Learning and Development for Organisational Growth: Insights from an Outstanding KTP

How evidence-based capability development helps leaders build stronger teams, make better decisions and support sustainable growth

Our recent Knowledge Transfer Partnership with the University of Gloucestershire has been graded Outstanding by InnovateUK. It is a brilliant moment for us, but the real significance is what it means for you.

This recognition reflects the depth of thinking, testing and practical design that shaped Treehouse’s unique capability development system, Unlocked. The partnership brought together academic insight and real organisational challenges, and the result is a system that gives you clarity, confidence and a practical way to build capability across your team so your business can keep growing.

What leaders told us they want

From our market insight work with Digital Catapult, three clear needs stood out.

You want clarity

You want to understand the strengths in your organisation, where capability needs to grow and where to focus your time and investment. You want decisions grounded in evidence, not assumptions. Unlocked’s ability to assess capability, both where people are now and where they want and need to be, gives you a single, trusted view that helps you make good decisions quickly.

You want development that is genuinely useful

You want learning that is relevant and achievable for your people. Unlocked turns insight into action through personalised growth plans that adapt as people develop, roles evolve, and your organisation grows.

You want a joined-up system you can rely on

You want an end to scattered, dissipated spend and disconnected, one-off activities. You want a cohesive, evidence-informed ecosystem that brings assessment, development and progress together in one place. Unlocked was created to give you exactly that.

We understand what small and medium-sized business owners need from their people, and this insight sits behind the Outstanding KTP grading from Innovate UK. Not just a strong project, but a shared commitment to building something that helps leaders like you support your people, strengthen your organisation and move forward with confidence.

Intrigued to find out if Unlocked is suitable for your business? Book a 20-minute discovery call to get a clear view of where capability can create the greatest value in your organisation.

What This Means for Leaders Like You

During the Digital Catapult research, many leaders described a familiar tension. Growth creates opportunity, but it also creates stretch. Roles shift quickly, expectations rise and managers who used to feel on top of everything suddenly need clearer, more consistent support.

Here are the themes leaders shared - and what Unlocked will give you in response.

Leaders said, “We know our people are capable. What we don’t know is who is ready for what.”
Unlocked will give you: A clear, evidence-based view of strengths, emerging talent and where development will have the greatest impact, so you can make confident decisions faster.

Leaders said: “Our managers are stretched. We need something simple that helps them support their teams without adding pressure.”
Unlocked will give you: A joined-up system your managers can use in the flow of work, helping development conversations feel clearer and easier to lead.

Leaders said: “I want to invest in development, but only if it moves the needle.”
Unlocked will give you: An evidence-informed picture of capability and targeted growth plans that support meaningful, strategic investment.

The Outstanding grading from InnovateUK gives you reassurance that the system you are exploring has been shaped by real leadership insight and built to support your growth with clarity and confidence.

If this resonates and you would value a conversation, we would be happy to explore what capability-led growth could look like for you. Contact us