Birmingham City University and The Jericho Foundation KTP 24_25 R2

A social enterprise in Birmingham is embedding new product development and entrepreneurial thinking to turn its charitable mission into a more self-sustaining business. The Jericho Foundation helps unemployed people—often those with disabilities, criminal records, or long-term health conditions—find work. Like many social enterprises, it relies on grants and donations to fund its training and support programmes. This Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) with Birmingham City University aims to change that dependency. By building an internal culture of innovation and product development, the foundation hopes to generate more of its own income through commercial activities. If successful, the partnership will create a model where the foundation’s trading arm grows steadily, producing surplus profits that flow directly into its charitable work. That means more beneficiaries can receive job coaching, CV support, and placement opportunities without waiting for the next funding round. The approach could also serve as a blueprint for other UK social enterprises struggling to balance mission with financial resilience. This is applied, practical research—not fundamental science. Its success will be measured not in publications but in jobs created, people placed, and the foundation’s reduced reliance on external grants.