Market-path research — 4 Sep 2026 11:55 Europe/London

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# Market-path research — 4 Sep 2026 11:55 Europe/London

Not a P move. No path named. No customer named.
Did not re-read Companies House company 16892858.
Did not repeat last recon hours as primary: Hoxton Ventures (4 Sep 10:55 Companies in the space); Techstars (4 Sep 09:55 Market scenarios); MMC Ventures (4 Sep 06:55 Companies in the space); ASA / CAP (4 Sep 04:55 Risk reduction); Rape Crisis England & Wales (4 Sep 03:55 Competitor mapping); LocalGlobe (4 Sep 02:55 Companies in the space); Digital Catapult (4 Sep 01:55 Market scenarios); Balderton Capital (3 Sep 19:55 Companies in the space); Tech Nation (3 Sep 18:55 Market scenarios); Creative Destruction Lab; SETsquared; Google for Startups; NatWest Accelerator; Barclays Eagle Labs; Virgin StartUp; Founders Factory; Entrepreneur First; Antler; Capital Enterprise; Seedcamp; Bethnal Green Ventures; Connect Ventures; Episode 1; Octopus; Haatch; Notion; Growth Capital Partners; SafeLives; Citizens Advice; Turn2us; LawCare; FOS; Pensions Ombudsman; Legal Choices; ACAS; Growth Hub; MentorsMe; AdviceUK; LawWorks; Law Centres; FRU; Advocate; Support Through Court; NPBC; JUSTICE; RCJ Advice; AdviceNow; ATJF; Crisis; Centrepoint; StreetLink; Shelter; Women's Aid; Refuge. Do not re-use those hosts as primary.
Previous filed hour 10:55 EXISTS (market-path-research-2026-09-04-1055.md Hoxton Ventures) — not FAIL. Previous 09:55 EXISTS (Techstars) — not FAIL. Previous 08:55 EXISTS (decision ask; skipped no reply by 10:25) — not FAIL. No 05:55 / 07:55 files — already noted; not FAIL. Hours 20:55–00:55 after Balderton already noted at 01:55 — not re-logged as new FAIL.
08:55 morning decision window closed 10:25 with no reply — already logged skipped; not re-asked. 14:55 already skipped at 16:25 yesterday — not re-asked. 17:15 close already ran — not re-closed.
Did not unpark/install customer cut 63e813ea. Did not write kpis/p-evidence.md. Did not invent a buyer from StepChange clients / partners / creditors. Did not install the 12:48 productised hour-menu as a path. Did not treat StepChange as MoneyHelper / MaPS / Citizens Advice / Turn2us / SafeLives / Rape Crisis. **UK company number and charity numbers were printed** on live StepChange pages — CH **02757055** and Charity Commission **1016630** / OSCR **SC046263** opened for verification only. Did not invent numbers. Did not open 16892858.
No Progressive-plan row for this hour → standing recon 26e4abb6. Hour label 11:55. Not a decision point (08:55/14:55 only).

Area: Competitor mapping.
Verdict: stayed thin as a path.
P unchanged.
Primary host: StepChange Debt Charity (www.stepchange.org) — how-the-public-is-directed-to-free-debt-advice. Preferred MoneyHelper / MaPS blocked (Cloudflare 403 challenge); fallback lived.

## Why this hour
Destination is the $2.5–5bn company; the first-customer cut (63e813ea) remains parked; the live middle gate is that path candidates still cannot be compiled (e834b2f2: 0 candidates, reach blocker). After 10:55 Companies in the space (Hoxton Ventures), this hour rotates to **Competitor mapping** on an unused free-debt-advice reach host. Preferred primary was MoneyHelper (moneyhelper.org.uk / Money and Pensions Service) — how-the-public-is-directed-to-free-money-and-pensions-advice. Preferred returned Cloudflare challenge HTML only (HTTP 403); maps.org.uk / www.maps.org.uk also 403. Fallback StepChange Debt Charity (www.stepchange.org) lived HTTP 200 — still Competitor mapping reach. Hold = no invention, not no recon. Not a FYJ path. Not P.

## Searched
Preferred: MoneyHelper (https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/) and Money and Pensions Service corporate (https://maps.org.uk/ / https://www.maps.org.uk/) — **blocked** this hour (HTTP 403 Cloudflare "Just a moment" / security verification; WebFetch same challenge). Recorded honestly. No readable MoneyHelper content from this box.
Primary (fallback): StepChange Debt Charity (https://www.stepchange.org/). Preferred fallback lived — used as primary. Did not invent a third host.

