What TASK Academy Ltd does

TASK Academy Ltd is an independent UK-based training provider founded in Spring 2022 by Rupert Keys, a multi-award-winning landscaper with over 30 years of industry experience. The company operates from a 5-acre purpose-built facility at Lower End Farm in Birlingham, Worcestershire, delivering hands-on practical courses in landscaping, paving, garden design, irrigation, lighting, and related land-based skills to two segments: trade professionals (landscapers, contractors, garden designers) and home/DIY enthusiasts. Course offerings span more than 30 titles ranging from single-day specialist modules priced at £60-£245 to multi-day industry programs priced up to £845, with class sizes deliberately capped at 10 students to preserve individual attention and hands-on practice.\n\nThe business model is straightforward direct-to-consumer course delivery transacted through the company's Squarespace-hosted website (taskacademy.co.uk). Revenue is generated entirely from course fees plus a gift-card channel (£20-£100 denominations, 12-month validity). The company augments direct sales with referral partnerships through trade bodies — Association of Professional Landscapers (APL), Horticultural Trades Association (HTA), Bradstone Assured — and co-developed training modules with 25+ material and equipment suppliers including London Stone, Rolawn, Millboard, ACO, Steintec, Makita, and OX Tools. There are no disclosed subscriptions, enterprise contracts, recurring billing, or external funding rounds; the company is founder-owned and founder-operated.\n\nThere is no proprietary technology platform: the company has no app, no API, no AI/ML capabilities, and no patents or trademarks. The defensible assets are the physical training facility, the curriculum, the trainer network (including David Stevens and John Wood), and the founder's industry profile — three consecutive BBC Gardeners' World Live Platinum Awards (2021-2023) and APL membership (the only TrustMark-endorsed landscaping scheme). Ten courses have achieved CPD accreditation via Advantage Accreditation (effective April 2026) and the decking course is LANTRA-accredited. Operating geography is England only, with no disclosed international expansion.

Name

TASK Academy Ltd

Legal name

TASK Academy Ltd

Website

https://taskacademy.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

TASK Academy Ltd is an independent UK training provider delivering over 30 hands-on landscaping and land-based courses to trade professionals and home enthusiasts from a 5-acre facility in Worcestershire, founded by multi-award-winning landscaper Rupert Keys in 2022.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vocational landscaping and horticulture training

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (61151), Other Technical and Trade Schools (611519)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Landscape, Turf & Groundskeeping Trades (EDAOAOAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

DIY & Home Skills Workshops (Woodworking, Carpentry, Home Repair, Gardening) (THAJAKAI)

Keywords

• Landscaping training courses
• Horticulture vocational training
• Garden design education
• Practical paving courses
• CPD accredited training

Headquarters

HQ city

Pershore

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, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Course fees: Revenue generated from course bookings sold directly to customers through the company website. Prices vary by course duration and content, ranging from £60 to £845 per course. Payment in full required before commencement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

TASK Academy Ltd is an independent landscaping and land-based training academy that delivers over 30 short practical courses (1–4 days each) at its purpose-built Worcestershire facility. Courses are split between industry-focused programs for landscapers, contractors, garden designers and horticultural professionals, and 1-day public courses for home gardeners and DIY enthusiasts, priced from £60 to £845 per person. The portfolio includes paving (porcelain, block, natural stone, clay), landscaping construction (bricklaying, decking, dry stone walling, surveying), water systems (ponds, water features, irrigation, SuDS), digital design (SketchUp for iPad, Morpholio Trace) and soft-landscape skills (willow weaving, planting design, sustainability), with 10 courses CPD-accredited, LANTRA accreditation for decking, and Advantage Accreditation training-centre status from April 2026.

