DAVIS PIER

What DAVIS PIER does

Davis Pier is a Canadian social impact consulting firm headquartered in Halifax, Nova Scotia, with additional offices in Toronto and Charlottetown. Founded in 2014 by Mike Davis and Darryl Pierrynowski, the firm positions itself as a 'social impact agency that also happens to be a consulting firm,' delivering human-centred design, behavioural science, change management, and digital modernization services to public-sector, healthcare, and not-for-profit clients across Canada. Its work spans four practice areas — Community & Social Services, Health & Wellbeing, Digital Government, and Public Sector — supported by cross-cutting capabilities in Strategy & Analytics, Transformation & Change, Design, Digital, Research & Innovation, and Consultation & Engagement.

The firm's core technology is its integrated consulting methodology, which combines human-centred design, behavioural science, and change management with digital prototyping, UX/UI, and data analytics. Proprietary frameworks include the Health Neighbourhoods model, zero-based documentation review (Permitting & Licensing), and the Pay-What-You-Can behavioural-science framework applied to the Nova Scotia School Lunch Program. Since its September 2025 acquisition by Kainos Group (LSE: KNOS), Davis Pier has access to Kainos's enterprise software engineering, generative AI, and Built on Workday delivery capability, materially scaling its digital-government delivery capacity.

Davis Pier generates revenue primarily through project-based and multi-phase professional services engagements (Discovery → Alpha → Beta → continuous improvement) with government ministries, health authorities, regulators, and not-for-profit organizations. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed; co-design sprints (e.g., the Permitting & Licensing Program) are positioned as low-investment entry points that can convert into larger enterprise engagements. Customer segments are predominantly Canadian government (federal, provincial, and municipal), healthcare systems, and not-for-profit organizations. Notable client engagements include the Government of Nova Scotia (Department of Labour, Skills and Immigration; Department of Health & Wellness; School Lunch Program), Health PEI, Nova Scotia Pharmacy Regulator, Feed Nova Scotia, Net Zero Atlantic, and Community Living Toronto. The firm reports 100+ team members, 80% repeat clients, and 97% employee satisfaction as of its 2024 10-year milestone.

Name

DAVIS PIER

Legal name

Davis Pier Ltd.

Website

https://davispier.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Davis Pier is a Canadian social impact consulting firm — now a Kainos Group company — that designs and delivers human-centred, behavioural-science-driven public-sector, healthcare, and not-for-profit engagements across Canada, with offices in Halifax, Toronto, and Charlottetown.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Halifax

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Professional consulting services: Project-based and multi-phase consulting engagements (Discovery → Alpha → Beta → continuous improvement) with government, healthcare, and not-for-profit clients. Multi-year contracts typical for large public-sector transformations (e.g., Nova Scotia Works Online multi-year build).
2. Co-design / sprint programs: Short, focused co-design workshops and sprints offered to regulators and public sector leaders (e.g., Permitting & Licensing Co-Design Program). Sold as a low-risk, low-investment way to deliver tangible improvements.
3. Digital government delivery via Kainos Group: As part of Kainos Group of Companies, Davis Pier offers digital services and solutions including software development, AI-enabled services, and participation in Kainos's Workday partnership (referenced by Kainos as contributing to Workday Products on track to surpass £100m ARR by end of 2026).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion5 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Davis Pier is a Canadian social impact consulting firm that designs, delivers, and scales public services for government, healthcare, and not-for-profit clients across Canada. Its core offering combines human-centred design, behavioural science, and change management across four practice areas — Community & Social Services, Health & Wellbeing, Digital Government, and Public Sector — delivered through multi-phase engagements (Discovery → Alpha → Beta → Continuous improvement), short co-design sprints, and digital modernization programs amplified through its membership in the Kainos Group of Companies.

Product overview

Davis Pier operates as a social impact consulting agency (a Kainos Group company) that delivers a unified practice-area portfolio rather than a packaged software product. Its four core practice areas are Community & Social Services, Health & Wellbeing, Digital Government, and Public Sector, supported by six cross-cutting capability offerings: Strategy & Analytics, Transformation & Change, Design, Digital, Research & Innovation, and Consultation & Engagement. Concrete client engagements that demonstrate the offering include the Permitting and Licensing Co-Design Program (a focused regulatory-modernization sprint), Nova Scotia Works Online (a digital employment service for the Nova Scotia Department of Labour, Skills, and Immigration), the School Lunch Program PWYC Platform Redesign (a behavioural-science-driven redesign of a pay-what-you-can ordering platform), and the Nudging to Net Zero behavioural-interventions project with Net Zero Atlantic. Digital Government delivery is amplified through the Kainos Group, giving Davis Pier access to enterprise software development, generative AI, and broader public-sector digital modernization capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Pier Labs: Ancillary product/research arm referenced alongside Davis Pier on the firm's website in connection with social impact work such as food insecurity and housing.