## HTTP inventory
### Preferred blocked (not primary)
- https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/ — GET with browser-like UA → HTTP 403 size 5626 content-type text/html; charset=UTF-8. Cloudflare challenge HTML ("Just a moment…"). No readable MoneyHelper content.
- https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/about-us — HTTP 403 size 5680. Same challenge.
- https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/contact-us — HTTP 403 size 5686. Same challenge.
- https://maps.org.uk/ — HTTP 403 size 5573. Same challenge.
- https://www.maps.org.uk/ — HTTP 403 (same cluster). WebFetch on moneyhelper.org.uk also stuck on Cloudflare security verification. Preferred dead for this hour.

### StepChange primary cluster (lived)
- https://www.stepchange.org/ — GET with browser-like UA → HTTP 200 size ~101985 (repeat ~101072) content-type text/html; charset=utf-8. Title: StepChange Debt Charity. Free Expert Debt Help & Advice. Printed chrome: free debt help & advice; Breathing Space; DMP / IVA / DRO / Bankruptcy; Scotland DAS / Trust deed / Sequestration / MAP; calculators; Get debt help now.
- https://stepchange.org/ — HTTP 200 size ~101985 → www apex (same cluster).
- https://www.stepchange.org/about-us.aspx — HTTP 200 size 136547. Soft /about → about-us.aspx 200. Title about StepChange / what we do cluster.
- https://www.stepchange.org/about-us/what-we-do.aspx — HTTP 200 size 121554. Title: What We Do. How StepChange Debt Charity Can Help You.
- https://www.stepchange.org/about-us/governance.aspx — HTTP 200 size 64738. Title: Governance: Executive & Board Responsibilities.
- https://www.stepchange.org/about-us/our-history.aspx — HTTP 200 size 71259. Title: History: Becoming The UK's Leading Debt Charity. Printed Leeds at 123 Albion Street; FCA authorised claim.
- https://www.stepchange.org/about-us/vision-and-strategy.aspx — HTTP 200 size 69527.
- https://www.stepchange.org/about-us/how-we-make-a-difference.aspx — HTTP 200 size 136572.
- https://www.stepchange.org/about-us/who-we-work-with.aspx — HTTP 200 size 56759. Partner marks (banks / creditors) — ecosystem counterparties, not who FYJ sells to.
- https://www.stepchange.org/about-us/press-releases.aspx — HTTP 200 size 136562.
- https://www.stepchange.org/how-we-help.aspx — HTTP 200 size 138476. Title: Debt Happens. We Deal With It.
- https://www.stepchange.org/how-we-help/debt-advice.aspx — HTTP 200 size 90348. Soft /debt-advice → debt-advice.aspx 200. Title: Get Debt Help. Our Free Debt Advice.
- https://www.stepchange.org/how-we-help/money-advice.aspx — HTTP 200 size 126076. Title: Money Advice: How To Maximise Your Income.
- https://www.stepchange.org/contact-us.aspx — HTTP 200 size 85492. Soft /contact → contact-us.aspx 200.
- https://www.stepchange.org/legal/privacy-policy.aspx — HTTP 200 size 68604. Soft /privacy → related privacy HTML 200 size ~81800. Title: Privacy And Transparency.
- https://www.stepchange.org/legal/cookie-policy.aspx — HTTP 200 size ~76091. Soft /cookies → cookie-policy.aspx 200.
- https://www.stepchange.org/legal/terms-of-use.aspx — HTTP 200 size 54323. Soft /terms → soft-landing HTML 200 size ~100652 (not a dedicated terms dump). Soft /terms-and-conditions → HTTP 404 size ~59919.
- https://www.stepchange.org/legal.aspx — HTTP 200 size 54246. Legal notices cluster.
- https://www.stepchange.org/legal/modern-slavery-statement.aspx — HTTP 200 size 54271 (legal notices shell this hour).
- Soft /debt-tools → HTTP 404 size ~59910. Soft /budget path under debt-information → HTTP 404 size ~59953. Soft /pensions → 404-class. Soft /sitemap.xml → HTTP 500 size 1763 (aspxerrorpath). Soft /tools /budget /pensions as apex shorts → 404-class.
- https://www.stepchange.org/robots.txt — HTTP 200 size 796 text/plain.
- Footer on live pages prints: **Foundation for Credit Counselling, 123 Albion Street, Leeds, LS2 8ER** trading as StepChange Debt Charity and StepChange Debt Charity Scotland. Registered charity no. **1016630** and **SC046263**. Limited company registered in England and Wales (company no: **2757055**). Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (Firm Registration Number **729047**).
- Companies House https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/02757055 — HTTP 200 size 36711. **FOUNDATION FOR CREDIT COUNSELLING** Company number **02757055**. Active. Private Limited Company by guarantee without share capital use of 'Limited' exemption. Incorporated 19 October 1992. Registered office **123 Albion Street, Leeds, England, LS2 8ER**. SIC **64999** — Financial intermediation not elsewhere classified. Last accounts made up to 31 December 2025. Last confirmation statement 12 October 2025. Previous names: CONSUMER CREDIT COUNSELLING SERVICE (WEST YORKSHIRE) / CONSUMER CREDIT COUNSELLING SERVICES (WEST YORKSHIRE). Named short /company/2757055 HTTP 404 size 30470.
- Charity Commission https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/… regId=1016630 — HTTP 200 size ~103908. **FOUNDATION FOR CREDIT COUNSELLING** charity number **1016630**. Reporting up to date. YE 31 December 2025: Total income **£64,519,000** / Total expenditure **£61,850,000**. People printed: **1065 Employee(s)** / **12 Trustee(s)**. Principal activities: free debt advice; debt management plans and insolvency solutions.
- OSCR https://www.oscr.org.uk/about-charities/search-the-register/charity-details?number=SC046263 — HTTP 200 size 53620. **Foundation for Credit Counselling** **SC046263**. Registered charity from 15 January 2016. Known as StepChange Debt Charity. Address 123 Albion Street Leeds LS2 8ER. Cross-border. Website www.stepchange.org.
- Did not open 16892858. Did not invent numbers beyond what was printed then verified.