Product overview

TASK Academy Ltd is an independent landscaping and land-based training academy offering a portfolio of short practical courses for both industry professionals and the general public. The core offering consists of over 30 hands-on training courses delivered in small groups (up to 10 students) at their purpose-built facility in Worcestershire. Courses range from multi-day industry-focused programs (General Landscaping 3-Day, Garden Designers Introduction to Practical Landscaping, Complete Guide to Paving 4-Day, Decking 2-Day) to single-day specialist courses (Clipblox Construction, Morpholio Trace, SketchUp for iPad, Sustainable Drainage Systems, Irrigation Systems, Water Feature Systems, Surveying and Setting Out, CDM). Public courses include Introduction to Paving, Willow Weaving, Garden Trug, Dry Stone Walling, Garden Planting Design, and Garden Design basics. The company also offers CPD-accredited courses, LANTRA-accredited programs (Decking), and Advantage Accreditation status. Gift cards provide an additional product line for course gifting.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Complete Guide to Paving A 4-day comprehensive industry-approved course covering Natural Stone, Concrete, Porcelain, Block Paving and Clay Pavers installation techniques, with CPD accreditation. Targeted at industry professionals. Priced at £845 per person.
• General Landscaping 3 Day Course A comprehensive 3-day introductory course covering surveying, foundations, paving (including porcelain), brickwork, fencing, and general landscaping construction practices. Targeted at industry professionals and apprentices. Priced at £745 per person.
• Resin Bound Training 1 Day Course Practical training course for landscapers and contractors covering Resin Bonded, BoundWorx Resin Bound System, BoundWorx Easy Trowel System, and BoundWorx Tree Pit System with hands-on trowelling experience. CPD accredited. Priced at £245 per person.
• Build a Pond Day Hands-on pond-building session teaching installation of an 11'x16' pond kit using Aquascape ecosystem pond philosophy, biological filtration, wetland filtration systems, and natural water feature design. CPD accredited. Priced from £127 per person.
• Introduction to Clipblox Construction A 1-day practical course introducing Clipblox, a Modern Method of Construction (MMC) permanent shuttering system for building pool walls, ponds, and structural landscape features, delivered in partnership with Orbro. CPD accredited.
• Porcelain Paving Installation A 2-day comprehensive course covering laying, cutting and grouting techniques of Porcelain paving, including setting out, tools, bases, mixes, health and safety, and jointing. CPD accredited. Priced at £495 per person.
• Introduction to Bricklaying A 2-day practical course covering fundamental bricklaying skills including brick selection, footings, foundations, bonding patterns, mortar mixing, and pointing finishes. CPD accredited.
• Garden Designers Introduction to Practical Landscaping A 3-day course combining classroom theory and practical workshop sessions to introduce garden designers to landscaping construction techniques and facilitate deeper understanding of landscaping practices. CPD accredited.
• Decking - All You Need To Know! A 2-day LANTRA-accredited course covering fundamental theory and practical skills of deck construction including sub-frame construction, timber properties, EC5 span tables, and planning regulations. CPD accredited. Priced at £495 per person.
• Introduction to Morpholio Trace for Landscapers & Garden Designers A 1-day course teaching iPad-based digital design software for creating scaled drawings, working over topographic surveys, and producing professional presentation visuals. CPD accredited.
• SketchUp for iPad - Digital Design A 1-day intensive course covering 3-D modelling technique, working from surveyors' PDFs, creating 2-D and 3-D visualisations, and technical construction drawings using SketchUp on iPad. Priced at £175 per person.
• Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) A 1-day course covering principles of SuDS systems, design and installation of rain gardens, swales, attenuation ponds, flow calculations, and infiltration testing for rainwater management. Priced at £245 per person.
• Low Voltage Garden Lighting Training A 1-day combined classroom and practical course developing competitive understanding of low voltage lighting products, IP ratings, planning schemes, and hands-on installation with remote controls. Priced at £195 per person.
• Irrigation Systems Training A 1-day practical and classroom course covering planning, design, and installation of irrigation systems from tap to tank and pump systems, including timer controls and pipework.
• Water Feature Systems Training A 1-day comprehensive practical and classroom course covering installation and maintenance of water feature products including pumps, filters, liners, and waterfall systems. Priced at £195 per person.
• Surveying And Setting Out A 1-day intensive course combining theory and practice for interpreting garden construction diagrams and using equipment to confidently set out construction areas and establish accurate levels.
• CDM (Construction Design Management) A 1-day highly interactive course covering CDM 2015 regulations, duty holder responsibilities, pre-construction information, and health and safety file requirements for garden designers and contractors.
• Introduction to Paving A 1-day practical skills course for the general public providing hands-on experience in paving techniques including natural stone, concrete, and porcelain paving with 90% practical content.
• Block Paving Installation A 2-day practical course covering block selection, excavation, construction levels, permeable paving/SUDS, edge restraints, planning requirements, cutting in, and professional finishing techniques. Priced at £495 per person.
• Natural Stone Paving Installation A 2-day comprehensive industry-approved course covering laying techniques, base preparation, setting out, mortar mixes, and jointing techniques for natural stone paving.
• Clay Pavers Introduction and Installation A 1-day comprehensive course for landscapers and garden designers covering installation of clay pavers for domestic garden projects with health and safety compliance, in partnership with Brickworks Vande Moortel.
• Turf Talks: A Rolawn Day Course A 1-day interactive course with Rolawn covering turf sourcing, laying techniques, ground preparation, and aftercare advice for lawn projects.
• Garden Trug Course A 1-day willow basket making course taught by willow artist Mel Bastier, teaching traditional Garden Trug construction using willow. Priced at £175 per person.
• Willow Weaving - Natural Garden Plant Supports A 1-day creative course teaching willow weaving techniques to create garden plant supports including obelisks for sweet peas and willow bird feeders.
• Introduction to Dry Stone Walling A 1-day introductory course teaching traditional dry stone walling techniques including wall types, stone base setup, sizing, dressing, and building sections with toppers.
• Garden Planting Design A 1-day course taught by garden design expert David Stevens covering planting design fundamentals including site analysis, soil types, plant selection, and preparation of scaled planting plans. Priced at £175 per person.
• Garden Design - the basics A garden design 'taster' course led by David Stevens covering garden design sequence, scale drawings, design principles, planting basics, and colour theory.
• Millboard Training Program A 1-day in-depth course covering Millboard decking installation techniques, subframe guidance, material information, and hands-on practical fitting experience, in partnership with Millboard.
• Sustainability for Domestic Landscaping A 1-day course exploring sustainable practices in domestic landscaping covering water conservation, eco-friendly materials, soil health, biodiversity, and wildlife-friendly design, in partnership with Mobilane. Priced at £60 per person.
• TASK Academy Gift Cards Digital gift cards available in denominations of £20, £30, £50, and £100, valid for 12 months, that recipients can redeem when booking courses on the TASK Academy website.

