GEARS

What GEARS does

GEARS, Inc. (Global Evaluation Applied Research Solutions) is a privately held, founder-owned consulting firm founded in 2002 that delivers program evaluation and applied research services to U.S. federal, state, and local government agencies, foundations, and community-based organizations, with a sector focus on health, education, and training. The firm is co-led by Diane R. Roberts, M.P.A. (President) and Deborah R. Brome, Ph.D. (Executive Vice President), each with 25+ years of domain experience. Headquartered in Lanham, Maryland with a secondary office in Atlanta, Georgia, GEARS operates with 11-50 employees and holds a GSA Schedule contract enabling direct federal procurement.

The company's service portfolio comprises five integrated lines: Program Evaluation (the core offering, featuring a Cultural Competence Integration Framework and national cross-site evaluation expertise), Editorial Services (technical and scientific editing, Reports to Congress, federal committee summaries), Infographic Services (data visualization and animation), Project Management (complex project coordination via web-based project management and data warehousing systems), and Social Media Services (content creation and platform management). The Cultural Competence Integration Framework—systematically embedding cultural principles across research design, protocols, and reporting—is the firm's primary methodological differentiator, particularly relevant for evaluations targeting underserved populations and health disparities.

GEARS generates revenue through professional-services contracts with federal agencies including CDC, the Department of Education, HRSA, HHS-OWH, and FYSB-NCHYF. The go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven, emphasizing a Trusted Advisor positioning. Pricing is contract-based and not publicly disclosed, executed through standard government procurement vehicles including the GSA Schedule. The company is privately held by its two co-founders, with no external investors, subsidiaries, funding rounds, or M&A activity disclosed in the available data.

Name

GEARS

Legal name

GEARS, Inc.

Website

https://getingears.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

GEARS, Inc. is a privately held consulting firm providing program evaluation, editorial, project management, infographic, and social media services to U.S. federal agencies, foundations, and community organizations across health, education, and training sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Lanham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Consulting Contracts: GEARS generates revenue through consulting contracts with federal, state, and local government agencies, providing program evaluation, editorial services, and project management. Revenue is derived from contract-based work with government entities such as CDC, Department of Education, HRSA, and HHS.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

GEARS is a woman-owned professional services firm that delivers program evaluation, editorial services, infographic/data visualization, project management, and social media services. Its client base is concentrated in federal agencies (CDC, Department of Education, HRSA, HHS), state and local government, foundations, and community-based organizations operating in health, education, and training sectors. All engagements are guided by an internally developed Cultural Competence Integration Framework that systematically embeds equity considerations into deliverables.

Product overview

GEARS offers a unified suite of consulting and professional services to government agencies, foundations, and community-based organizations. The portfolio consists of five integrated service lines: Editorial Services (technical/scientific editing and report writing), Infographic Services (data visualization and animation), Program Evaluation (research and applied research with cultural competence), Project Management (complex project coordination via web-based systems), and Social Media Services (content creation and platform management). These services work together to help clients improve programming and services to the public, with an emphasis on health, education, and training sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Editorial Services Editing, copyediting, and plain-language review of reports, manuscripts, and communication materials for federal agencies and nonprofit clients operating health, education, and training programs.
• Infographic Services Design and production of infographics, data visualizations, and graphics that translate evaluation findings and program data into accessible visual communications for federal and nonprofit audiences.
• Program Evaluation Independent evaluation services for federally funded health, education, and training programs, including cross-site evaluation design, implementation, and outcome reporting, delivered through a Cultural Competence Integration Framework.
• Project Management Web-based project management and coordination support for multi-stakeholder federal and nonprofit initiatives, including scheduling, deliverable tracking, and stakeholder communications.
• Social Media Services Social media strategy, content development, and channel management for federal agencies and nonprofits seeking culturally responsive audience engagement in health, education, and training programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Positive experience for evaluation participants and stakeholders

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• 2M Research: Minority-owned federal contractor offering program evaluation, research, and technical assistance to HHS, ED, and DOJ. Comparable to GEARS in scale and targeted federal evaluation engagements.
• Mathematica Policy Research: A major social policy research and program evaluation firm with deep federal agency relationships across HHS, ED, and CDC. Directly comparable to GEARS in offering rigorous program evaluation, data analysis, and applied research under government contracts.
• Westat: Employee-owned research firm delivering evaluation, statistical analysis, and survey research to federal agencies including HHS and ED. Comparable in mission (evidence-based program evaluation for government) and federal-customer focus.
• NORC at the University of Chicago: Nonprofit research organization conducting program evaluation, policy analysis, and survey research for federal health and education agencies. Highly comparable service portfolio and customer base to GEARS.
• Insight Policy Research: Small-to-mid-sized woman-owned research firm providing program evaluation, policy analysis, and technical assistance to federal health agencies. Closest peer to GEARS in size, federal-customer mix, and evaluation methodology focus.
• IMPAQ International (a Mathematica company): Policy research and evaluation firm serving federal agencies with workforce, health, and education programs. Comparable service mix and customer overlap; now operating under the Mathematica umbrella.
• Atlas Research: Mid-size consulting firm providing research, program evaluation, and analytical support to HHS, VA, and other federal health agencies. Overlaps with GEARS in health-policy evaluation and federal contracting.

Broad incumbents

• ICF International: Global consulting and digital services firm with a federal health and education practice that competes directly on program evaluation, training, and technical assistance RFPs issued by CDC, HHS, and ED.
• Abt Associates: Large diversified research and consulting firm providing program evaluation, health survey research, and technical assistance to federal clients. Overlaps with GEARS in federal health and education program evaluation but operates at significantly greater scale.
• RAND Corporation: Large nonprofit research institution conducting program evaluation and applied research for federal health and education clients. Overlaps with GEARS in rigorous public-sector evaluation but at significantly larger scale and brand recognition.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GetInGEARS
• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Global-Evaluation-Applied-Research-Solutions/142095162578712
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gears-inc-?trk=biz-companiescym

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 GEARS