Centre for Economics and Business Research

What Centre for Economics and Business Research does

Cebr (Centre for Economics and Business Research Ltd) is an independent economic consultancy founded in 1991 by Professor Douglas McWilliams, formerly Chief Economic Adviser to the Confederation of British Industry and IBM. Headquartered at Unit 1, 4 Bath Street, London, the firm supplies macroeconomic forecasting, economic impact analysis, policy research, thought leadership, and bespoke consultancy to FTSE 100 corporates, financial institutions, retailers, telecommunications firms, government bodies, trade associations, and NGOs. The company is privately held, registered in England and Wales (company number 2592404), and operates without external investment or parent company ownership. It serves 25 of the FTSE 100 companies and produces a portfolio of branded economic indicators and reports including the annual World Economic League Table (covering 190+ economies), the UK Economic Outlook quarterly report, the ASDA Income Tracker, the YouGov-Cebr Consumer Confidence Index, the Barclays Financial Confidence Index, the Annual Workforce Tracker, and the Shipping Competitiveness Index.

The firm's underlying capability is built on in-house economic impact models, socio-economic and input-output modelling frameworks, and macroeconomic forecasting models that have been recognised by Focus Economics (2023 forecast award) for accuracy. Notable proprietary products include the WELT (published annually since 2009, ranking and 15-year forecasting of 190+ economies) and the Shipping Competitiveness Index (a 15-indicator, four-pillar benchmark of 44 maritime nations). The business model is sales-led: services are commissioned through direct enquiry, phone, or email, with engagements scoped as bespoke projects or retainer contracts at individually negotiated prices. There is no self-service platform, no standardised tiered pricing, and no channel resellers. Marketing is overwhelmingly PR-driven via earned media — regular BBC and Bloomberg appearances by economists — complemented by a monthly newsletter (CEBR Chronicle), an active blog, speeches, and the high-leverage annual WELT Boxing Day launch.

Name

Centre for Economics and Business Research

Legal name

Centre for Economics and Business Research

Website

https://cebr.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cebr is an independent London-based economic consultancy, founded 1991, providing bespoke macroeconomic forecasting, economic impact analysis, policy research and thought leadership to FTSE 100 corporates, financial institutions, government bodies and NGOs, anchored by named proprietary products such as the World Economic League Table.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Economic Consulting Services

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Industry & Sector Research (Syndicated/Custom) (BPAHALAE)

Keywords

• Economic consulting services
• Macroeconomic forecasting
• Economic impact analysis
• Policy research
• Thought leadership reports

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Economic Consultancy and Advisory Services: Cebr generates revenue by providing bespoke economic research, forecasting, economic impact analysis, policy research, and consultancy services to private and public sector clients. Engagements are project-based or retainer contracts, serving FTSE firms, SMEs, government departments, trade associations, and NGOs. Services span macroeconomic forecasting, economic impact studies, policy analysis, market sizing, and thought leadership reports.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) is an independent economic consultancy that supplies bespoke macroeconomic forecasting, economic impact analysis, policy research, and economic advisory services to private and public sector clients. Engagements are project-based or retainer contracts covering UK and global economies at national, regional, sector, and local levels. The firm also publishes flagship products including the World Economic League Table (WELT) and UK Economic Outlook quarterly report.

Product overview

Cebr is an independent economic consultancy (not a technology/SaaS product) that offers a portfolio of economic research and advisory services. The core service offerings include Macroeconomic Forecasting (including the annual World Economic League Table), Policy Research, Economic Impact Analysis, Speeches & Events, Thought Leadership reports, and general Consultancy for both private and public sector clients. Additionally, Cebr produces named report products and economic indicators such as the UK Economic Outlook quarterly report, ASDA Income Tracker, YouGov-Cebr Consumer Confidence Index, Barclays Financial Confidence Index, Annual Workforce Tracker, and Shipping Competitiveness Index. These offerings are delivered through traditional consultancy engagements and published research rather than a software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Macroeconomic Forecasting

Quantifiable outcome

• UK projected to overtake Japan and become world's 5th largest economy by 2040 (WELT 2026)
• +9 more outcomes

Named customers18 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered key client and key partner.

