Name

Bat Conservation Trust

Legal name

Bat Conservation Trust

Website

https://bats.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Conservation Charity Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

akta.pro primary industry

Wildlife Conservation & Species Protection (BPAGAGAB)

Keywords

• Bat conservation services
• Wildlife habitat protection
• Citizen science monitoring
• Conservation training courses
• Wildlife advocacy charity

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership subscriptions: Individual, Benefactor, Family, Teacher/Youth Leader, Young Batworker's Club, and Life membership tiers ranging from £15/year to £900 one-off payment. Members receive welcome packs, magazines, discounts, and voting rights at AGM.
2. Adopt a Bat: Virtual bat adoption programme at £3.50/month or £42/year, providing welcome packs with cuddly bat keyring, personalised letter, adoption certificate, species leaflet, newsletter, poster, and pin badge.
3. Donations and fundraising: One-off and recurring donations via Direct Debit, credit/debit card, JustGiving, PayPal, CAF, cheque, and payroll giving (GAYE). Includes Gift Aid scheme where UK taxpayers can increase donations by 25%.
4. Training courses: Professional development and training courses for ecologists, tree surgeons, building professionals, volunteers, and bat carers. Includes eLearning, in-house courses, and workshops.
5. Conferences and events: National Bat Conference, regional conferences in England, Scottish and Welsh Bat Conferences, Bat Workers Forum, National Bat Care Conference, BatFest, and various symposia throughout the year.
6. Merchandise and pin badges: Sale of bat-themed gifts, pin badge boxes, and fundraising materials. Includes corporate merchandise opportunities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Bat Conservation Trust is a UK registered charity that protects bats and the landscapes on which they depend. It delivers this through a free National Bat Helpline (handling 14,000+ enquiries a year), the National Bat Monitoring Programme citizen-science dataset (running since 1996), professional training courses for ecologists and building professionals, advocacy with statutory bodies (Natural England, NatureScot, Natural Resources Wales), bat-care and volunteer networks, educational resources (BatChat podcast, photo/sound libraries, leaflets), and a nationwide network of 80+ local bat groups serving nearly 5,000 members.

