What coach core foundation does

Coach Core Foundation is a UK-registered charity (number 1186782) that delivers sports coaching apprenticeships for young people aged 16-24 from under-served backgrounds. Originally established in 2012 as a programme of The Royal Foundation of The Prince and Princess of Wales, it was spun out as an independent charity in 2020 and now operates across 17 UK sites, supported by a small London-based team of 11-50 staff.

The organisation's core product is a sports coaching apprenticeship programme that combines paid employment (minimum 15 months, 30 hours per week) with formal qualifications — primarily the Level 2 Community Activator Coach and Level 3 Community Sport & Health Officer credentials delivered through a training partner (Lifetime Training). Coach Core operates as a facilitator rather than a direct training provider, bringing together cohorts of 10-15 apprentices, local employer networks (leisure centres, sports clubs, Active Partnerships, governing bodies), and government apprenticeship funding. The charity reports differentiated outcomes: 80% apprenticeship completion versus a 60% national average, and 80% progression into employment or further education, supported by 250+ partner organisations and over 1,008,653 coaching sessions delivered.

The revenue model is a hybrid of charitable fundraising and grant funding. As a registered charity, Coach Core relies on donations from individuals, companies, trusts, and foundations, supplemented by government apprenticeship grants that subsidise employer costs of taking on apprentices. CEO Gary Laybourne has overseen growth from £250,000 at spin-out to approximately £1.5 million within five years. There is no disclosed proprietary technology stack; the underlying platform is a programme structure combining employer partnerships, training provider integration, and bespoke Coach Core modules, with delivery supported by regional "Workforce, Skills and Apprenticeship Leads" across North, South, Midlands, and National geographies.

Name

coach core foundation

Legal name

Coach Core Foundation

Website

https://coachcore.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Coach Core Foundation is a UK charity delivering sports coaching apprenticeships for under-served 16-24 year olds, connecting employer partners and training providers to deliver Level 2/3 qualifications across 17 UK sites, with 80% completion and employment outcomes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Sports Coaching Apprenticeships

NAICS

Apprenticeship Training (611513), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Coach Education, Certification & Clinics (HSADAEAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sports Fundraising & Development Services (Foundations, NIL Collectives Support) (MPAKAKAK), Amateur & Grassroots Sport Associations (Community/Youth Governing Orgs) (MPAKAFAF)

Keywords

• Sports coaching apprenticeships
• Youth employability programmes
• Community sport training
• Apprenticeship qualifications
• Workforce development charity

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: As a registered charity (number 1186782), Coach Core relies on support from individuals, companies, trusts and foundations. The organization states their work is only made possible through the support and generosity of donors.
2. Government-Funded Apprenticeship Grants: Coach Core helps fund employers to take on apprentices by providing grants towards the costs of bringing on an apprentice, supported by government apprenticeship funding mechanisms.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Coach Core Foundation runs sports coaching apprenticeship programmes for young people aged 16-24, primarily from disadvantaged backgrounds. The charity functions as a facilitator that brings together local employer partners (sports clubs, leisure centres, community organisations) and a national training provider to deliver cohorts of 10-15 apprentices who earn while they learn over 15-18 months, gaining industry-recognised qualifications such as the Level 2 Community Activator Coach and Level 3 Community Sport & Health Officer.

