GradePower LearningFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A GradePower Learning franchise requires a total initial investment of $126K – $226K, including a $38K franchise fee. The 2025 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). Verdict grade: B. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $126K – $226K
- 34th pct Education
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 47th pct Education
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 151
- 61st pct Education
- SBA default
- 16.7%
- system-wide median varies by category
Quick verdict · Education · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Education avg · No shading = within ±15% · Red = >15% below avg · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Franchised units fell from 131 to 127 over 3 years. Investigate why operators are leaving.
Bottom line
- Total investment $126K – $226K including a $38K franchise fee.
- No Item 19 financial performance data disclosed. The franchisor chose not to publish revenue figures.
- Verdict B (Above Average) with a risk score of 61/100.
- No Item 19 financial performance representation. Without franchisor-disclosed revenue data, you'll need to gather unit economics directly from existing franchisees.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- G.B. TOKANI, INC.
- Parent company
- Oxford Learning Centres, Inc.
- Ultimate parent
- BrightFutures 1 Inc.
- CEO title
- CEO
- Robert Nicholas Whitehead
- CEO experience
- 40 yrs
- Years in role or industry
- Incorporated in
- DE
- HQ
- 747 Hyde Park Road, Suite 230, London, Ontario, Canada N6H 3S3
- Auditor
- KPMG LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $1.1M
- vs $1.2M prior year
- Management churn noted
- Frequent turnover
- Item 2 disclosed frequent executive changes
Overview
About
GradePower Learning franchisees operate tutoring and test-prep centers serving K-12 students, delivering after-school academic support, SAT/ACT preparation, and skills-based learning programs. Day-to-day operations include managing student enrollment, delivering personalized instruction, tracking academic progress, handling parent communications, and managing a small staff of tutors.
- CEO
- Robert Nicholas Whitehead
- Founded
- 2003
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 11
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing · 15 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $38K | $38K | |
| Management Information System License Feenot refundable | $1K | $1K | |
| Furniturenot refundable | $18K | $22K | |
| Equipment and Softwarenot refundable | $3K | $5K | |
| Leasehold and Improvementsnot refundable | $0 | $45K | |
| Lease and Utility Deposits | $2K | $6K | |
| Rent (Six Months)not refundable | $9K | $26K | |
| Curriculum, Literature, Education Materialsnot refundable | $10K | $11K | |
| Office Suppliesnot refundable | $550 | $2K | |
| Professional Pre-Opening Feesnot refundable | $1K | $3K | |
| Signsnot refundable | $3K | $7K | |
| Shippingnot refundable | $1K | $5K | |
| Expenses during trainingnot refundable | $4K | $5K | |
| Insurancenot refundable | $1K | $3K | |
| Additional Funds for First 6 Monthsnot refundable | $35K | $50K | |
| Total initial investment | $126K | $226K |
Line items extracted from FDD Item 7. Ranges reflect the franchisor's stated low and high per line. Total is the sum of line-item lows / highs — actual costs may fall outside this range depending on market and build-out scope.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $126K – $226K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $35K – $50K
- Near category avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $31K – $38K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- greater of 10% of Gross Revenue or $1,250 per month (star…
- Ad fund
- 3.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 13.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty (flat) | 10% of monthly Gross Revenue for months 1-12; greater of 10% or $1,000 for months 13-24; greater of 10% or $1,250 for month 25+ |
| Marketing / ad fund | 3.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $235 |
| Training fee | $7K |
| Transfer fee | $16K |
| Renewal fee | $9K |
| Total fee load | 13.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
This franchisor did not disclose financial performance representations in Item 19, or our extractor could not parse them.
vs Education averages
How GradePower Learning Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 151
- Opened
- 5
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 1
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 1
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 0.7%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- +2.0%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- +3.4%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 12
- Transfer rate
- 7.9%
- Owners selling to other franchisees
- Termination rate
- 0.7%
- Franchisor-initiated terminations
- Ceased ops
- 0.7%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 21 states with active franchisees
The Territory Map
Derived from franchisee contact records. Shows states with at least one current operator. Not where the franchisor is registered to sell new units (that data is re-extracting in a future refresh).
