What 3Keel does

3Keel is an evidence-led sustainability consultancy founded in 2013 in Oxfordshire, United Kingdom, that advises large retailers, food and drink manufacturers, agricultural businesses, financial institutions, governments, and NGOs on climate, nature, and supply chain risks. The firm operates four interconnected practice areas: Agriculture & Landscapes, Climate, Nature & Resources, Commodity Supply Chains, and the proprietary Landscape Enterprise Networks (LENs) programme. LENs is a brokered market mechanism that brings together businesses, public bodies, NGOs, farmers and land managers to co-finance regenerative agriculture through a five-step trading cycle aligned with the agricultural calendar, supported by an MRV (Monitoring, Reporting and Verification) programme. By 2025 LENs had committed over £26m to more than 350 farmers across 80,000+ hectares in seven regions and reached a €30m cumulative funding milestone in its fifth year.

3Keel generates revenue primarily through fee-for-service sustainability advisory engagements, delivered on project-based and retainer fee structures negotiated client-by-client. Distribution is direct: senior consultants lead business development through long-standing relationships, embedded secondments (e.g., interim manager placements inside client teams), and the firm's secretariat roles for multiple pre-competitive industry coalitions including the Retail Soy Group, Palm Oil Transparency Coalition, Soy Transparency Coalition, Retailer Cocoa Collaboration, and Sustainable Seafood Coalition. The firm also delivers the COMPASS trader assessment service for forest-risk commodities, a Fisheries and Seafood Risk Assessment Framework, and Climate, Nature & Resources advisory work including science-based targets validation and Scope 3 emissions reduction strategy. Marketing is anchored on thought leadership via published reports, webinars, conference presence (RSPO Roundtable, COP events), and FT Leading Management Consultancy recognition for six consecutive years.

Following acquisition by Fera Science (majority-owned by Bridgepoint) in April 2026, 3Keel operates within a combined group offering laboratory and field science services alongside consulting. The firm continues to be led by Managing Director Simon Miller and operates from offices in Oxfordshire, London and York, with employees also based in Spain and the US. Its 2024 B Corp score was 132.8 (up from 107 in 2020), it holds CMA regulatory approval for the LENs sustainability agreement, and LENs received the King's Award for Enterprise for Innovation in 2026.

Name

3Keel

Legal name

3Keel Group Ltd

Website

https://3keel.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

3Keel is an evidence-led sustainability consultancy founded in 2013 in Oxfordshire, UK, advising retailers, food manufacturers, governments and NGOs on climate, nature, commodity supply chain, and regenerative agriculture risks through bespoke advisory services and the proprietary LENs landscape finance programme.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Hanborough

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Sustainability Advisory and Consultancy Services: 3Keel generates revenue through fee-for-service sustainability consulting engagements with large retailers, food and drink manufacturers,agri-businesses, financial institutions, governments, and NGOs. Engagements include supply chain due diligence, climate strategy, regenerative agriculture advisory, nature and biodiversity assessments, carbon accounting, and regulatory compliance (EUDR, UK Environment Act). The firm operates on project-based and retainer fee structures.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

3Keel is an evidence-led sustainability consultancy that advises organisations on risks and builds resilience across supply chains, food systems, and landscapes. The firm delivers bespoke advisory services in four interconnected practice areas (Agriculture & Landscapes, Climate/Nature/Resources, Commodity Supply Chains, and Landscape Enterprise Networks), provides trader assessments via its COMPASS offering, and serves as secretariat for multiple pre-competitive industry coalitions addressing deforestation and supply chain sustainability.

Product overview

3Keel is an evidence-led sustainability consultancy offering advisory services across four interconnected practice areas: Agriculture & Landscapes, Climate, Nature & Resources, Commodity Supply Chains, and Landscape Enterprise Networks (LENs). The company operates as a unified consultancy rather than a software platform, providing bespoke consulting solutions, industry coordination (serving as Secretariat for coalitions including the Retail Soy Group, Palm Oil Transparency Coalition, and Sustainable Seafood Coalition), and advisory services including trader assessments through its COMPASS offering. Services are delivered by specialist teams with expertise spanning deforestation, climate risk, sustainable commodities, regenerative agriculture, and nature-based solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LENs (Landscape Enterprise Networks): A pioneering programme that brings together businesses, public bodies, NGOs, farmers and land managers to finance and implement initiatives to improve the health, productivity and resilience of landscapes.