Products and services

• Community & Social Services Human-centred consulting practice that designs, delivers, and improves social services programs across housing, food security, justice and public safety, disability supports, childcare, employment and skills development, social assistance, and education. Sold to Canadian government and not-for-profit clients seeking to improve program outcomes with lived-experience input.
• Health & Wellbeing Applies change management and applied social science to improve access to healthcare, service quality, and quality of life across primary care, acute care, long-term care, home care, public health, workplace safety, and community wellbeing. Sold to health authorities, regulators, ministries of health, and post-secondary healthcare institutions across Canada.
• Digital Government Designs and implements digital systems for governments, including citizen services, UX/UI design, privacy-by-design, data and AI, digital modernization, discovery and alpha, and software development. Delivered jointly with the Kainos Group for Canadian federal, provincial, and municipal government clients.
• Public Sector Helps governments turn public policy into public impact across economic development and trade, infrastructure, environment and natural resources, and regulatory reform, building consensus and practical paths to action. Sold to Canadian provincial and federal government departments.
• Permitting and Licensing Co-Design Program A short, focused co-design sprint program for Canadian regulators that maps real workflows, applies zero-based documentation review, translates regulatory requirements into clear guidance, and explores AI-assisted case-management supports. Sold as a low-risk, low-investment option to regulatory leaders seeking tangible permitting and licensing modernization.
• Nova Scotia Works Online A one-stop, user-centred digital employment support service designed and built for the Nova Scotia Department of Labour, Skills and Immigration (Employment Nova Scotia). Launched with the Department in 2025; the platform has served ~300,000 users, 866,000+ job searches, 11,000+ jobs posted, and 7,000+ resumes and cover letters created.
• School Lunch Program PWYC Platform Redesign Redesigned the pay-what-you-can (PWYC) online ordering platform for the Nova Scotia School Lunch Program, applying behavioural science to reduce choice overload, simplify payment decisions, and combat stigma through pre-set amounts, custom payment options, and equity-focused communications. Sold to the Government of Nova Scotia for student food-security program delivery.

Quantifiable outcome

• 866k+ job searches, 11k+ jobs posted, 7k+ resumes and cover letters created; ~300,000 users on Nova Scotia Works Online since launch
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Kainos GroupflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 September 2025Davis Pier joined Kainos Group, a Belfast-headquartered IT services provider, in 2025 as part of Kainos's North American expansion. The Davis Pier website carries a "Davis Pier, a Kainos Group company" lockup, and the partnership gives Davis Pier access to Kainos's enterprise software engineering, generative AI, and Built on Workday delivery capability. Kainos's FY2026 results reference the first full year of investment in its Built on Workday partnership and Davis Pier's role in expanding into Canada.
• Workday (via Kainos Built on Workday partnership)coreTechnology or Integration · 19 September 2025Indirectly engaged through Kainos's Built on Workday partnership; Kainos's FY2026 results cite this as the first full year of investment in the partnership and Workday Products as on track to surpass £100m ARR by end of 2026. Davis Pier's Digital Government practice benefits from this delivery capability.
• Net Zero AtlanticcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024In 2024, Davis Pier and Net Zero Atlantic teamed up to design, test, and refine behavioural interventions that can accelerate Atlantic Canada's transition to net zero emissions. Davis Pier's behavioural scientists worked alongside researchers and public policy professionals to produce a literature review, research insights, and policy insights reports identifying the most effective, locally-tested pro-climate behaviour interventions in the region.
• Feed Nova ScotiacoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2020Featured Community & Social Services partnership. During COVID-19, Davis Pier helped create the infrastructure and processes to get emergency food boxes into community members' hands — 5,700 boxes of food supporting 22,000 people. Davis Pier continues to volunteer and partner with Feed Nova Scotia as part of its Food Security community investment pillar.
• Applehead StudiominorGTM or Marketing PartnerApplehead Studio captured Davis Pier's team photography and helped bring the firm's website to life. Credited on the Our People page.
• AKOMAminorOthersPartner organization supported through Davis Pier's Housing community investment pillar via donations, volunteer hours, and projects.
• Shelter Movers (Nova Scotia)minorOthersPartner organization supported through Davis Pier's Housing community investment pillar.
• Adsum HouseminorOthersPartner organization supported through Davis Pier's Housing community investment pillar.
• Elizabeth Fry Society of Mainland Nova ScotiaminorOthersPartner organization supported through Davis Pier's Housing community investment pillar.
• United Way MaritimesminorOthersPartner organization supported through Davis Pier's Housing community investment pillar.
• The North GroveminorOthersPartner organization supported through Davis Pier's Food Security community investment pillar.
• Parker Street Food and Furniture BankminorOthersPartner organization supported through Davis Pier's Food Security community investment pillar.
• Fred VictorminorOthersPartner organization supported through Davis Pier's Food Security community investment pillar.
• The Upper RoomminorOthersPartner organization supported through Davis Pier's Food Security community investment pillar.
• Ronald McDonald House Charities (Atlantic)minorOthersPartner organization supported through Davis Pier's Food Security community investment pillar; Davis Pier teams have prepared meals at Ronald McDonald House.
• Kairos Canada (Blanket Exercise)minorOthersLearning partner used to deepen team understanding of Indigenous histories, cultures, and perspectives as part of Davis Pier's EDIRA commitments.
• The Youth ProjectminorOthersGuest-speaker partner used to spark 2SLGBTQIA+ inclusion conversations at Davis Pier as part of its EDIRA work.
• Aruna RevolutionminorOthersFellow local B Corp whose menstrual pads Davis Pier pilots as part of its sustainability pillar (supporting sustainability, menstrual equity).