Product overview

Coach Core Foundation operates a unique apprenticeship programme model that connects young people aged 16-24 with local employers and training providers to deliver sports coaching qualifications. The core offering consists of sports coaching apprenticeships (primarily Level 2 Community Activator Coach and Level 3 Community Sport & Health Officer qualifications) that enable apprentices to earn while they learn, working 30 hours per week with an employer while studying for industry-recognized credentials over 15-18 months. Coach Core functions as a facilitator, bringing together employer networks and training partners rather than directly employing or training apprentices themselves.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sports Coaching Apprenticeships A 15-18 month sports coaching apprenticeship programme for young people aged 16-24 that combines paid employment with a local sports/physical activity employer and study for industry-recognised coaching qualifications, primarily the Level 2 Community Activator Coach and Level 3 Community Sport & Health Officer. The programme is specifically designed for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, including bespoke Coach Core modules layered on top of the regulated apprenticeship curriculum.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% of Coach Core apprentices complete the course (compared to national apprenticeship average of 60%)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Boxwise FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 August 2026New national partnership connecting Boxwise Foundation's national network of boxing clubs, coaches and venues with Coach Core's apprenticeship and employer expertise. Creates credible routes from community sport into paid apprenticeships and sustainable careers.
• Royal Foundation of The Prince and Princess of WalescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOriginal parent organization that created Coach Core programme. Captured spirit of 2012 Olympics and shaped by London riots of 2011. Coach Core was spun out to become independent charity in 2020.
• Lifetime TrainingcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTraining provider partner delivering the education side of the apprenticeship. Provides Learning Coaches located in every region where apprenticeships take place.
• England BoxingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational governing body partnership creating the England Boxing Partnership Programme, which won The Learning Awards 2024 Apprenticeship Programme of the Year.
• British CyclingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational partner providing additional opportunities for apprentices through the Coach Core network.
• NBA UKminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational partner that has provided special opportunities for Coach Core apprentices in the past.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Sport England: National body for grassroots sport in England and a major Coach Core funder (£1m in 2016-2018). Operates a much broader remit across sport development, workforce, and facilities, but is directly comparable as a stakeholder shaping the youth sports apprenticeship pipeline Coach Core depends on.
• ukactive: UK trade body for the physical activity sector representing leisure centres, gyms, and operators — many of which are Coach Core employer partners. Comparable as a sector-wide body shaping workforce policy, training standards, and apprenticeship frameworks Coach Core apprentices feed into.
• Impetus: UK venture philanthropy supporting charities tackling youth unemployment and education disadvantage. Cited by Coach Core via a 2026 NEET report partnership and broadly comparable as a funder/ecosystem actor influencing the youth-employability charity landscape.

Direct peers

• Lifetime Training: Coach Core's core training delivery partner providing Learning Coaches and apprenticeship education across regions. Comparable as a UK apprenticeship training provider operating in sport, health, and active leisure sectors with similar cohort-based delivery to employers.
• Greenhouse Charity: Original 2012 pilot partner that co-created the first Coach Core London cohort for 20 young people. A London-based sports-focused charity working with under-served youth, with directly comparable mission, beneficiary group, and sports-based progression model.
• Prince's Trust: Major UK youth charity offering training, employment, and education programmes for 11-30 year olds from disadvantaged backgrounds. Comparable as a high-profile UK youth-employability charity combining employer partnerships, training delivery, and apprenticeship-style pathways with similar donor base.
• Active Partnerships: Listed Coach Core local delivery partner operating across England to increase sport and physical activity participation. Comparable as a regionally distributed sport-development body delivering workforce and community coaching programmes in the same geographies as Coach Core.
• StreetGames: UK charity using sport to change lives of disadvantaged young people, including doorstep sport programmes and youth worker training. Comparable beneficiary profile, sport-for-development model, and reliance on employer/local-authority partnerships for delivery.

Emerging players

• City Football Foundation: Charitable arm of City Football Group delivering education, employability, and sport programmes for under-served youth in Manchester and beyond. Comparable as a sport-anchored charity targeting similar16-24 demographics with employer-linked progression pathways.
• Sports Aid: UK charity supporting young athletes and sports professionals with financial and developmental assistance. Comparable as a sport-sector charity focused on early-career talent, though more weighted to elite athlete support than vocational coaching apprenticeships.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/wearecoachcore
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCSQ2kuUcv1_V2PbOQQBhIbg
• Facebookfacebook.com/wearecoachcoreuk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/coach-core-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/wearecoachcoreuk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

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 coach core foundation