EMB Group
EMB Group is a UK-based, Chamber of Commerce-owned public sector consultancy delivering grant management, research and insight, and certification services to government departments, agencies and local authorities through specialist brands and its proprietary Diligenz platform.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersLeicester, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What EMB Group does
EMB Group (EMB-Group Limited, company number 07087597) is a privately held, profit-for-purpose UK public sector consultancy headquartered in Leicester, founded in 2005 by Stephen Smith with backing from three local Chambers of Commerce who remain its shareholders. Operating across offices in Leicester, York and Cannock with a stated headcount of 101-250, the group delivers three integrated capability streams to public sector clients: consulting and strategic advisory, transaction and grant management, and research and insight. Transaction management is delivered through the proprietary Diligenz grant management platform, configured to handle application processing, MI dashboards, online customer satisfaction monitoring and BACS payment workflows — deployed at scale on schemes such as DCMS's Listed Places of Worship and Memorial Grant programmes (combined £42.5m annual budget, ~7,000 applications per year, £18m+ paid out since August 2022) and the University of Nottingham's N2 Business Growth Programme (£4m+ awarded, 500 jobs created). Research and insight is delivered through a house-of-brands architecture including Blue Marble Research (environmental/sustainability), Pye Tait Consulting (evaluation, labour market intelligence, policy), and Qa Research (qualitative, quantitative, hard-to-reach audiences), with the research division scaling to 60+ people after the 2024 acquisitions. Certification services are provided through wholly-owned subsidiaries ACM Limited and CCAS, both holding UKAS accreditation for ISO 9001, 14001, 27001, 45001 and 50001 standards across 20+ international markets. Revenue is generated through competitive tendering with government departments, agencies, local authorities and growth hubs, typically on multi-year contracts; ACM operates in more than 20 international markets through certification fees. The group holds ISO 27001:2013, Cyber Essentials Plus, Living Wage Employer and Living Pension Employer credentials and is recognised as one of the UK government's Top 100 SME suppliers. Leadership comprises CEO Danielle Gillett (appointed 2018), Chairman David Williams MBE, COO Phoebe Edwards (founding director), and managing directors of each acquired brand.
EMB Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- EMB Group
- Legal name
- EMB-Group Limited
- Website
- https://emb-group.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- EMB Group is a UK-based, Chamber of Commerce-owned public sector consultancy delivering grant management, research and insight, and certification services to government departments, agencies and local authorities through specialist brands and its proprietary Diligenz platform.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
EMB Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Public Sector Consulting
- NAICS
- Management Consulting Services (54161), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Research Administration & Grants Management Support (Pre/Post-Award, Compliance) (EDAEALAO)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Research Administration & Compliance (Sponsored Programs, IRB/REB) (EDADAKAH), Research Grants, Fellowships & Stipends (International) (EDAIAOAJ)
Keywords
Where EMB Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Leicester
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
EMB Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Consulting and Advisory Services: Strategic consulting services providing clear, pragmatic advice to clients. Results in better strategic direction and manageable routes forward for clients.
- Transaction Management: Grant and transaction processing services including application processing, grant awards, claims processing and payment distribution.
- Research and Insight Services: Market and social research services including qualitative and quantitative research, evaluation, and consultation analysis across multiple sectors including government, utilities, FMCG and not-for-profit.
- Certification Services: UKAS accredited certification services for ISO standards including ISO9001, ISO 14001, ISO 27001, ISO 45001, ISO 50001 and OHSAS 18001 delivered through ACM Limited and CCAS.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom government contracts |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
EMB Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
EMB Group delivers public sector consulting, grant administration and research services to UK government departments, agencies and local authorities. Through its Diligenz platform it processes approximately 7,000 grant applications per year, while its research brands provide qualitative, quantitative and evaluation services. Certification services against ISO standards and Security Industry schemes are delivered via UKAS-accredited bodies ACM Limited and CCAS.
Product overview
EMB Group is a family of research and consultancy brands serving the public sector. The core offering is organized around three capability areas: Consulting (strategic advice and programme design), Transaction Management (grant processing via the Diligenz platform), and Insight (research services). The product portfolio includes five brands: EMB (core holding company), Blue Marble Research (market/social research with sustainability focus), Pye Tait Consulting (evaluation, policy and labour market intelligence), Qa Research (qualitative, quantitative and data collection), and ACM/CCAS (ISO certification services). All acquired brands operate as standalone entities under the EMB umbrella while sharing infrastructure.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- EMB: Core brand providing consulting, transaction management, and insight services to public sector clients since 2005.