States derived from franchisee contact records (FDD Item 20). Shows states with at least one current operator on file. Full state registration data (Item 12) will appear on a future FDD refresh.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA loan disclosures. This brand has only 8 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 8
- Loan volume
- $1.3M
- Median loan
- $465K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 16.7%
- rates vary by category · see methodology
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- 83.3%
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 7
- Defaults
- 1
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into GradePower Learning's SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 1 lenders with concentration factor
- Per-state charge-off rates across 1 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 1-year lending trend
Instant access. No subscription.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
GradePower Learning presents caution-level risk: minimal system growth, undisclosed unit economics, recurring litigation with franchisees, and aggressive royalty structures warrant deep validation before committing $226k+ capital.
Litigation (Item 3)
One completed arbitration involving franchisee Merit Strategic, LLC and owner Anthony Mauro against franchisor G.B. Tokani, Inc., Oxford Group International, LLC, and Chairman Robert Nicholas Whitehead. Claims included improper termination, fraudulent misrepresentation, and New York Franchise Sales Act violation. Settled June 12, 2019 with franchise agreement termination and mutual release. One pending litigation involving Matthew Baxter and 9198539 Canada Inc. v. Oxford Learning Centres, Inc., Robert Nicholas Whitehead and Lenka Marie Whitehead in Ontario Superior Court (File No. 950/17, filed April 24, 2017) alleging wrongful dismissal, breach of contract, fraudulent misrepresentation, bad faith, breach of duty, and breach of fiduciary duty.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · KPMG LLP
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Score breakdown · what drove the 61 / 100 rating
- 01MINORStagnant unit growth (2.0% YoY) suggests market saturation or franchisee satisfaction issues
- 02MINORNo Item 19 financial disclosure prevents validation of $125k-$226k investment ROI claims
- 03HIGHMultiple litigation matters (arbitration + 2 Canadian settlements) indicate franchisor-franchisee relationship strain
- 04MINORAggressive royalty floor ($1,250/month minimum) creates cash flow pressure for underperforming locations
- 05MEDHigh franchise fee ($37,500) relative to disclosed average revenue/income data (completely absent from FDD)
- 06MINOR10-year term lock-in combined with unclear unit economics increases downside risk exposure
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
FDD Items 5, 6, 12, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | Radius or geographic border |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory radius | 1 mi |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 25 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 30 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | London, Ontario, Canada |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Delaware |
| Litigation count | 3 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
One completed arbitration involving franchisee Merit Strategic, LLC and owner Anthony Mauro against franchisor G.B. Tokani, Inc., Oxford Group International, LLC, and Chairman Robert Nicholas Whitehead. Claims included improper termination, fraudulent misrepresentation, and New York Franchise Sales Act violation. Settled June 12, 2019 with franchise agreement termination and mutual release. One pending litigation involving Matthew Baxter and 9198539 Canada Inc. v. Oxford Learning Centres, Inc., Robert Nicholas Whitehead and Lenka Marie Whitehead in Ontario Superior Court (File No. 950/17, filed April 24, 2017) alleging wrongful dismissal, breach of contract, fraudulent misrepresentation, bad faith, breach of duty, and breach of fiduciary duty.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 50 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 20 hrs
- Training location
- London, Ontario
- Ongoing training
- Required
- POS system
- Management Information System (MIS)
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Management Information System (MIS)
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
23 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
GradePower Learning · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a GradePower Learning franchise?
The total investment to open a GradePower Learning franchise ranges from $126K – $226K, with an initial franchise fee of $38K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do GradePower Learning franchise owners earn?
GradePower Learning does not disclose average franchise owner earnings in their FDD Item 19. Not all franchisors are required to make financial performance representations. We recommend asking existing franchisees directly about their financial experience.
What is GradePower Learning's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for GradePower Learning (fewer than 10 loans on file). Charge-off rates are one way to gauge franchise risk, but not all franchise loans go through the SBA program. We recommend reviewing turnover and closure data in the FDD and speaking with current franchisees.
How many GradePower Learning franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, GradePower Learning has 151 total units in the United States, including 131 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 5 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is GradePower Learning a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates GradePower Learning as a B-grade franchise with a risk score of 61 out of 100, based on our analysis of investment costs, revenue data, SBA loan performance, and growth trends. Our rating is based solely on publicly available FDD and government data; we recommend speaking with current franchisees before making any investment decision. This is not investment advice.
Data sourced from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) FOIA records. Not financial advice.
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Data extracted from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) loan disclosures (FOIA). This information is provided for research purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. Verify all figures with the franchisor's current Franchise Disclosure Document before making any investment decision.