Reed in Partnership, part of the wider Reed Group, has been delivering employability, skills, and community support programmes since 1998. Working closely with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA), and Local Authorities, they help people move into sustainable employment while supporting employers’ workforce needs. As a free recruitment and employability service, they play a crucial role in strengthening local economies—placing more than 140,000 participants into work and engaging over 25,000 employers across the UK.

They commissioned us to design and deliver a tailored self-employment programme in Birmingham for individuals on income support who were exploring, launching, or growing a business. The objective was to equip participants with the knowledge, confidence, and practical tools needed to increase revenue, formalise their operations, and transition into stable full-time self-employment.

We developed a comprehensive, structured programme for cohorts of up to 50 participants, guiding them through the full startup lifecycle—from ideation, market validation, and customer research to business planning, cash flow modelling, and pitch preparation. The curriculum also included hands-on modules in branding, SEO, geo-targeting, web design, AI adoption, and business development. Each participant received personalised 1:1 coaching to apply learning directly to their venture and accelerate progress.

Reed in Partnership faced increasing pressure to support a larger group of self-employed participants. Internal teams were at capacity, demand for hands-on business support was growing, and they required a delivery partner to accelerate progress and reduce reliance on Universal Credit. Participants entered the five-week programme at varying stages. Some needed help turning early ideas into viable products or services, while others had existing businesses but lacked steady income. The objective was to reach a point where participants could pay themselves and exit benefits. They also needed clearer identification of those with genuine commitment and commercial potential. This meant active monitoring, engagement tracking, and targeted 1:1 coaching to address barriers and find growth opportunities. Completion times were lengthy, with proof of income often taking six months, which affected contract performance. Our role was to shorten these timelines through structured training, personalised coaching, and clear growth strategies—enabling faster validation and financial independence.