Shift Project

What Shift Project does

Shift Project is a US-registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2011 by members of John Ruggie's drafting team following the unanimous endorsement of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) by the UN Human Rights Council. The organization is headquartered in New York City with additional senior advisor presence in London and operates across 30+ countries in North America, Latin America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia Pacific, and Oceania. Shift functions as the leading center of expertise on the UNGPs, advising governments, regional and international standard-setting bodies, companies, financial institutions, civil society organizations, trade unions, academic institutions, and sports bodies on how to embed human rights due diligence into corporate practice, policy, and reporting.

Shift's product surface consists of expert-authored frameworks, tools, and advisory engagements rather than software. Flagship offerings include the UN Guiding Principles Reporting Framework (31-question disclosure standard), Valuing Respect (a multi-stakeholder platform launched in 2018 to evaluate corporate human rights performance across six focus areas), the Living Wage Accounting Model and Progress Tool (developed with Capitals Coalition), and Just Transition Metrics (sector-agnostic indicators for assessing the social impacts of climate transition, developed in 2026 with BSR, WBCSD, BHRRC, World Benchmarking Alliance, LSE Just Transition Finance Lab, and Council for Inclusive Capitalism). The organization also runs the Business Learning Program, the Financial Institutions Practitioners Circle, and tailored advisory engagements that focus on building partner capacity rather than performing work on partners' behalf.

Revenue is generated primarily through grants and donations from foundations and governments, supplemented by mission-aligned advisory engagements and multi-year partnerships with enterprises and financial institutions. Distribution is direct: field-led advisory partnerships, public free distribution of publications for non-commercial use, and engagement with standard-setting bodies such as EU institutions, ISSB, EFRAG, and OECD. The organization is governed by a Board of Trustees chaired since May 2022 by former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Prince Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, with leadership including President and co-founder Caroline Rees and Vice President and co-founder Rachel Davis, who also chairs FIFA's independent Human Rights Advisory Board. Shift does not have venture or private equity backing and operates as an independent mission-driven entity.

Name

Shift Project

Legal name

Shift Project Ltd.

Website

https://shiftproject.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Shift Project is a US 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 2011 that serves as the leading center of expertise on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, advising governments, companies, financial institutions, sports bodies, and civil society on human rights due diligence, reporting, and remedy through frameworks, tools, and tailored advisory engagements.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Human Rights Advisory and Consulting

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Minority, Indigenous & Disability Rights (BPADAGAH)

Keywords

• Human rights advisory
• Business due diligence
• Sustainability consulting
• Corporate responsibility
• Human rights reporting

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: Shift is a US-registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that operates primarily through donations and grants from foundations, governments, and other funders.
2. Advisory Services: Shift provides advisory support to businesses, governments, and other stakeholders, though they differ from consultancies by ensuring projects align with their mission and building partner capacity rather than doing work for them.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Shift Project is a non-profit center of expertise that helps governments, companies, financial institutions, and civil society embed respect for human rights into laws, policies, and business practice in line with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. It delivers advisory partnerships, the Business Learning Program, frameworks (including the UN Guiding Principles Reporting Framework and Valuing Respect), and tools such as the Living Wage Accounting Model, alongside sector-specific guidance on human rights due diligence and remedy.

Product overview

Shift Project is a mission-driven non-profit organization (not a software product company) that serves as the leading center of expertise on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Their offerings consist of advisory services, frameworks, publications, and tools rather than traditional software products. Key offerings include: Valuing Respect (a collaborative platform to evaluate corporate human rights performance), the Living Wage Accounting Model and Progress Tool, the UN Guiding Principles Reporting Framework, and various human rights due diligence resources and guidance. They also provide training, capacity building programs, and advisory services to companies, governments, standard setters, financial institutions, and civil society organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Valuing Respect: A flagship collaborative platform launched in 2018 to develop better and more meaningful ways to evaluate corporate human rights performance.
• Financial Institutions Practitioners Circle
• Business Learning Program

Products and services

• Valuing Respect Collaborative platform developed by Shift to research and co-create better and more meaningful ways to evaluate corporate human rights performance, focusing on reconnecting to outcomes for people rather than only policies and processes. Targeted at standard setters, companies, investors, and civil society seeking more meaningful human rights evaluation methods.
• Living Wage Accounting Model and Progress Tool Accounting model developed in partnership with the Capitals Coalition to help companies assess and disclose corporate progress toward achieving living wages. Targeted at companies, investors, and standard setters working on living wage and human rights disclosure.
• UN Guiding Principles Reporting Framework Comprehensive guidance for companies on human rights reporting, laying out 31 questions for companies to answer about how they are managing human rights. Developed by Shift and adopted globally as a basis for corporate human rights disclosure.
• Human Rights Due Diligence Resources and Guidance Practical guidance, frameworks, and tools to help companies implement human rights due diligence in line with the UN Guiding Principles, including sector-specific guidance and training materials. Targeted at companies, governments, financial institutions, and civil society organizations.
• Business Learning Program Program offering workshops and capacity-building for businesses on human rights due diligence aligned with the UNGPs, led by Shift's Business Learning Program Director David Vermijs. Targeted at companies seeking to build internal capacity to operationalize the UNGPs.
• Financial Institutions Practitioners Circle A practitioner-focused space for banks and export credit agencies to discuss common human rights challenges and co-create solutions, convened by Shift. Targeted at financial institutions seeking peer engagement and guidance on UNGPs implementation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Shift has worked with partners across all continents, including major global companies, financial institutions, governments, and sports bodies
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments7 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

