PATHWAYS
PROGRAMME
Have an idea. Build the mindset to make it real.
Pathways is a six-month enterprise and employability programme for young adults aged 18 to 30 across London who are unemployed and not in education or training.
You'll bring an early-stage business idea and use it as your training ground. As you test your idea, you'll build employability skills, confidence and a professional profile that open doors in work and in business. You'll leave with an honest 12-month roadmap into meaningful work, whether that means a job, a business, or both.
2
phases of support
6 months
of structured support
Free
fully
funded
9
1:1 coaching sessions
£18k
worth of enterprise support
What Makes Us Different
Everything starts with a business mindset.
A business mindset is the foundation you need to build a meaningful career. It's the difference between seeing a problem and building a solution, and it turns a dream into a direction. Employers, investors and clients all value the same skills, and they stay with you for life.
When you test a business idea, you learn to solve problems, talk to strangers, take feedback, manage your time and present with confidence. On Pathways, you build these skills by doing, not by being told about them.
That's our approach: career readiness through the lens of enterprise. You gain real experience, a network and a clear sense of how you want to work. That stays valuable whether your idea becomes your business or becomes the story that gets you hired.
How enterprise skills become career skills
On Pathways, you'll...
Which means that in work or business, you can...
Talk to real customers about what they need
Test your assumptions and adjust your idea
Pitch your idea to a live audience
Set goals with your coach and follow through
Build your digital presence
Communicate with confidence and understand what others need
Solve problems and adapt when plans change
Present yourself well in interviews, meetings and pitches
Show employers or clients you're reliable and self-driven
Stand out with a strong professional profile
A Business Mindset Means
Self-awareness
You know your strengths, you're honest about your gaps, and you treat feedback as fuel for learning.
Resilience over retreat
You handle setbacks without being defined by them. You test, learn, adjust and keep moving.
Ownership over waiting
You take responsibility for your outcomes and follow through on what you say you'll do. Support is there, and the future is yours to build.
Opportunity over obstacle
You spot what's possible, speak up for your ideas, and build the relationships that open doors.
Your commitment
There's no fee for Pathways. Your investment is your commitment: turning up every week, on time and prepared, and doing the work between sessions. In return, we'll be with you every step of the way.
What Phase 1 looks like week to week
Weekly
Group sessions in business skills, employability skills and business mindset
1:1
Online coaching
Accountability group
Of 3 to 4 participants who keep each other on track
4 to 5 hrs
Total weekly commitment
Phase 2 gives you more space. Coaching moves to monthly and the focus shifts to putting your plans into practice, presenting your work and taking your next steps into work.
How it works
Two phases. One clear direction.
01
Phase one - 12 weeks intensive
Weekly group sessions + 1:1 coaching sessions
This is where the real work happens. You'll test your idea in the real world and get career ready along the way, building your professional etiquette and profile. Expert-led sessions keep things moving, and 1:1 coaching keeps you on track with someone who gets your idea and your goals.
Topics covered: Business mindset, Problem definition, Customer discovery, Assumption testing, Marketing fundamentals, Finance basics, Sales and pitching, Resilience and discipline, Building your digital presence
02
Phase two - lighter touch
Showcase, Demo Day + 3 coaching sessions
Group sessions step back, and the focus shifts to gaining experience, showcasing your work, and making the most important decision of the programme: what direction you take next.
Step 1
Present your business or journey on the programme to a live audience and compete for a donation prize. Your first real public test - and proof you've built something worth talking about.
Pathways Showcase - donation prize
Step 2
The top 5 businesses selected from video pitch submissions pitch to a panel of 3 judges and an audience of the BLP community. If you make the shortlist, you'll pitch for £5,000 in seed funding in front of an audience that's genuinely rooting for you.
Demo Day - top 5 pitch for £5,000
Step 3
With your coach, you'll make an honest call about what comes next and leave with a tailored plan built around where you actually are.
Choose your track and build your 12-month plan
03
Alumni - a community that stays with you
Tooting Works co-working + events + ongoing network
Completing Pathways means joining a growing community of people who've been exactly where you are and kept building. Access co-working space at Tooting Works, attend alumni events and socials, connect with previous cohorts, and tap into a network that wants to see you win. The programme ends. The community doesn't.
Where it leads
There’s no single destination at the end of Pathways. The programme is designed to help you find the answer that’s true for you - not the one that sounds the most impressive. You and your coach navigate it together.
Two tracks. All valid. One right for you right now.
Whichever track you choose, the mindset stays. That's the point. You'll leave Pathways thinking differently about work, opportunity, and what you're capable of, for good.
Hustler track
A job is your first investor.
Your idea needs more time, and a stable income is the smartest way to give it that. Use employment as your first business decision: build your income, develop your skills, and grow your venture on your own terms.
Pivot track
Clarity is an achievement too.
Sometimes you need to take a step back. That could mean reshaping your idea - or realising your strengths are better applied within an existing organisation. Wherever you land, we’ll support you with the right connections and guidance to move forward.
What you get
Real support. Not a lecture series.
18k worth of enterprise support
A dedicated 1:1 coach for the full programme — Fortnightly in Phase 1, 3 sessions in Phase 2
Expert-led workshops in Tooting covering marketing, finance, sales, pitching and more
Insight Days - behind-the-scenes access to real founders and businesses
Support building your pitch deck, website and presenting your idea with confidence
Showcase - present your business or idea to a live audience and compete for a donation prize
Demo Day - if you make the top 5, pitch for £5,000 in seed funding
A cohort of young people building something alongside you
Who it's for
Made for young people ready to back themselves.
Pathways is for you if
You don't need experience, a business plan, or to have it figured out. You need an early idea and the drive to find out what it's worth.
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You haven’t previously secured funding for your business idea
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You're aged 18 to 30
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You can commit to the programme fully
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You have an early-stage business idea earning less than £1,000 a month from your business
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You're based in London
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You’re interested in personal development and building a business mindset
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You haven’t yet fully validated your business idea or achieved consistent traction
NOT IN EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT OR TRAINING?
Pathways was built with you in mind.
Most of the young people on this programme are in exactly that position and it's often where the most powerful ideas start. We actively encourage you to apply.
Are you a professional working with young people? Find out how to refer someone to Pathways →
ALUMNI QUOTE
