Ecorys

What Ecorys does

Ecorys is an international research-based consultancy headquartered in Rotterdam, Netherlands, with 95+ years of operating history (founded 1929, formerly ECOTEC) and approximately 600 staff. The company delivers professional services to public-sector clients — central and regional governments, European Union institutions, and international organizations including the World Bank and UNICEF — across more than 150 countries. Service delivery is organized around two core offerings: "Advise" (policy formulation, qualitative and quantitative research, impact assessment, cost-benefit analysis, and monitoring/evaluation) and "Support" (technical assistance, secretariat management, training and capacity building, full-cycle grant management, event management, communications campaigns, editorial and creative services, and website/database development), spanning sectors such as climate and energy, transport and mobility, public finance, security and justice, agriculture, health, and education.

Ecorys operates a project-based, contract-driven business model with multi-year engagements procured through EU framework contract lots, direct government tenders, and international organization procurement. Revenue is generated through professional services fees and managed services for programme implementation. Distribution is direct-to-client, leveraging the company's geographic footprint (offices in the Netherlands, UK, Belgium, Poland, Croatia, Spain, and Italy) and consortium leadership on EU evaluation mandates. Pricing is non-public and tailored to institutional procurement requirements. Certifications (ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO/IEC 27001) and Market Research Society membership support credibility in government tenders.

The company is privately held with no disclosed parent, external investors, or funding rounds. Core technology consists of human-delivered research and policy evaluation methodologies rather than software products; digital and editorial services are offered as part of the support portfolio. The ownership structure, revenue figures, and detailed financial performance are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Ecorys

Legal name

Ecorys Group

Website

https://ecorys.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1929

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Ecorys is a privately held international research and consultancy firm headquartered in Rotterdam, Netherlands, with 600+ staff serving governments, EU institutions, and international organizations across 150+ countries through evidence-based advisory, evaluation, and programme management services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Management Consulting

NAICS

Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416), Environmental Consulting Services (54162)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Economic Research, Statistics & Policy Advisory (BPADAMAJ)

Keywords

• Research consultancy services
• Policy evaluation services
• Programme management consulting
• Impact assessment services
• Public sector advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Rotterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Research and Advisory Services: Ecorys generates revenue through providing research, analytical advice, policy formulation, impact assessment, and evaluation services to government clients, EU institutions, and international organizations on a project contract basis.
2. Programme Management Services: Revenue from managing EU-funded programmes, technical assistance projects, and grant management services for public sector clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Ecorys is an international research-based consultancy that delivers research, consulting, programme management, and communications services to public sector and institutional clients. Its work is organized around two core service lines: 'Advise' (research, policy formulation, impact assessment, cost-benefit analysis, monitoring and evaluation) and 'Support' (technical assistance, grant management, capacity building, event design, editorial and creative services, and website/database development). Services are delivered across sectors including climate, transport, security, health, education, regions and cities, and sustainable agriculture.

Product overview

Ecorys is an international research-based consultancy offering a comprehensive portfolio of professional services organized around two core offerings: Advise and Support. The Advise service line encompasses policy formulation and strategy development, qualitative and quantitative research, impact assessment and cost-benefit analysis, and monitoring, evaluation and learning. The Support service line provides technical assistance, secretariat management, training and capacity building, grant management, event design, communications campaigns, editorial and creative services, and website/database development. These services span multiple sectors including climate and energy, public finance and governance, security and justice, transport and mobility, sustainable agriculture, health, education, and regions and cities. The company operates as a services firm rather than a software product platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Advise Research and analytical advisory services for government and institutional clients, including policy formulation and strategy development, qualitative and quantitative research, impact assessment and appraisal, value for money and cost-benefit analysis, and monitoring, evaluation and learning.
• Support Implementation support services covering technical assistance, secretariat set-up and management, training, learning and capacity building, full cycle grant management, event design and management, campaigns and awareness-raising, editorial and creative services, and website and database development.
• Editorial Services Words matter editorial team offering content management, copywriting, editing, proofreading, and creative services including branding, graphics, publications, and audio-visual production for public policy clients.
• Transport, Infrastructure and Mobility Services Economic analysis, research and support services across all transport modes including cost-benefit analysis, investment studies, impact assessments, evaluations, management and communications for ports, corridors, logistics, maritime, blue economy, urban mobility, public transport, aviation and sustainable transport.

