Policy and Economic Research Council

What Policy and Economic Research Council does

PERC is an independent nonprofit research organization founded in 2002 and headquartered in Durham, North Carolina, focused on driving financial inclusion through the use of alternative data in credit reporting. The organization conducts original research, develops policy solutions, and advocates for regulatory frameworks that permit non-financial providers (telecoms, utilities, property managers, agricultural cooperatives) to share customer payment data with lenders for credit underwriting. PERC operates through three wholly-owned subsidiaries — the Alternative Data Institute (ADI, launched 2013), the Financial Inclusion Solutions Center (FISC), and the Asia Pacific Credit Coalition (APCC) — alongside three programmatic initiatives: Information Led Development (ILD), Economic Development Metrics (EDM), and Financial Identity Risk Management (FIRM).

The organization's core technology centers on alternative data solutions for credit reporting and financial identity, supported by quantitative analysis of large credit datasets, including studies of 5 million U.S. credit records and 1.8 million Australian credit records in collaboration with Dun & Bradstreet. Its research outputs have been cited by Congress during Fair Credit Reporting Act reauthorization and have been published through the Alternative Data Initiative, which has assembled 60+ organizational supporters including the three major U.S. credit reporting agencies (Experian, TransUnion, Dun & Bradstreet), banks (BMO Harris, U.S. Bancorp, Sunrise Banks), fintech and policy partners (CFSI, CFED, Credit Builders Alliance, CRIF Lending Solutions), and international bodies such as the OECD.

PERC generates revenue through research and advisory services funded by industry supporters, grants, and publication partnerships; no public pricing is disclosed. Its go-to-market is policy-engagement driven, with primary distribution through direct legislator/regulator engagement, free research publications, and regional coalitions. The organization employs 1–10 people and operates from a U.S. headquarters in Durham, NC, plus a regional Asia-Pacific office in Melbourne, Australia serving the APCC subsidiary.

Name

Policy and Economic Research Council

Legal name

Policy and Economic Research Council

Website

https://perc.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Policy and Economic Research Council (PERC) is an independent nonprofit research organization that drives financial inclusion through original research, policy advocacy, and alternative data solutions in credit reporting. It serves legislators, regulators, lenders, and community development organizations worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Financial Inclusion Research and Policy Advocacy

NAICS

Credit Bureaus (561450), Credit Bureaus (56145)

SIC

Services-Consumer Credit Reporting, Collection Agencies (7320)

akta.pro primary industry

Regulatory Change, Governance & Compliance Management (GRC) (FSACAJAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Risk, Controls & Governance (GRC) Platforms (FSAFAOAG)

Keywords

• Financial inclusion research
• Alternative data solutions
• Credit reporting policy
• Economic development analytics
• Financial identity management

Headquarters

HQ city

Durham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Research and Advisory Services: PERC develops information solutions that serve unmet needs through original research, likely funded through supporters, grants, and publication partnerships

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Policy and Economic Research Council (PERC) is an independent nonprofit research organization that produces original research, policy advocacy, and analytic solutions to drive financial inclusion through the use of alternative data in credit underwriting. It operates three subsidiaries (Alternative Data Institute, Financial Inclusion Solutions Center, Asia Pacific Credit Coalition) and three programs (Information Led Development, Economic Development Metrics, Financial Identity Risk Management) that deliver evidence-based research, benchmark alternative-data policy options, and engage legislators, regulators, and financial institutions to expand credit access for underserved populations.

Product overview

PERC is a research and policy organization that drives financial inclusion through innovative information solutions. Rather than a unified product platform, PERC operates a portfolio of three subsidiaries (Alternative Data Institute, Financial Inclusion Solutions Center, and Asia Pacific Credit Coalition) and three programmatic initiatives (Information Led Development, Economic Development Metrics, and Financial Identity Risk Management). These entities conduct original research, develop policy solutions, and advocate for the use of alternative data in credit reporting to expand financial access for underserved populations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Information Led Development (ILD): Program focused on using information solutions for economic development challenges
• Economic Development Metrics (EDM)
• Financial Identity Risk Management (FIRM)
• Alternative Data Initiative