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Nordicity: Canadian consulting firm with a strong public-policy, cultural, and digital economy practice serving federal/provincial/territorial governments and non-profits. Directly comparable in target customer (Canadian public sector and mission-driven organizations), consulting-only model, and Canadian HQ — competing head-to-head for policy and program-design mandates.
• StrategyCorp Institute of Public Policy and Economy: Toronto-based management consulting firm specializing in government relations, public policy, and strategic communications for public-sector and corporate clients in Canada. Closely comparable in serving Canadian government and institutional clients with policy, regulatory, and transformation mandates, though with a heavier government-relations tilt.
• The Purpose Group: Canadian B Corp consulting firm focused on social impact, ESG, and purpose-driven strategy for non-profits, foundations, governments, and values-led businesses. Closely comparable as a Canadian, mission-led, mid-sized consulting peer competing for the same social impact and government engagements.
• MNP LLP: Major Canadian accounting and business advisory firm with a sizable public-sector and Indigenous communities consulting practice serving federal, provincial, municipal, and not-for-profit clients across Canada. Comparable in targeting Canadian public-sector and non-profit buyers with multi-disciplinary consulting services, though broader (audit/tax) and much larger than Davis Pier.

Broad incumbents

• EY Canada: Big Four firm with a Canadian public-sector and health consulting practice serving federal, provincial, and municipal clients. Comparable buyer base and transformation mandate scope, but with the broader audit/tax/consulting portfolio typical of a Big Four incumbent.
• Accenture Canada: Global professional services firm with a Canadian public-service and healthcare practice delivering large-scale digital transformation. Competes for the largest Canadian government modernization contracts (including Workday-enabled work) that Davis Pier now accesses through Kainos.
• KPMG Canada: Big Four firm with a substantial public-sector, healthcare, and citizen-services consulting practice in Canada. Comparable in serving Canadian federal/provincial governments on transformation and digital service modernization, but operating at a much larger scale and broader service portfolio than Davis Pier.
• PwC Canada: Big Four consulting firm with a Canadian public-sector practice delivering digital transformation, regulatory modernization, and citizen-experience programs. Directly competes for the same Canadian government digital-modernization RFPs but as a global, full-service incumbent.
• Deloitte Canada: Big Four professional services firm with a Canadian public-sector and healthcare consulting practice delivering digital government, transformation, and policy work. Competes for the same Canadian government and healthcare mandates as Davis Pier but as a much broader, generalist incumbent with global delivery scale.

Emerging players

• Tamarack Institute: Canadian non-profit focused on community change, collective impact, and place-based initiatives, working extensively with municipalities, foundations, and non-profits. Comparable in targeting Canadian community and public-sector clients on social innovation and impact, but operating as a non-profit learning network rather than a paid consulting firm.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/davis-pier-ltd-
• Xx.com/davispierltd

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about DAVIS PIER