Quantifiable outcome

• LENs committed over £26m to more than 350 farmers implementing regenerative practices, covering 80,000+ hectares across 7 regions (2021–2025)
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

28 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Fera SciencecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 April 20263Keel Group was acquired by Fera Science in April 2026. Fera Science is a UK-based provider of science services for food, agriculture and the environment, majority-owned by mid-market investor Bridgepoint since January 2024 and backed by DEFRA. The acquisition combines Fera's laboratory and field services with 3Keel's consulting and advisory practice, advancing Fera's 'Science for Life' mission. The deal was supported by law firm Womble Bond Dickinson.
• UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)coreOthers · 2 March 2026The CMA approved a sustainability agreement for the Landscape Enterprise Networks (LENs) scheme operated by 3Keel, providing regulatory clearance for the collaborative landscape investment model.
• Forth Rivers TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCore delivery partner in LENs Scotland, bringing together local land managers and businesses to deliver regenerative agriculture measures rooted in catchment priorities.
• Scottish Rural College (SRUC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in LENs Scotland, contributing agricultural and rural development expertise to the landscape-scale regenerative programme.
• Tweed ForumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in LENs Scotland, collaborating on the establishment of a LENs in the Borders/Tweed region.
• DiageocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in LENs Scotland, investing in regenerative agriculture and nature-based solutions across Scottish landscapes. Also a founding partner of LENs Yorkshire, investing across nearly 700 hectares of arable land in Yorkshire.
• Perth & Kinross CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in LENs Scotland, contributing local authority investment and alignment with regional policy objectives.
• SSEN DistributionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in LENs Scotland, investing in landscape-scale regenerative practices.
• Nestlé PurinacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding partner of LENs Yorkshire, spearheading the programme alongside 3Keel and Diageo, investing in regenerative agriculture across arable land in the Selby, Thirsk, Vale of York and Goole areas.
• Openfield AgriculturecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBritish farmer-owned co-operative engaged by LENs Yorkshire to connect with farmer networks and facilitate farmer bidding for regenerative agriculture investment.
• Frontier AgriculturecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUK's leading crop production business, engaged by LENs Yorkshire to connect with farmer networks and facilitate participation in regenerative agriculture programmes.
• York and North Yorkshire Combined AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting LENs Yorkshire by looping in local initiatives and organisations to increase the scope and impact of landscape activities.
• Yorkshire WaterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupportive partner of LENs Yorkshire programme, with interests in water quality and catchment management outcomes.
• WWF UKcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner3Keel co-authored the 'Cerrado Soy: Unlocking Investment in Landscapes Through Credible GHG Reporting' report with WWF UK, examining how UK supermarkets can credibly claim emissions reductions from deforestation and conversion-free soy. The report draws on the Responsible Commodities Facility (RCF) pilot scheme.
• Responsible Commodities Facility (RCF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitiative supporting soy farmers in Brazil's Cerrado with financial incentives for maintaining native vegetation and producing deforestation and conversion-free soy. With investment from Tesco, Sainsbury's and Waitrose since 2022, the initiative produced over 480,000 tonnes of DCF soy.
• Retail Soy Group (RSG)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner3Keel provides the secretariat function for the Retail Soy Group, an independent coalition of international retailers working collaboratively on sustainable soy sourcing for animal feed and human food supply chains. The group was formed in 2013 to address a sector-wide gap in sustainable soy.
• Palm Oil Transparency Coalition (POTC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner3Keel has served as secretariat and research partner for the POTC since 2016. POTC is a coalition of businesses working to remove deforestation and exploitation from palm oil supply chains through robust annual importer and trader assessments. 3Keel coordinates the Working Group for Aligning Palm Trader Performance Assessment with CDP and SPOTT.
• Soy Transparency Coalition (STC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner3Keel carries out annual soy trader assessments on behalf of the STC, a coalition of 13 food, drink and retail companies. The assessment benchmarks the performance of major soy traders on deforestation and conversion-free commitments.
• Retailer Cocoa Collaboration (RCC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner3Keel carries out annual trader assessments on behalf of the RCC, a pre-competitive collaboration of 11 UK and EU retailers (including Tesco, Aldi, Sainsbury's) working to drive environmental and social improvements in the cocoa sector.