Products and services

• Alternative Data Institute (ADI)
• Financial Inclusion Solutions Center (FISC)
• Asia Pacific Credit Coalition (APCC)
• Financial Identity Risk Management (FIRM)
• Economic Development Metrics (EDM)
• Information Led Development (ILD)

Quantifiable outcome

• Research using 5 million credit records demonstrates impacts of credit reporting policies
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ExperiancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor credit reporting agency listed as supporter of the Alternative Data Initiative, collaborating on research into alternative data impacts on credit access
• TransUnion LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor credit reporting agency listed as supporter of the Alternative Data Initiative for advancing comprehensive credit reporting
• Dun & Bradstreet Pty Ltd.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with PERC on joint research analyzing credit data from 1.8 million Australians on impacts of comprehensive credit reporting
• Center for Financial Services Innovation (CFSI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founder of the Alternative Data Initiative (ADI) along with PERC and CFED, working to advance alternative data for financial inclusion
• Corporation for Enterprise Development (CFED)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founder of the Alternative Data Initiative (ADI), collaborating on policy advocacy and research for financial inclusion
• BMO Harris BankminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as supporter of the Alternative Data Initiative, supporting research on alternative data for credit access
• U.S. BancorpminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as supporter of the Alternative Data Initiative
• Sunrise BanksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as supporter of the Alternative Data Initiative
• Credit Builders AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as supporter of the Alternative Data Initiative focused on credit building for underserved consumers
• Association for Enterprise OpportunityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as supporter of the Alternative Data Initiative
• National Association of RealtorsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as supporter of the Alternative Data Initiative
• OECDcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned PERC to write a white paper on the economic value of personal financial data for a roundtable on privacy protection and economic consequences
• Asia-Pacific Credit Coalition (APCC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPERC subsidiary focused on advancing credit reporting reform in the Asia-Pacific region, producing white papers on information sharing and financial inclusion

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Financial Health Network: U.S. nonprofit focused on financial health research, metrics, and advocacy. Highly comparable to PERC as both are research-and-policy nonprofits that produce industry-standard metrics and convene stakeholders around financial inclusion.
• Center for Financial Services Innovation (CFSI): PERC's listed co-founder of the Alternative Data Initiative and a direct collaborator. Operates in the same nonprofit, financial-inclusion research and advocacy space serving policymakers and financial institutions.
• Corporation for Enterprise Development (CFED): Co-founder of PERC's Alternative Data Initiative (now Prosperity Now). Operates as a comparable nonprofit focused on economic opportunity, asset building, and policy research for underserved communities.
• Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA): Nonprofit research organization that runs randomized evaluations on poverty and financial inclusion. Comparable in mission (evidence-driven financial inclusion research) and supporter base (foundations, multilaterals).
• Credit Builders Alliance: Nonprofit focused on credit building for low-income consumers; listed supporter of the Alternative Data Initiative. Operates in the same nonprofit financial-inclusion and credit-reporting advocacy niche as PERC.

Broad incumbents

• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB): U.S. federal regulator with overlapping jurisdiction over credit reporting, alternative data, and fair lending. PERC's research is frequently used by CFPB in rulemaking, making it the most consequential public-sector counterpart.
• Urban Institute: Major economic and social policy think tank with active research on credit reporting, consumer finance, and economic mobility. Broader in scope than PERC but addresses overlapping research questions for policymakers.
• World Bank Group: Multilateral institution that funds and disseminates financial inclusion and credit bureau research globally. PERC's APCC regional work explicitly intersects with World Bank credit-reporting programs in developing markets.
• Brookings Institution: Top-tier economic policy think tank that publishes research on consumer credit, fintech, and financial regulation. Comparable as a research-driven policy influencer, though with a much broader mandate.

Others

• Experian: One of the three major U.S. credit bureaus and a core PERC supporter/partner. Not a research peer per se, but functions as a key ecosystem participant that funds and consumes PERC's alternative-data research output.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/theperc
• Facebookfacebook.com/ThePERC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/policy-and-economic-research-council

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Policy and Economic Research Council