LIGHTHOUSE FUTURES TRUST

Name

LIGHTHOUSE FUTURES TRUST

Legal name

Lighthouse Futures Trust

Website

https://lighthousefuturestrust.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialist Further Education and Disability Employment Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (6243)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

College Readiness & Disability Services Transition Support (EDAKANAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Special Education Vocational & Transition Programs (18–22) (EDAKAAAG), Vocational Evaluation & Career Assessment (Transition-Age) (EDAKANAC)

Keywords

• Specialist further education
• Neurodiversity employment services
• Supported internship programmes
• Vocational training college
• Inclusive employer network

Headquarters

HQ city

Leeds

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Education Funding: The majority of Lighthouse Futures Trust's work with students is funded by the Department for Education (DfE) and Leeds City Council (LCC). This covers the core educational programmes including Pre-Internships and Supported Internships for students aged 16-25 with Education, Health and Care Plans.
2. Charitable Donations and Sponsorship: Lighthouse Futures Trust relies on charitable funding to run additional enrichment programmes beyond core DfE/LCC-funded activities. This includes donations of goods (books, interview suits, board games), sponsorship of events such as the annual graduation ceremony and interview practice sessions, and funding via JustGiving.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Lighthouse Futures Trust is a specialist further education college and registered charity that prepares neurodivergent young adults aged 16-25 with Education, Health and Care Plans for sustainable paid employment. It delivers Pre-Internships (16-25), Supported Internships (18-25), Branching Out vocational training, Connect transition support, and LFT Alumni graduate services, complemented by employer placement partnerships and the Leeds Inclusive Employer Network (LIEN).

Product overview

Lighthouse Futures Trust operates as a specialist college and charity offering a portfolio of programmes for neurodivergent young adults aged 16-25. The core educational pathway consists of Pre-Internships (preparatory programme) progressing to Supported Internships (work experience placement), with complementary programmes including Branching Out (vocational training) and Connect (employment transition support). The organisation also runs LFT Alumni for ongoing graduate support and publishes Lighthouse Lookout magazine. Additionally, Lighthouse Futures Trust founded the Leeds Inclusive Employer Network (LIEN), a peer network for inclusive employment best practices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Leeds Inclusive Employer Network (LIEN): A peer network founded by Lighthouse Futures Trust's CEO Katie Parlett MBE, for individuals and organisations wanting to learn more about, improve upon and lead best practice around inclusive employment in their workplaces and sectors.

Products and services

• Pre-Internships A preparatory programme for neurodivergent young adults aged 16-25 that builds work-readiness skills, confidence, and knowledge before progression into Supported Internships. Targeted at students with Education, Health and Care Plans seeking paid employment within 1-3 years.
• Supported Internships Core internship programme for neurodivergent young adults aged 18-25 that combines classroom instruction with employer-based workplace placements, designed to transition interns into sustainable paid employment. Targeted at EHCP-holding students referred via Local Authority EHC Plan reviews.
• Branching Out Vocational training programme that helps neurodivergent young adults explore different career paths and develop practical workplace skills as part of the college's bespoke pathway offering.
• Connect A programme that helps neurodivergent young people transition into employment through personalised support and employer linkages, building on the internship pathway.
• LFT Alumni Post-programme alumni network that supports graduates of Lighthouse Futures Trust's internship programmes to maintain employment and progress in their careers.
• Leeds Inclusive Employer Network (LIEN) A peer network for individuals and organisations in Leeds wanting to learn about and lead best practice around inclusive employment, offering networking events, in-house training, online accessibility training sessions, and resources for employers.
• Lighthouse Lookout A magazine created by interns for interns featuring articles, puzzles, recipes, game reports, and college updates to inform and connect the intern community.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% of young people supported by Lighthouse Futures Trust go into jobs
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Leeds Inclusive Employer Network (LIEN)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Leeds Inclusive Employer Network (LIEN) is a peer network founded by Lighthouse Futures Trust's CEO Katie Parlett MBE. LIEN is for individuals and organisations wanting to learn more about, improve upon, and lead best practice around inclusive employment in their workplaces and sectors. LIEN offers networking events, in-house training, online training sessions on accessibility topics, and resources for employers. It is co-branded and operates under its own identity while being founded and led by Lighthouse Futures Trust.
• Employers providing Supported Internship placementscoreOthersLighthouse Futures Trust partners with a network of employers who offer Supported Internship placements to students. These employer partners provide real workplace environments where interns can develop skills and gain experience, with the goal of transitioning to paid employment. The case study example mentions a local hospital where a student secured a painting and decorating role through their internship.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Remploy: UK provider of employment support and disability inclusion services for disabled people, including supported employment pathways. Directly comparable in mission to move neurodivergent and disabled jobseekers into sustained paid work.
• DFN Project Search: UK and international supported internship programme for young people with learning disabilities and autism, embedding students in employer workplaces. Operates a near-identical Supported Internship model to Lighthouse Futures Trust and targets the same EHCP/LD cohort.
• Hft (United Response's sister charity): UK charity supporting people with learning disabilities, including employment and day-services programmes for transition-age adults. Comparable in target population and supported employment focus.
• United Response: UK charity supporting people with learning disabilities, autism, and mental health needs into employment and independent living. Comparable in mission and in offering supported employment and transition pathways for neurodivergent young adults.
• EmployAbility: UK charity supporting students and graduates with disabilities, mental health conditions, and neurodivergence into employment. Comparable target population (transition-age neurodivergent learners) and employment-outcome focus.

Broad incumbents

• Mencap: UK learning disability charity running employment programmes, education, and supported living. Comparable in serving learning-disabled and neurodivergent young adults transitioning to employment, at much larger scale.
• Ambitious about Autism: Large UK charity running specialist education and post-16 provision (Ambitious College) for autistic young people. Directly comparable in specialist-college and transition-to-employment model, though at materially larger national scale.
• National Autistic Society: Largest UK autism charity, providing education, employment, and adult services. Overlaps with Lighthouse in employment and transition support for autistic/neurodivergent young adults, but operates at a much broader national scale.

Emerging players

• DFN Foundation (DFN MoveForward): UK charity supporting young people with learning disabilities and autism into employment through employer partnerships and programmes. Overlaps with Lighthouse's LIEN-style employer engagement and supported internship approach.
• ThinkForward UK: UK charity delivering long-term coaching and employment support to young people at risk of NEET, including those with SEND/neurodivergence. Adjacent in target cohort and employment-transition mission, though not a specialist SEND college.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/i/flow/login?redirect_after_login=%2Flighthouse_ft
• Facebookfacebook.com/LighthouseFuturesTrust/?locale=en_GB
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lighthouse-futures-trust
• Instagraminstagram.com/lighthouse_futures_trust/?hl=en
• TikToktiktok.com/@lighthouse_futures_trust

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 LIGHTHOUSE FUTURES TRUST