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Business and Human Rights CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Collaborated with BHRRC along with other organizations to build consensus around Just Transition metrics that assess the 'justness' of climate transition.
• Business for Social ResponsibilitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Collaborated with BSR along with other organizations to develop sector-agnostic metrics for just transition assessment.
• World Benchmarking AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Partnered in the development of consensus around Just Transition metrics for assessing corporate climate transition impacts on people.
• World Business Council for Sustainable DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Collaborated with WBCSD alongside other organizations to create metrics for assessing the social dimensions of climate transition.
• LSE Just Transition Finance LabcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Partnered in developing quantitative metrics for measuring just transition outcomes, bringing academic rigor to the framework.
• Council for Inclusive CapitalismcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Collaborated on development of Just Transition metrics aligned with inclusive capitalism principles.
• United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human RightscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerShift works closely with OHCHR on interpretation and implementation of the UN Guiding Principles. OHCHR published the official Interpretive Guide on the corporate responsibility to respect human rights with Shift's support.
• International Olympic CommitteeflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerShift, through its Vice President's role as Chair of FIFA's independent Human Rights Advisory Board and collaboration with former UN Human Rights Chief Prince Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, provides strategic recommendations on human rights to the IOC.
• FIFAflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerShift's Vice President serves as Chair of FIFA's independent Human Rights Advisory Board. Shift provided recommendations on human rights strategy for FIFA, including addressing risks to migrant workers connected to the FIFA World Cup.
• OxfamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with Oxfam and UN Global Compact Local Networks to develop guidance on the responsibility to respect human rights in multiple countries including Mexico, Turkey, and Indonesia.
• UN Global CompactcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with UN Global Compact Local Networks to develop guidance on business and human rights responsibility across multiple geographies.
• Mazars LLPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on ungpreporting.org and joint development of assurance guidance for internal auditors and external assurance practitioners to assess companies' human rights performance and reporting.
• International Council on Mining and MetalscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConducted country-level stakeholder engagement in Peru to inform ICMM's updated guidance on grievance mechanisms for its members.
• CDC GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK's development finance institution partnered with Shift to build capacity of private equity managers and businesses in North Africa and Ethiopia to prevent and address human rights risks.
• Equator Principles AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerShift partnered with EPA's Working Group on development of due diligence tools to enhance access to grievance mechanisms and enable effective remedy in project finance transactions.
• Export Development CanadacoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSupported Export Development Canada to strengthen its work on human rights at both strategic and operational levels.
• Thai Government Pension FundcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCollaborated with Thai Government Pension Fund on capacity-building workshop on UN Guiding Principles.
• Finnish Presidency of the Council of the EUflagshipImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSupported the Finnish Presidency in convening a flagship conference in 2019 on the UNGPs and developing an Agenda for Action at EU level.
• UK Equality and Human Rights CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloped a five-step guide with the Commission to help UK board directors show leadership in ensuring businesses fulfill their responsibility to respect human rights.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Environmental Resources Management (ERM): Global sustainability consultancy running a dedicated human rights practice (Shift Senior Advisor Francesca de Meillac previously led ERM's UK human rights team); competes for corporate human rights due diligence mandates at greater scale.
• Ernst & Young (EY) Sustainability Services: Big Four advisory practice offering human rights and ESG due diligence services to corporates and financial institutions; broader and better-resourced than Shift, competing for similar mandates (Shift's Financial Institutions Lead previously founded EY's Human Rights Network).
• Mazars LLP: International audit and advisory firm partnering with Shift on ungpreporting.org and human rights assurance guidance; broader assurance capability but overlapping on human rights reporting and audit work.

Direct peers

• BSR (Business for Social Responsibility): Global nonprofit consultancy advising companies on human rights, sustainability, and ESG; overlaps directly with Shift on UNGPs implementation, human rights due diligence, and Just Transition work where they co-developed the Just Transition metrics.
• Institute for Human Rights and Business (IHRB): International nonprofit focused on business and human rights, advising companies, governments, and investors on UNGPs implementation; closest comparable to Shift in mission, scale, and global footprint.
• Danish Institute for Human Rights (DIHR): National human rights institution that runs a major Human Rights and Business programme, providing tools, guidance, and assessment services on business respect for human rights comparable to Shift's offerings.
• International Corporate Accountability Roundtable (ICAR): Civil society coalition focused on ensuring corporate accountability for human rights abuses, working on mandatory due diligence legislation and corporate policy advocacy alongside Shift's standard-setter engagement.

Emerging players

• Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI): UK-based alliance of companies, trade unions, and NGOs promoting workers' rights in supply chains; overlaps with Shift on supply chain human rights due diligence and worker voice (Shift's Senior Advisor Francesca de Meillac previously worked at ETI).
• World Benchmarking Alliance (WBA): Nonprofit that publishes corporate human rights benchmarks (e.g., Corporate Human Rights Benchmark); complements Shift's work by translating UNGPs into public corporate rankings and collaborated on Just Transition metrics.

Others

• Business and Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC): Independent NGO operating a global hub tracking over 9,000 companies' human rights records; collaborates with Shift on Just Transition metrics and functions as an information infrastructure layer rather than direct advisory competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/shiftproject
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shift-project
• Xx.com/shiftproject

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Shift Project