• Barclayskey clientStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2026Barclays commissioned Cebr to produce the Barclays Financial Confidence Index, a biannual index measuring UK attitudes towards managing money, building financial resilience, and making financial decisions.
• Sagekey clientStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026Sage commissioned Cebr to produce the Annual Workforce Tracker, assessing the outlook for SMEs and their employees against a backdrop of mounting pressures. The 2026 report examines workforce trends and business conditions for SMEs.
• HSBCkey clientStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026HSBC commissioned Cebr to research the potential impact of AI adoption on UK mid-sized firm productivity by 2030, using forecasting and economic modelling.
• Lloyd'skey clientStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026Lloyd's commissioned Cebr to analyse the insurable value of national football teams for the 2026 World Cup. Previous editions of this model correctly predicted the winner of two of the last three World Cups. The insurable value covers the net present value of players' expected career earnings.
• Centrepointkey clientStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Cebr partnered with Centrepoint to produce a report on barriers young people faced in securing stable housing during 2023/24, using survey data and economic analysis.
• Delivery Herokey clientStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2025Delivery Hero commissioned Cebr to quantify the global economic footprint of its ecosystem (July 2024 to June 2025). The analysis measured direct, indirect, and induced GDP impacts across 36 individually modelled countries plus aggregated regions. Findings showed €62.7bn GDP contribution, 2.5m FTE jobs supported, and €14.2bn tax revenues. This was a co-branded thought leadership project with a full report published at deliveryheroimpact.com.
• Family Business Research Foundation (FBRF)key partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2025Cebr and FBRF are conducting joint research evaluating the impacts of Business Property Relief (BPR) reforms on UK family businesses. The project involves direct engagement with family businesses through interview-based research across two waves (Dec 2025-Feb 2026 and May-July 2026). Findings will be published in a report in Autumn 2026. Both organisations contribute expertise to inform policymaking on BPR reform.
• Flagstonekey clientStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2025In partnership with Flagstone, Cebr quantified the divide between UK SMEs that actively manage surplus cash and those that do not. The study combined a survey of 400 SMEs (with Yonder Data Solutions) and rigorous statistical analysis. Findings quantified a £18,000 annual performance gap and cumulative £108,000 loss over five years for passive firms. Full Cash Performance Gap Report published on Flagstone's website.
• Qatar's International Media Officekey clientStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025Cebr produced a report commissioned by Qatar's International Media Office revealing Qatar's investments and role supporting UK infrastructure, innovation, and regional development over 14-15 years.
• UK Chamber of Shippingkey clientStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2025UK Chamber of Shipping commissioned Cebr to develop the Shipping Competitiveness Index, a novel benchmarking ranking of 44 leading maritime nations across 15 indicators in four pillars: Trade, Fleet and Capital, Workforce, and Regulatory Environment and Governance. The index covers 2014 and 2023, assessing a decade of change.
• National Housing Federation and Shelterkey clientStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2024Cebr conducted economic and social impact assessments for the National Housing Federation and Shelter, examining the effects of constructing 90,000 social homes. A separate report examined the cost of inaction on social housing delivery. The analysis estimates billions in economic benefit from social housing investment.
• Virgin Media O2key clientStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2023Virgin Media O2 commissioned Cebr to model the economic boost from improved rural connectivity, estimating a £65.1bn potential boost to the UK economy from better rural digital infrastructure.
• ACI Worldwidekey clientStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2022ACI Worldwide commissioned Cebr to conduct research on the economic impact of real-time payments across 30 major global economies. Findings showed $78.4bn of GDP was supported by real-time payments in 2021, forecast to rise to $173bn by 2026. Report was published as 'Prime Time for Real-Time'.
• Aegonkey clientStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2022Aegon commissioned Cebr to conduct a review into financial wellbeing in the UK workforce, updating previous joint research from 2018. The report quantified £6.2bn annual cost to UK businesses from absenteeism and presenteeism caused by financial distress.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Capital Economics: Independent economic research firm offering macroeconomic forecasting and country/sector analysis to corporates, investors, and government clients. Directly comparable in business model, product mix, and emphasis on independent, non-partisan economic views.
• Oxford Economics: Largest direct competitor to Cebr; provides macroeconomic forecasting, economic impact analysis, and policy research for global corporates, governments, and financial institutions. Closely aligned in service offering, customer base, and delivery model (bespoke consultancy + subscription models).
• Frontier Economics: Specialist economics consultancy delivering economic analysis, regulation, and competition economics to corporates, regulators, and governments. Comparable in being a focused, non-Big-Four economic consultancy serving similar client types.
• Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU): Research and forecasting arm of The Economist Group; offers country-level macroeconomic forecasts, country risk, and industry analysis to global enterprises. Highly comparable product offering (forecasts, indices, country reports) and similar client base of multinational corporates.
• National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR): UK-based economic research institute producing macro forecasts, economic impact studies, and policy analysis. Comparable as a UK-headquartered economic research provider serving both government and corporate clients, with a similar academic-leaning positioning.

Broad incumbents

• S&P Global Market Intelligence: Provides macroeconomic forecasts, country risk, and industry research as part of its broader data, ratings, and indices business. Overlaps with Cebr's forecasting and indices work but as one line within a global financial information incumbent.
• McKinsey Global Institute: Research arm of McKinsey producing global economic and sectoral research, including macroeconomic and growth analysis. Comparable in producing flagship economic research (analogous to Cebr's WELT), but operates within a much broader global strategy consulting firm.
• EY-Parthenon Economic Advisory: Economic advisory practice within EY-Parthenon offering macroeconomic and policy advice to corporates and governments. Comparable in service offering but embedded within a global strategy consulting and advisory network.
• PwC Economics: Economics practice within Big Four advisory firm offering macroeconomic analysis, economic impact assessments, and policy advice. Overlaps strongly with Cebr's economic impact and forecasting services but as part of a much broader audit/consulting portfolio.
• KPMG Economics: Economics team within Big Four firm delivering macro analysis and policy research to corporate and public-sector clients. Comparable in service type but with the scale, multi-disciplinary depth, and cross-sell reach of a Big Four network.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cebr_uk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cebr

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 records

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 Centre for Economics and Business Research