Quantifiable outcome

• Work delivered across 150+ countries worldwide
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ecologic InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in consortium for European Commission evaluation work, specifically for the assessment of environmental requirements in CAP Strategic Plans.
• MilieucoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in consortium for European Commission evaluation work, specifically for the assessment of environmental requirements in CAP Strategic Plans.
• Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in consortium for European Commission evaluation work, specifically for the assessment of environmental requirements in CAP Strategic Plans.
• Ricardo Energy & EnvironmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in consortium for European Commission evaluation work, specifically for the assessment of environmental requirements in CAP Strategic Plans.
• The N2K GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in consortium for European Commission evaluation work, specifically for the assessment of environmental requirements in CAP Strategic Plans.
• CowicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in consortium for EU mobility package studies, specifically providing impact assessment support for European Maritime Single Window environment and road infrastructure safety management.
• Grimaldi Studio LegalecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in EU Third Mobility Package impact assessment support study, providing legal expertise alongside Ecorys and Institute of Shipping Economics and Logistics.
• Institute of Shipping Economics and LogisticscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in EU Third Mobility Package impact assessment support study, providing shipping economics expertise alongside Ecorys and Grimaldi Studio Legale.
• IDATEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in European Parliament study on blockchain technology for international trade, investigating distributed ledger technology applications for supply chains and trade facilitation.
• Fraunhofer FOKUScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in European Parliament study on blockchain technology for international trade, contributing technical expertise on distributed ledger technology.
• GrimaldicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in European Parliament study on blockchain technology for international trade, providing trade and logistics expertise.
• Lyongo ArchitectureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on evaluation of cultural heritage protection in Caribbean Netherlands for Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Trinomics: Rotterdam-based consultancy specializing in EU policy evaluation, impact assessment and economic analysis for the European Commission. Closest direct peer to Ecorys on European policy research, with overlapping client base and methodologies.
• VVA Consulting & Management: Milan-based consultancy delivering EU policy evaluation, impact assessment and economic analysis for European institutions. Direct peer competing for similar DG-level framework contracts as Ecorys.
• ICF International: US-headquartered global advisory and digital services firm with a strong EU policy evaluation and climate practice. Direct competitor on European Commission impact assessments and international development evaluations.
• PPMI: Lithuanian policy research and evaluation firm focused on employment, education, social policy and governance for EU institutions. Direct peer competing for similar DG EMPL, DG EAC and DG REGIO study contracts.
• Milieu: Brussels-based environmental law and policy consultancy. Frequent consortium partner with Ecorys on environmental evaluations (e.g., CAP Strategic Plans) and direct competitor for related EU environmental policy lots.
• Ecologic Institute: Berlin-based environmental policy think tank and consultancy. Both a consortium partner with Ecorys on EU evaluations and a competing bidder on environmental policy and climate mandates for the Commission.
• Steward Redqueen: Amsterdam-based consultancy specialized in impact measurement, valuation and cost-benefit analysis. Direct peer on the social cost-benefit analysis work Ecorys delivers for Dutch and EU public sector clients.

Broad incumbents

• Ramboll Management Consulting: Global engineering, design and consultancy group with a sizable EU policy and sustainability practice. Competes with Ecorys on EU framework contracts and offers broader technical consulting alongside policy work.
• Tetra Tech: Global consulting and engineering firm with a large international development practice (formerly Coffey). Competes with Ecorys on World Bank, FCDO and EU-funded development evaluation and technical assistance assignments.
• GHK Consulting (part of ICF): Originally a UK-based EU policy and evaluation firm, now part of ICF. Historical direct competitor to Ecorys on EU employment, education and environment evaluations; illustrates the consolidation pressure on mid-tier EU consultancies.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ecorys
• Xx.com/Ecorys
• Facebookfacebook.com/172753242780124

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Subsidiaries9 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 Ecorys