IMPAQ International

What IMPAQ International does

IMPAQ International is a non-profit research and evaluation firm founded in 2001 and headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, with 251–500 employees. The firm evaluates the real-life impact of public policy and programs, serving federal and state government agencies, international development organizations, and non-profits across education, health, human services, workforce, and international development domains. The provided source material is drawn from American Institutes for Research (air.org), indicating IMPAQ's positioning within AIR's broader portfolio of research services.

The combined IMPAQ/AIR service portfolio is organized around four capability lines: Research & Program Evaluation (rigorous studies of program and policy effectiveness), Technical Assistance (capacity-building engagements with clients), Data Science and Technology (analytics and decision-support infrastructure), and Survey Design and Administration (instrument development and data collection). These capabilities are applied across five verticals — Education, Health, Human Services, International, and Workforce — and increasingly incorporate AI methodologies. The most prominent AI initiative is the AI Century Study, a national 100-year longitudinal study launched in March 2026 to track how AI shapes the lives of U.S. children and families.

Revenue is generated through direct government contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements rather than product or subscription sales. Primary customers are federal agencies (with the U.S. National Science Foundation explicitly named as a partner), state governments, and international development organizations. AIR's $225M+ Opportunity Fund — a ten-year commitment to community-driven research — supplements contract revenue with internally funded mission-aligned work. Marketing and business development rely on thought leadership (insights articles, conferences such as AERA, NCME, and AcademyHealth), newsletters, social media, and earned media rather than paid acquisition channels.

Name

IMPAQ International

Legal name

American Institutes for Research

Website

https://impaqint.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

IMPAQ International is a Columbia, MD-based non-profit (founded 2001, 251–500 employees) that evaluates the real-life impact of public policy for federal, state, and international clients. It operates within American Institutes for Research, delivering research, technical assistance, data science, and survey capabilities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

IMPAQ International is a nonprofit research organization founded in 2001 that delivers applied research, program evaluation, and technical assistance services. It operates as an affiliate of the American Institutes for Research (AIR) and supports evidence-based decision-making for public- and social-sector clients.

Product overview

American Institutes for Research (AIR) offers a portfolio of professional services organized around research, evaluation, and technical assistance capabilities. The core offerings include Research & Program Evaluation, Technical Assistance, Data Science and Technology, and Survey Design and Administration. These services are designed to work together—AIR uses data science and technology capabilities alongside research expertise to help clients identify challenges, find solutions, and transform systems. Additionally, AIR has launched the AI Century Study, a long-term research initiative examining the impact of AI on human life.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AIR Opportunity Fund: AIR's investment initiative investing $225M+ over ten years in innovative research, community-driven projects, and tailored support to expand opportunities.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026American Institutes for Research and the U.S. National Science Foundation launched a new center supporting STEM education research and practice. This represents a major strategic partnership for advancing STEM education research in the United States.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Mathematica Policy Research: Mathematica is a direct peer — a non-profit social policy research and evaluation firm serving federal and state agencies with rigorous program evaluations, surveys, and technical assistance, directly overlapping IMPAQ's core service model.
• Abt Associates: Abt Associates is a direct peer providing research, evaluation, and consulting services to U.S. federal agencies and international clients across health, education, and social policy — a closely comparable business model and customer base.
• Westat: Westat is a direct peer — a private research firm conducting surveys, program evaluations, and statistical analysis for government agencies, with comparable scale and similar federal contract relationships.
• NORC at the University of Chicago: NORC is a direct peer — an independent research institution affiliated with the University of Chicago conducting survey research and program evaluation for federal agencies, with comparable multi-domain social science research capabilities.
• Urban Institute: Urban Institute is a direct peer — a non-profit research organization focused on social and economic policy, conducting evaluations and data analysis for federal, state, and foundation clients across overlapping domains.
• MDRC: MDRC is a direct peer — a non-profit social policy research organization dedicated to evaluating programs aimed at low-income populations, with overlapping methods (randomized evaluations, longitudinal studies) and similar education/workforce focus.
• RTI International: RTI International is a direct peer — a non-profit research institute delivering scientific research, survey design, and technical assistance to government and commercial clients across health, education, and international development.
• RAND Corporation: RAND is a direct peer — a non-profit policy research institution providing rigorous analysis to governments and foundations across education, health, workforce, and international domains with comparable scale and methods.

Emerging players

• J-PAL (Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab): J-PAL is an emerging peer focused on rigorous randomized evaluations of anti-poverty programs in developing countries — overlapping the international development and evidence-based evaluation segments where IMPAQ operates.
• International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI): IFPRI is an emerging peer — an international research organization providing evidence-based policy solutions for ending hunger and poverty, overlapping the international development and program evaluation segments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/impaqint
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/AmInstForResearch
• Facebookfacebook.com/impaqint
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/impaq-international
• Instagraminstagram.com/airinforms

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 IMPAQ International