Step Now
Step Now is a London-based nonprofit Community Interest Company delivering youth mentoring, education, and diversionary programmes for people aged 10-18 from disadvantaged communities, primarily in Lambeth, funded by donations, corporate sponsorship, and commissioned programmes.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Step Now does
Step Now is a London-based Community Interest Company (C.I.C) founded in 2018 that delivers youth mentoring, education, and community programmes for young people aged 10-18 from ethnic minority and disadvantaged backgrounds in South London. The organization is youth-led, with co-founders holding lived experience of the challenges faced by beneficiaries, and operates across schools, Pupil Referral Units, prisons, and community settings — with primary delivery in the Lambeth area via partnerships with Lambeth Council, local schools, and community centres. Its core products include School Mentoring (curriculum-based sessions addressing behavioural issues and life skills), Community Programmes (career exploration and recreational activities), Curated Solutions (bespoke commissioned programmes co-designed with partners), and named programmes such as Pattern Your Future (a career pathway for ages 14+ in creative industries), Inspire to Aspire (school-based career mentoring), and the Stronger Futures VRU Programme (crime-prevention diversionary workshops). A proprietary 'Drippy & Humble' creative storytelling methodology, using relatable role-play skits produced by youth leaders, underpins content delivery.
Step Now firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Step Now
- Legal name
- STEP NOW GLOBAL C.I.C
- Website
- https://stepnow.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Step Now is a London-based nonprofit Community Interest Company delivering youth mentoring, education, and diversionary programmes for people aged 10-18 from disadvantaged communities, primarily in Lambeth, funded by donations, corporate sponsorship, and commissioned programmes.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Step Now industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Youth Mentoring and Community Development Services
- NAICS
- Child and Youth Services (62411), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Educational Support Services (61171)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Employment & Job Readiness Support Services (BPAGAEAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Youth & Young Adult Workforce Programs (Out-of-School Youth) (EDAAAOAD), Career Coaching, Mentoring & Placement Support Services (EDAAAKAO), Student Mentoring & Peer Support Programs (EDAJALAL)
Keywords
Where Step Now is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Step Now business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations: Individual donations collected via JustGiving crowdfunding platform. Donors can make one-time or recurring contributions to support young people's development programmes.
- Corporate Donations: Corporate sponsorship and donations from companies looking to support youth programmes. Includes programme sponsorship, merchandise sponsorship, and opportunity sponsorship.
- Commissioned Programmes: Curated Solutions programmes commissioned by organizations to address specific societal needs. Partners provide funding and resources while Step Now designs and delivers tailored programmes.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Step Now product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Step Now is a youth-led Community Interest Company that delivers free mentoring, educational, and career-readiness programmes to young people aged 10-18 from disadvantaged and ethnically diverse communities in London. Core services comprise School Mentoring (curriculum-based 1-2-1 or small-group classroom sessions), Community Programmes (career exploration and life-skills mentoring in community settings), and Curated Solutions (bespoke programmes co-designed with partner organisations), supported by named programmes such as Pattern Your Future, Inspire to Aspire, and the Stronger Futures VRU Programme.
Product overview
Step Now is a youth-led organisation offering a portfolio of youth mentoring and community programmes. The core services include School Mentoring (curriculum-based sessions in classroom settings), Community Programmes (career exploration and life skills), and Curated Solutions (partnered custom programmes). Named programmes include Pattern Your Future (a 12-week career pathway for ages 14+ in creative industries), Inspire to Aspire (school-based career mentoring), and Stronger Futures VRU Programme (diversionary activities for Lambeth youth). The organisation also employs a distinctive teaching methodology called 'Drippy & Humble' using creative role-play and storytelling. These services are delivered across schools, PRUs, prisons, and community settings throughout the UK.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- 1200+ young people supported and impacted
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Step Now
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Step Now technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Step Now partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Partner Organizations (Unnamed)coreOrganizations partnered with to design and deliver Curated Solutions programmes. Step Now collaborates with community organizations to create bespoke programmes addressing specific societal needs.
- Lambeth CouncilcoreLocal government partner providing referrals for NEET young people and supporting the Stronger Futures VRU Programme targeting youth crime reduction in Lambeth.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Step Now competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Only Connect UK: Only Connect is a London-based charity working with young people affected by the criminal justice system, providing mentoring and resettlement support. Highly comparable to Step Now on London-based youth criminal-justice diversion, mentoring delivery, and disadvantaged-community targeting.
- Key4Life: Key4Life is a UK charity working with young people at risk of offending, providing mentoring and rehabilitation programmes. Highly comparable to Step Now's Stronger Futures VRU Programme in targeting youth aged 10-18 in crime-prevention diversionary work, with a similar UK-focused operating model.
- Fight for Peace: Fight for Peace uses boxing and martial arts combined with personal development to support young people in disadvantaged communities. Comparable to Step Now on youth diversionary activity, alternative-learning methodology, and community-based delivery in London, with similar beneficiary demographics.
- Mentor UK: Mentor UK is a leading UK youth mentoring charity focused on preventing substance misuse and gang involvement among young people. Directly comparable mission to Step Now's youth mentoring and diversionary programmes, operating across UK schools and community settings.
Broad incumbents
- The Prince's Trust: The Prince's Trust is the UK's leading youth employability charity, offering mentoring, training, and enterprise support to 11-30 year olds. Directly comparable mission to Step Now's career-readiness and mentoring work, but at national scale with significantly larger resources and brand recognition.
- Catch22: Catch22 is a large UK social business delivering youth employability, education, and justice services. Comparable to Step Now on target beneficiary (disadvantaged young people) and core mission of career readiness and diversion from crime, but operates nationally at substantially greater scale.
- Barnardo's: Barnardo's is one of the UK's largest children's charities, supporting disadvantaged children and young people through mentoring, education, and family support services. Overlaps with Step Now on youth mentoring and disadvantaged-community focus, but operates as a national incumbent with much broader service portfolio.
Regional players
- Safer London Foundation: Safer London Foundation is a London-focused charity working to prevent youth violence and exploitation through mentoring and youth programmes. Comparable to Step Now on geography (London) and youth crime-prevention mission, though primarily serving the capital's boroughs more broadly.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses2 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Step Now social profiles
Digital presenceStep Now financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Step Now leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Step Now funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Step Now 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 Step Now
What does Step Now do?
Step Now is a youth-led Community Interest Company that delivers free mentoring, educational, and career-readiness programmes to young people aged 10-18 from disadvantaged and ethnically diverse communities in London. Core services comprise School Mentoring (curriculum-based 1-2-1 or small-group classroom sessions), Community Programmes (career exploration and life-skills mentoring in community settings), and Curated Solutions (bespoke programmes co-designed with partner organisations), supported by named programmes such as Pattern Your Future, Inspire to Aspire, and the Stronger Futures VRU Programme.
Is Step Now a public or private company?
Step Now is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Step Now founded?
Step Now was founded in 2018. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Step Now based?
Step Now is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Step Now make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations are the primary driver. The others are corporate Donations and commissioned Programmes.
Who are Step Now's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Only Connect UK, Key4Life, Fight for Peace and Mentor UK. Broad incumbents are The Prince's Trust, Catch22 and Barnardo's. Safer London Foundation is listed as a regional player.
Does Step Now have an API?
No public API is recorded for Step Now.
What industry is Step Now in?
Step Now's product category is Youth Mentoring and Community Development Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAEAJ, Employment & Job Readiness Support Services, with a secondary code of EDAAAOAD, Youth & Young Adult Workforce Programs (Out-of-School Youth). Its NAICS code is 62411 and its SIC code is 8300.