Step8Up Academy

Step8Up Academy: accredited training and capability development for professionals and SMEs

Step8Up Academy is a British training and consulting academy focused on capability uplift for professionals, teams and small and medium-sized enterprises. Its offering combines leadership, project management, artificial intelligence and digital skills programmes, with soft skills training integrated into all modules. Its activity targets both those looking to progress in their careers and employers needing to upskill their teams.

The organisation presents itself as an Ofsted-registered provider, BCS-accredited and holding ISO 27001 and Cyber Essentials Plus certifications. It also appears as a Skills Bootcamps provider and as headline sponsor of the Hampshire Business Show 2026-27.

Funded training programmes and bootcamps

Among the most prominent programmes are two free or publicly funded bootcamps, aimed at eligible individuals and with co-funding options for SMEs. The Leadership and Management Bootcamp (Level 3) covers finance, artificial intelligence, conflict management and communication for new or developing middle managers; it is delivered over six weeks, Monday to Thursday, with the next cohort starting on 25 January 2027. The Project Management Bootcamp (Level 3, BCS certified) covers Agile, Scrum, planning and delivery with real projects, also over six weeks in the afternoon and with the same start date. Both cost £150 and £235 respectively for co-funding SMEs, and are free for eligible learners.

Growth Pathway, AI Bundle and leadership pathways

The flagship Growth Pathway programme is aimed at SMEs and covers leadership, delivery and AI adoption. It consists of ten sessions spread over eight to ten weeks, with on-demand content and weekly support sessions, and culminates in the presentation of a 90-day plan at the Big Pitch event. Its stated price is £2,400 including VAT per person, with team rates available.

The AI & Tech Bootcamp (AI Bundle) brings together four courses on AI tools, app creation, deployment with Claude and agentic workflows, with a weekly support session on Wednesdays. A Full-Stack with AI pathway is also offered. The stated price is £1,095 including VAT.

For 2027, the leadership pathways Pathway 3.0 (emerging leaders) and 5.0 (modern leadership) are announced, aligned with CMI, in cohorts of up to ten people and with before-and-after measurement.

Membership, diagnostic and services for businesses

The Step8Up Elevate membership includes weekly live sessions, course discounts and access to N8Xus Connect, with individual or five-person team plans. Sessions are distributed on Tuesday afternoons, AI Wednesdays and leadership Thursdays, with discounts of 10% to 20% and prices from £29.99 per month.

The academy also offers capability diagnostics, compliance training, tailored courses for teams and business growth consulting services. It has a free self-assessment tool (Gap Calculator) that estimates the capability gap and the associated productivity cost. In the field of AI for boards and directors, it proposes programmes such as AI for Boards & Leaders, Cyber-Safety for Boards & Directors and a 15-minute diagnostic on the state of AI adoption.

Connection with employment and the community

Step8Up facilitates contact between companies and learners through candidate showcases, real projects and a zero-fee hiring platform. Learners present their 90-day plans at the Big Pitch and have progress tracking and an alumni network. The company also organises the One Step Further podcast and the monthly networking network N8Xus Connect, which launched at the Hampshire Business Show on 22 October at the Utilita Cricket Ground in Southampton.

The founder, Jeev Sahoo, recognised as HSBC Business Person of the Year and an HEC Paris alumnus, gives talks on AI adoption, SME growth and workforce skills, as well as a coaching programme with two annual cohorts of five places each, currently with a waiting list for 2027.

Results and reach

The academy reports more than 2,500 learners trained, more than 525 businesses supported and an 89% completion rate on Skills Bootcamps, with more than 57 verified five-star Google reviews. Among the employers that have worked with Step8Up are Alexander Mann Solutions and SMEs from Hampshire, Surrey and West Sussex. Training is delivered online and is available worldwide.