- Blue Marble Research
- Pye Tait Consulting
- Qa Research
Products and services
- EMB Consulting and Transaction Management Services
- Diligenz Grant Management Platform
- Blue Marble Research
- Pye Tait Consulting
- Qa Research
- ACM Limited ISO Certification Services
- Chamber Certification Assessment Services (CCAS)
Quantifiable outcome
- 500 jobs created through business growth programmes
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use EMB Group
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
EMB Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
EMB Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Geldards LLPcoreGeldards provided corporate legal advice to EMB Group on the acquisitions of Blue Marble Research and Qa Research in 2024, supporting the strategic growth of EMB's research capabilities.
- NatWestminorNatWest is listed as a business partner of EMB Group, providing banking services to the company.
- BDOminorBDO is listed as a business partner providing accountancy services to EMB Group.
- HiscoxminorHiscox is listed as a business partner providing insurance services to EMB Group.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
EMB Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Kantar Public: Kantar Public is one of the UK's largest dedicated public-sector and social research agencies, working with central and local government on policy evaluation and citizen insight — directly comparable to EMB's Blue Marble, Pye Tait, and Qa Research brands.
- Savanta: Savanta (which absorbed ComRes) provides public sector, political, and policy research for UK government and major brands — directly comparable to EMB's research division, and notably the former employer of EMB's Tom Clarkson.
- IFF Research: IFF Research is a UK social and market research firm serving central government, regulators, and the third sector on evaluation and labour market intelligence — closely comparable to Pye Tait's evaluation and labour market work.
- Yonder Consulting: Yonder is a UK public-affairs and social research consultancy working with government, regulators, and the third sector — directly comparable to EMB's research division in client base and methodology.
- NatCen Social Research: NatCen is the UK's largest independent social research charity, commissioned by government and arm's-length bodies for large-scale social surveys and policy evaluation — overlapping with EMB's public sector research and evaluation work.
- Ipsos Public Affairs (Ipsos UK): Ipsos Public Affairs delivers large-scale social, political, and policy research for UK government departments, regulators, and public bodies — overlapping directly with EMB's research and insight work for DCMS, DfE, Defra, and the Legal Services Board.
- BritainThinks (Thinks): Thinks is a UK social and public-affairs research consultancy serving government departments and the third sector — directly comparable to EMB's research brands and a former employer of EMB MD Tom Clarkson.
Emerging players
- Revealing Reality: Revealing Reality is a UK research and design agency working with government and the public sector on qualitative and ethnographic research — a smaller, specialist competitor comparable to EMB's Qa Research qualitative work.
Broad incumbents
- BDO UK LLP: BDO is a major UK professional services firm providing advisory, research, and consulting to government and the public sector — a broader incumbent overlapping with EMB's consulting and research capabilities.
- ICF International (UK): ICF is a large global consultancy with a significant UK public-sector practice spanning research, evaluation, and programme delivery — a broader incumbent that competes for the same government framework contracts as EMB.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
EMB Group social profiles
Digital presenceEMB Group compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance10 records
EMB Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
EMB Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
EMB Group subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries6 records
EMB Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
EMB Group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A2 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about EMB Group
What does EMB Group do?
EMB Group delivers public sector consulting, grant administration and research services to UK government departments, agencies and local authorities. Through its Diligenz platform it processes approximately 7,000 grant applications per year, while its research brands provide qualitative, quantitative and evaluation services. Certification services against ISO standards and Security Industry schemes are delivered via UKAS-accredited bodies ACM Limited and CCAS.
Is EMB Group a public or private company?
EMB Group is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was EMB Group founded?
EMB Group was founded in 2005. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is EMB Group based?
EMB Group is headquartered in Leicester, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does EMB Group make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Consulting and Advisory Services are the primary driver. The others are transaction Management, research and Insight Services and certification Services.
Who are EMB Group's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Kantar Public, Savanta, IFF Research, Yonder Consulting, NatCen Social Research, Ipsos Public Affairs (Ipsos UK) and BritainThinks (Thinks). Revealing Reality is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are BDO UK LLP and ICF International (UK).
Does EMB Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for EMB Group.
What industry is EMB Group in?
EMB Group's product category is Public Sector Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAEALAO, Research Administration & Grants Management Support (Pre/Post-Award, Compliance), with a secondary code of EDADAKAH, Research Administration & Compliance (Sponsored Programs, IRB/REB). Its NAICS code is 54161 and its SIC code is 8742.