Partnership with Middlesex University (Centre for Enterprise and Economic Development Research) and London Early Years Foundation (LEYF)
Impact highlights: Exceeded expectation by providing and sharing knowledge regarding social enterprise and developing a range of strategies for LEYF, a dynamic and innovative social enterprise, which have subsequently been developed with considerable interest from social investors. The KTP showed how research can be converted into practical programmes with a considerable impact on the organisation and the communities they serve.
a) To enable LEYF to offer more services to poor children, the partnership will develop and establish strategies for the growth of social enterprise models of childcare.
b) Through developing LEYF's work there is the opportunity to improve childcare provision and provide LEYF with a sustainable source of income.
London Early Years Foundation (LEYF) provides early years' education, training and research, running 23 nurseries in 5 London Boroughs reaching 1,800 children and their families especially in areas of high deprivation, in order to transform children's long term success as individuals and as members of society.
Benefits are:
New knowledge and capabilities:
LEYF has been able to refine its growth strategy making social franchising a key element of reaching more children and families in the future, with the franchise launched in April 2012. The development process of the social franchise has also been used to support growth through acquisitions. The operation manual and development of systems allows these new parts of the business to have the high quality standards and a sustainable business model.
Three nurseries have joined LEYF during the project and the KTP outputs aimed at supporting scaling up have been used to integrate these organisations. LEYF is looking at other nurseries coming from private, voluntary or public sector, and in particular those who have either a charitable or social entrepreneurial ethos who do not wish to sell to a private sector provider.
LEYF has gained sufficient knowledge, experience and expertise within the Early Years' sector and social enterprise world to be able to advise and mentor many smaller groupings of nurseries into becoming more effective and efficient settings capable of delivering a much better service to the children and families in their localities.
Although impact of KTP results on Company's present performance has been low, a greater (medium) impact is expected on the Company's future performance, with projected change in the Company's competitive position resulting from KTP as follows:
Change in annual profit before tax expected in three years' time resulting from KTP: £96,000 (i.e. as a result of new products in existing markets)