Quantifiable outcome

• Courses designed to industry standards and continuously refreshed to meet industry needs
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

29 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• London StonecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024London Stone joined forces with TASK Academy in 2024. They provide support for training academies and help nurture emerging talent. Landscapers and garden designers can access tailored courses while learning about London Stone's range of products and services.
• Association of Professional Landscapers (APL)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022TASK is a member of the APL, the only landscaping scheme operator of TrustMark, a Government endorsed initiative. The APL comprises accredited landscape companies who design, build and maintain gardens throughout the UK with rigorous annual inspection processes.
• Orbro (Clipblox)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTASK Academy Limited partnered with Orbro to provide bespoke training in Clipblox, a Modern Method of Construction (MMC) permanent shuttering system for building pool walls, ponds and structural landscape features.
• Aquascape Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAquascape Inc. partners with TASK Academy to provide ecosystem pond design and installation training through their Designer Pond Day program.
• LandscapepluscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading trade-only supplier of water feature systems, garden lighting and irrigation. They provide training and products for TASK courses including Water Feature Systems and Irrigation Systems training.
• RolawncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK's leading turf grower and supplier. Provides the Turf Talks course at TASK covering practical insights into laying, sourcing and aftercare of turf.
• LANTRAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAwarding organization for LANTRA-accredited courses at TASK including decking courses. Provides certification for qualified training.
• Bradstone AssuredcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBradstone Assured members can redeem their Assured Points for TASK Academy courses. This partnership provides a channel for member landscapers to access quality training.
• MakitaminorOthersPower tool manufacturer providing support for TASK Student of the Year Award. Over 100 years of experience in power tools.
• OX ToolsminorOthersWorld-leading manufacturer of hand tools, diamond tools, workwear and safety products supporting TASK Student of the Year Award.
• Brickworks Vande MoortelminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerManufacturer of bricks, pavers and slips. Partner for Clay Pavers Introduction and Installation course, providing specialist knowledge on authentic high-quality paving materials.
• Keyscape Design & ConstructioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-award winning creative landscape gardening company founded by Rupert Keys (TASK Founder & MD). Members of APL. Builds award-winning show gardens including RHS Chelsea, RHS Malvern and BBC Gardeners World Live.
• HTA (Horticultural Trades Association)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrade association for garden retailers, growers, manufacturers, landscapers and service providers. TASK is a member supporting the industry.
• MillboardminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPremium composite decking manufacturer. Provides Millboard Training Program at TASK covering installation techniques, tips and tricks for their products.
• Resin Bonded LtdminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading UK supplier of resin products. Provides Resin Bound Training course at TASK using the BoundWorx system with over 20 years of combined knowledge.
• ACO Technologies plcminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld leader in sustainable surface water management systems. Industry partner supporting TASK training programs.
• Altrad BelleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNo. 1 for Light Construction Equipment. Industry partner providing expertise in compacting, mixing, concreting and other light construction equipment.
• Arbour Landscape SolutionsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSupplier of landscaping materials to landscapers, garden designers and self builders across the UK. Partner providing materials expertise.
• Country SuppliesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSupplier of landscaping and fencing materials with unrivalled range and stock holding. Industry partner for TASK.
• The Decking NetworkminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommunity and forum for decking and cladding advice. TASK decking courses aligned with their correct construction standards including EC5 regulations.
• GradminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean family-owned business providing aluminium decking and cladding systems. Industry partner for TASK.
• Aquacut LimitedminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFabrication company for building finishes including porcelain, stone, metals and glass. Partner providing specialist knowledge.
• Bespoke Stone WallingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDry stone walling and landscaping services provider across the Cotswolds region. Industry partner.
• PerennialminorOthersUK's only charity dedicated to helping everyone who works in horticulture and their families. TASK supports this charity.
• Platipus Landscape SolutionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInnovator in tree anchoring and landscaping products including Piddler Tree Irrigation System and G-WALL modular living wall solution. Industry partner.
• ReadyhedgeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUK nursery specialising in instant hedging. Industry partner providing plant material expertise.
• SteintecminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarket leaders in High Performance Paving mortars exceeding British Standard BS 7533. Industry partner for paving courses.
• MobilaneminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvider of sustainable green solutions including green facades, walls, roofs and ready-made hedges. Partner for Sustainability for Domestic Landscaping course.
• FJ DigitalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBespoke digital marketing services for companies in trades and construction. Industry partner providing marketing support.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Writtle University College: Essex-based specialist institution offering horticulture, garden design, and landscape architecture degrees and short courses. Direct peer for accredited vocational and continuing education in landscaping.
• British Academy of Garden Design: UK provider of professional garden design training, including online and diploma pathways. Directly comparable to TASK's garden designer-focussed practical landscaping curriculum.
• Sparsholt College (part of University of Winchester): Hampshire-based college offering horticulture, garden design, and countryside management courses. A direct peer in the UK vocational landscape for landscaping and land-based skills.
• Capel Manor College: London-based college specialising in garden design, landscaping, horticulture, and animal care. It offers similar practical vocational pathways and competes for the same entry-level and career-changer audience that TASK targets.
• Plumpton College: East Sussex college with a strong land-based and horticulture portfolio, including landscaping and garden design programmes. Comparable to TASK in delivering hands-on vocational training for the horticulture industry.
• Pershore College: Pershore College (part of Warwickshire College Group) is in the same Worcestershire region as TASK and offers land-based and horticulture vocational courses. It is the closest geographic and curricular direct competitor for aspiring landscapers and horticulturalists.
• The London College of Garden Design: Specialist garden design training provider offering professional and part-time diplomas. Closely comparable to TASK's Garden Designers' Introduction to Practical Landscaping course in targeting garden designers and landscapers.

Broad incumbents

• Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) — Garden Courses: The UK's leading gardening charity offers extensive horticultural courses and qualifications. A broad incumbent that overlaps with TASK on both professional development and enthusiast learning, with far greater brand reach.

Others

• LANTRA Awards: UK awarding body for land-based and environmental training. TASK is itself LANTRA-accredited, but LANTRA also licenses training providers and sets industry competency standards, making it an adjacent ecosystem participant.

Emerging players

• MyGardenSchool: Online garden school offering tutor-led courses in garden design, planting, and horticulture. Competes with TASK's digital design (SketchUp, Morpholio Trace) and public planting design offerings, though lacks hands-on delivery.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/t_a_s_k_
• Instagraminstagram.com/t_a_s_k_
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/task-academy-ltd

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 TASK Academy Ltd