Product overview

The Bat Conservation Trust operates as a charitable organisation offering a suite of conservation-focused services rather than a unified technology product. Its portfolio comprises the National Bat Helpline providing direct advice (handling 14,000+ annual enquiries), the National Bat Monitoring Programme (NBMP) enabling citizen science-based bat population monitoring since 1996, and BatChat as a podcast content product. Supporting offerings include membership schemes with multiple tiers (Individual through Life memberships), an Adopt a Bat symbolic adoption programme, professional training courses for ecologists and bat workers, and educational resources including photo and sound libraries. The organisation also coordinates conferences, awards programmes, and the Bat Roost Tree Tag conservation scheme. These services function as interconnected programmes that collectively support bat conservation through public engagement, monitoring, education, and professional development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• National Bat Helpline A free phone and email helpline service for householders, building professionals, and the public dealing with bat-related queries, injured bats, bat roosts, and bat crime. Handles over 14,000 enquiries annually and arranges around 790 volunteer bat-roost visits for dwellings and 180 for places of worship each year. Open Monday–Friday 9:30am–4:30pm with an Out of Hours emergency line May–September. Partially funded by Natural England.
• National Bat Monitoring Programme (NBMP) A volunteer-led citizen-science programme running since 1996 that monitors UK bat populations through roost counts, field surveys, waterway surveys, sunset surveys, and hibernation counts. Produces the longest continuous UK bat-population dataset used to inform conservation policy.
• Membership Scheme A tiered membership programme offering Individual (£3.25/month or £39/year), Family (£4/month or £48/year), Teacher/Youth Leader (£2.50/month or £30/year), Young Batworker's Club (£15/year), Benefactor (£7/month or £84/year), and Life (£900 one-off) tiers. Members receive welcome packs, magazines (Bat News and Young Batworker), AGM voting rights, and discounts on training courses.
• Adopt a Bat A symbolic bat-adoption programme priced at £3.50/month or £42/year. Supporters receive a welcome pack with a cuddly Daubenton's bat keyring, personalised welcome letter, adoption certificate, species leaflet, colourful newsletter, poster, pin badge, and the Adopt a Bat Update (twice yearly).
• Training Courses Professional development and training courses delivered by bat ecology and conservation experts. Audience includes ecologists, tree surgeons, building professionals, volunteers, bat carers, and general bat enthusiasts. Delivered via eLearning, in-house courses, and workshops (e.g., Combined Scoping Surveys and Secondary Roost Surveys for Arborists).
• Bat Roost Tree Tag Scheme A scheme allowing woodland managers and landowners to purchase and record Bat Roost Tree Tags to identify and protect trees with bat roosts, raising awareness of bat conservation in woodland management.
• BatChat Podcast The official Bat Conservation Trust podcast featuring discussions about bat conservation, research, and bat-related topics, distributed online via bats.org.uk.
• National Bat Conference (and regional bat conferences/events) An annual conference bringing together bat workers, researchers, volunteers, and professionals to network, update knowledge, and develop skills in bat conservation. Includes English Regional Bat Conferences, Scottish and Welsh Bat Conferences, Bat Workers Forum, National Bat Care Conference, BatFest, Mitigation Masterclass, and Conservation and Technology Conference.
• Publications and Leaflets Educational publications, leaflets, and resources covering bat identification, conservation guidance, and bat-related information for various audiences, distributed via bats.org.uk.
• Bat Photo Library A library of bat photographs available for educational and informational use, hosted on bats.org.uk.
• Bat Sound Library A library of bat echolocation and call recordings for educational and identification purposes, hosted on bats.org.uk.
• Bat Conservation Awards Annual awards programme recognising exceptional individuals in bat conservation, including The Pete Guest Award, The Vincent Weir Scientific Award, and The Kate Barlow Award.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 14,000 enquiries handled annually through National Bat Helpline
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) Chelsea Flower ShowcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026BCT secured its first-ever RHS Chelsea Flower Show garden in 2026 - The Nocturnal Garden - to demonstrate how to create wildlife-friendly gardens supporting bats and nocturnal species.
• Natural EnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment agency providing partial funding for the National Bat Helpline and biodiversity policy work. BCT works with Natural England on promoting bat conservation through policy and advocacy.
• NatureScotcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment agency providing funding for The Scottish Bat Project and Scottish operations. BCT's Scotland office delivers the Scottish Bat Project with funding from NatureScot.
• Natural Resources WalescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWelsh government agency that BCT works alongside for bat conservation in Wales, along with Welsh Government and other environmental NGOs through Wales Environment Link.
• UK Bat Steering GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic coordination group bringing together bat conservation stakeholders to align efforts and resources for UK-wide bat conservation.
• Connecting People and Landscapes in a Changing ClimateminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative project focused on engaging communities with bat conservation in the context of climate change adaptation.
• Working in Partnership for BiodiversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitiative promoting biodiversity integration in planning and development processes.
• Rethink NatureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership among nature conservation organisations working together for greater impact.
• Bats and Churches Partnership ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership focused on managing bat populations in churches and places of worship across England, combining bat conservation with heritage protection.
• Earned Recognition ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject providing frameworks for voluntary compliance and recognition of best practices in bat conservation among businesses.
• Back from the BrinkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation partnership aimed at preventing species extinction, with bats as one of the focus species.
• Nocturnal Garden sponsors and partnersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsors and partners for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026 Nocturnal Garden project, details available on the sponsors and partners page.
• Wales Environment LinkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBCT is a member of Wales Environment Link, working with Welsh Government, Natural Resources Wales, and other environmental NGOs in Wales.
• Welsh GovernmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBCT works alongside Welsh Government on bat conservation initiatives in Wales through projects such as Natur am Byth and Rhyfeddodau Coetir Cymru.
• Species on the EdgeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative project focused on species conservation in Scotland, with bats included in the programme.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The Mammal Society: UK charity dedicated to mammal conservation, research, and monitoring. Comparable in scale and mission to BCT, though broader across all UK mammal species rather than exclusively bats. Shares similar membership/donation funding model.
• Froglife: UK charity for reptile and amphibian conservation. Comparable in scale, structure, and UK operating focus to BCT, with similar community engagement, citizen science, and education programmes.
• Buglife: UK invertebrate conservation charity operating at comparable scale to BCT. Similar community-led GTM, statutory body advocacy, and membership model, though focused on insects rather than bats.
• People's Trust for Endangered Species (PTES): UK charity focused on conserving endangered species and their habitats. Operates at similar scale to BCT with comparable UK-focused conservation, grant-making, and citizen science programmes.
• Bat Conservation International: The leading US-based bat conservation NGO, the direct international counterpart to BCT. Both organizations focus exclusively on bat species protection, citizen science monitoring, and education - BCI operates at greater scale across the Americas while BCT focuses on the UK.
• Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (ARC): UK charity dedicated to reptile and amphibian conservation. Comparable scale, UK-only operating geography, and similar reliance on volunteer networks and statutory body partnerships for conservation delivery.
• Butterfly Conservation: UK charity for butterflies and moths running comparable citizen science monitoring programmes (e.g., Big Butterfly Count) and operating at similar scale to BCT, with analogous UK-focused, volunteer-driven conservation model.

Broad incumbents

• The Woodland Trust: UK's largest woodland conservation charity with over 500,000 members. Directly relevant to BCT's woodland management work (bat roost trees, ash dieback) but operates at much larger scale focused on tree/woodland habitat rather than species.
• Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB): The UK's largest wildlife conservation charity with ~1.1M members. RSPB shares BCT's charitable membership/donation model and government advocacy approach, but operates at vastly greater scale across all bird species and broader UK habitats.
• The Wildlife Trusts: UK umbrella of 46 regional wildlife trusts with combined ~800,000 members. Shares BCT's UK-wide conservation and statutory agency advocacy model, but focuses on land/sea reserves and broader species rather than bat-specific work.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/_bct_
• Facebookfacebook.com/BatConservationTrust
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bat-protection-trust

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 Bat Conservation Trust