Franchising with Purpose: Upbeat Clean’s plan to scale social impact

Franchising is a powerful way to scale a business, allowing entrepreneurs to replicate success while expanding reach. But what happens when the goal is social impact, not just revenue?

Upbeat Clean is not just another commercial cleaning company. We are a charity-owned social enterprise that delivers high-quality cleaning services, while creating meaningful employment opportunities for refugee women who are rebuilding their lives in the UK. We offer professional cleaning as a vehicle to make a tangible social impact. Every contract helps transform lives.

Success isn’t measured purely by revenue; we’re interested in the number of people supported into employment, the quality and stability of those jobs, and the long-term impact on individuals and communities. This year we will pay over £1m in salaries to our 80-strong team, helping families to rebuild their lives while showing that it’s possible to transform business into something far more meaningful.

A National Vision

Upbeat Clean is the first cleaning company in the UK to be recognised by the King for combining excellent cleaning with life-changing employment. Winning the Kings Award for Enterprise proves that commercial success and social impact can go hand in hand – and we are now expanding our reach through franchising. Partnering with trusted charities who align with our values, Upbeat Clean is on a mission to help replicate our model across the UK, bringing both high-quality cleaning services and meaningful employment opportunities to even more communities.

“We've seen the huge impact that Upbeat Clean has had in Derbyshire to individuals and families. Franchising gives us a way to scale our impact so that refugee women across the UK have the opportunity not only to find secure, fairly paid work, but also to develop, progress and support their families. By combining the model we have developed in Derby with local charity partners, we can create successful social enterprise cleaning businesses that open up opportunities in communities across the country.” - Michael Gladwell, Managing Director, Upbeat Clean

A major milestone is the launch of our first franchise. Delivered in partnership with Open Door North East, this collaboration represents more than just expansion - it demonstrates how our model can be successfully replicated. Upbeat Clean brings the established systems, training and standards, and Open Door North East brings the local knowledge, relationships and experience in supporting people into employment across Middlesbrough, Stockton-on-Tees, and Hartlepool.

“Starting a commercial business is very different from running a charity, so having the Upbeat Clean model, systems and experience behind us has been enormously helpful. It gives us a strong framework to work from while allowing us to build something rooted here in Tees Valley and connected to the communities Open Door North East already knows so well.” - Anna Lewis, CEO, Open Door North East

This is just the beginning. As organisations increasingly prioritise ethically and socially responsible partners, models like Upbeat Clean’s are gaining momentum. They challenge the idea that businesses must choose between profit and purpose. Our success shows that the two can work together— and therefore, franchising becomes more than just a growth strategy, it becomes a tool for scaling positive impact at a national level.

For more information on Upbeat Clean, visit: www.upbeatclean.co.uk