• Sustainable Seafood Coalition (SSC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner3Keel serves as Secretariat to the Sustainable Seafood Coalition, a forum bringing the UK seafood sector together to jointly improve sourcing and labelling practices in global seafood supply chains.
• Carbon Accounting Alliance (CAA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner3Keel is a founding member of the Carbon Accounting Alliance, a coalition of 35+ organisations (consultancies, software companies, auditors, certifying bodies) that measure and report greenhouse gas emissions for more than 23,000 organisations. The CAA campaigns for sector professionalisation and regulatory standards.
• Green Web FoundationminorOthers3Keel's digital operations and website are verified by the Green Web Foundation as running on renewable energy.
• MondraminorStrategic or Co-development Partner3Keel closely supports Mondra in developing its software platform for scaled product carbon footprints. The BRC Mondra Coalition launched with most major UK supermarkets participating, with quarterly coalition meetings chaired by 3Keel's founding Partner Simon Miller.
• BeanMeals (Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner3Keel is a project partner for BeanMeals, an Oxford University research project investigating how to enable innovations in the UK agri-food system to make UK-grown beans a profitable ingredient. 3Keel consultants authored the 'Enhancing the Missing Middle' report on scaling the UK bean value chain.
• Accountability Framework initiative (AFi)minorOthers3Keel's Retail Soy Group model policy is aligned with the latest AFi guidance. The firm participated in the Working Group for Aligning Palm Trader Performance Assessment that built on the AFi's Common Methodology.
• Working Group for Aligning Palm Trader Performance AssessmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLed by 3Keel, this working group includes CDP, SPOTT, Proforest, WWF, Sime Darby Plantation, Cargill Edible Oils Europe, and Transitions. It created an aligned set of assessment questions based on the AFi Common Methodology, to be used by all organisations from 2024.
• British Retail Consortium (BRC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner3Keel developed the BRC Climate Roadmap with UK retail industry, following similar work on the BRC's Net Zero Handbook. The firm also tracks UK retail's net zero progress for the BRC through annual assessments.
• Conservation InternationalminorStrategic or Co-development Partner3Keel developed a framework for insetting with Conservation International to unlock corporate climate action, helping organisations implement nature-based solutions within their own value chains.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• South Pole: Climate and sustainability solutions provider delivering advisory, carbon credit origination and supply chain sustainability services to corporates. Comparable to 3Keel in combining advisory with proprietary nature/carbon mechanisms, and overlapping in food and commodity value-chain work.
• Carbon Trust: International climate and sustainability consultancy advising businesses and governments on decarbonisation, supply chain emissions and nature. Closely comparable to 3Keel's Climate, Nature & Resources practice and its work convening cross-industry coalitions and standards.
• Anthesis Group: Global sustainability consultancy focused on supply chain sustainability, climate strategy and nature/biodiversity advisory for major corporates. Closest direct peer to 3Keel by service mix, client base (food retail, FMCG) and use of proprietary frameworks for sustainability transformation.
• Eunomia Research & Consulting: UK-based environmental consultancy working on circular economy, resource management and sustainability strategy for public and private sector clients. Comparable to 3Keel in evidence-led, mission-driven sustainability advisory with strong UK policy links.
• Proforest: Specialist consultancy on responsible production and sourcing of agricultural commodities (palm oil, soy, cocoa, beef). Highly comparable to 3Keel's commodity supply chain work, including participation in the same palm trader assessment working group and Accountability Framework initiative (AFi) alignment.
• EcoAct (Schneider Electric): Carbon and climate strategy consultancy (now part of Schneider Electric) supporting corporates on net zero, Scope 3 emissions and SBTi. Comparable to 3Keel's climate advisory, scope 3 emissions reduction and SBTi validation work for food and retail clients.
• Quantis: Sustainability and climate strategy consultancy delivering carbon footprinting, SBTi support and supply-chain advisory to FMCG and retail clients. Comparable to 3Keel in specialist sustainability advisory, particularly around carbon accounting and target-setting.

Broad incumbents

• SLR Consulting: Global environmental and sustainability advisory with deep agricultural, land management and supply chain capabilities. Comparable to 3Keel's Agriculture & Landscapes and Commodity Supply Chains practices, but operating at significantly larger scale across more geographies.
• Bureau Veritas: Global testing, inspection and certification company with growing sustainability and supply chain assurance services. Comparable to 3Keel in providing third-party verification of supply chain sustainability and due-diligence claims, but at vastly larger scale as a public-listed incumbent.
• ERM (Environmental Resources Management): One of the largest global environmental and sustainability consultancies, offering climate, nature, supply chain and due-diligence advisory overlapping with 3Keel's practice areas, but at much greater scale and broader geographic coverage.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/3339803
• Xx.com/3KeelLLP

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 3Keel