Growing Derby IT business started by school students up for THREE categories in major awards
Added by Love Business East Midlands | 2 October 2025
A growing Derby IT business set up by “skilled but humble” school students is seeing more success than ever after being shortlisted in three categories of a major awards scheme.
L.E.A.D. IT Services, which moved into a large new premises in Pride Park a few years ago, has been named in the Community Impact, Fast Growth and Chief Executive of the Year categories of the East Midlands Business of the Year awards this year.
The company started out when its founder and chief executive officer Lee Jepson took a job aged 16 as a network engineer at Noel-Baker School where he was in the sixth form.
Things snowballed from there and in 2008 Noel-Baker IT Services was born, moving on to becoming L.E.A.D. IT Services which now provides a full service of technical support to more than 250 schools, academy trusts and businesses across the UK.
Among its prestigious clients are REAch 2, the country’s largest primary-only academy trust, as well as Odyssey Collaborative Trust, Flying High Trust and Embark Federation.
Lee said:
“I’m humbled and blown away by being named a finalist in three categories of the Business of the Year awards. We’re passionate about offering businesses and schools high quality and cost-effective solutions and I’d like to thank the supportive team of people I have around me who have made L.E.A.D. IT Services what it is today.
“This is fantastic endorsement for our company which started life when I and some tech-minded fellow students wanted to use our IT knowledge to help schools. I’m very proud indeed of the journey we’re on, which has been recognised through being shortlisted in these awards.”
L.E.A.D. IT Services has made all three shortlists after outlining many aspects of its business, including a near seven-fold increase in revenue in the last three years; its commitment to supporting apprentices; holding a free conference to help schools understand the latest tech advances; free school loans of equipment such as 3D printers and VR headsets, as well as comprehensive support of many local good causes.
The company offers IT support, consultancy and procurement to clients, including cyber security solutions to ensure they meet industry digital and technology standards.
With its aim of offering services helping organisations make the best and safest use of IT, L.E.A.D. IT Services provides hardware and software including laptops and other devices, alongside telephony services plus reliable internet connectivity with proper security to prevent malicious attacks.
In terms of community support, in the last year alone, employees from L.E.A.D. IT Services have volunteered to cook community meals through YMCA Derbyshire, taken part in the Derby County Community Trust 3k fun run, as well as helping out at the Derby Kids’ Camp – a charity which provides free holidays for more than 300 children. The company also donated furniture for a newly refurbished church hall; fundraised for Save the Children, donated to Derby Food 4 Thought Alliance, as well as supporting many youth sports teams. L.E.A.D. IT Services was also a headline sponsor of the YMCA Derbyshire Christmas Ball.
Boasting a nearly 50 per cent ratio of female to male employees, the company supports staff with access to health schemes. More than 90 per cent of its employees have been with the company for more than five years, and many for more than a decade.
The company will find out if it has been successful at a glittering ceremony in Nottingham on October 16.