## What stands
- Live StepChange how-the-public-is-directed-to-free-debt-advice competitor-mapping reach cluster: apex ~102k; about-us ~137k; what-we-do ~122k; how-we-help ~138k; debt-advice ~90k; money-advice ~126k; privacy ~69k; cookies ~76k; contact ~85k; governance ~65k; history ~71k; robots 796.
- Printed / verified identity (context only): **Foundation for Credit Counselling** trading as StepChange Debt Charity / StepChange Debt Charity Scotland; company **02757055** (printed 2757055); charity **1016630**; Scottish charity **SC046263**; FCA FRN **729047**; RO 123 Albion Street, Leeds LS2 8ER; CH Active from 19 Oct 1992 SIC 64999; Commission YE 2025 income £64.52m expenditure £61.85m; 1065 employees / 12 trustees; OSCR SC046263 from 15 Jan 2016.
- How-the-public-is-directed-to-free-debt-advice lane next to Citizens Advice / Turn2us / AdviceUK / Legal Choices / SafeLives / Rape Crisis / Shelter — free advice routing, not a FYJ market path.
- Preferred MoneyHelper / MaPS block recorded: Cloudflare 403 on moneyhelper.org.uk and maps.org.uk — not invented as readable.

## What does not stand
- No page names a FYJ customer, market, offer, or P.
- StepChange clients / creditor partners / banks in who-we-work-with are not a FYJ buyer.
- A free debt-advice charity homepage is not a FYJ market path.
- Naming "FYJ for StepChange clients" or "FYJ next to MoneyHelper" is inventing a customer — banned.
- MoneyHelper content was not readable this hour — do not invent MaPS / MoneyHelper facts from memory.
- Who / why / how / next all missing. Compile stays 0 (e834b2f2); the reach blocker is not closed by filing another free-advice reach host.

## End-to-end test
- Who it is for: missing.
- Why they would pay: missing.
- How FYJ reaches them: missing.
- What sits next: missing.
No real public fact this hour filled any of the four. Do not invent the rest. StepChange fills a Competitor mapping cell as how-the-public-is-directed-to-free-debt-advice reach context after MoneyHelper blocked. It does not fill a path cell.

## Value-forming
Competitor mapping now has another filed how-the-public-is-directed-to-free-debt-advice host next to Citizens Advice / Turn2us / AdviceUK / SafeLives / Rape Crisis. Preferred MoneyHelper free-money-and-pensions-advice probe failed (403). Value has not started to form as a FYJ path. A StepChange homepage is not who / why / how / next. Verdict: stayed thin as a path.

## Result
No path named yet. Competitor mapping stayed thin as a path. P unchanged.
Compile stays 0. Blocker still reach. Cut 63e813ea parked. Hermes parked. Slot unchanged. Layer unchanged (Peer toggle: Founder View ↔ Agent View).
Confirmation: Contract UUID 26e4abb6-3b66-4a66-a4f7-d4c065ad9233 is live. Hold = no invention, not no recon. Preferred MoneyHelper blocked (403). Primary host this hour: www.stepchange.org (Foundation for Credit Counselling / CH 02757055 / charity 1016630 / SC046263 / FCA 729047). No path named. P unchanged. Customer cut parked.