantwana, Network Action Group (NAG) and Urban LandMark. Broad incumbents are Corobrik Community Trust / National Housing Development Corporation, South African Local Government Association (SALGA) and Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA).
Does Project Preparation Trust have an API?
No public API is recorded for Project Preparation Trust.
What industry is Project Preparation Trust in?
Project Preparation Trust's product category is Community Development Project Preparation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPADAOAI, Project Preparation Facilities & Technical Assistance Windows, with a secondary code of BPAJANAL, Real Estate Public-Private Partnership (PPP) & Infrastructure-Adjacent Real Estate Advisory. Its NAICS code is 9251 and its SIC code is 8300.