Social Research and Demonstration
Social Research and Demonstration Corporation (SRDC) is a Canadian non-profit research organization founded in 1991 that designs and evaluates social programs through randomized controlled trials, behavioral economics, and policy research for federal and provincial governments and non-profits.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1991
- HeadquartersOttawa, Canada
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Social Research and Demonstration does
Social Research and Demonstration Corporation (SRDC) is a Canadian non-profit research organization founded in 1991 and headquartered in Ottawa. The organization was created specifically to develop, field test, and rigorously evaluate new programs, with a stated mission to help policymakers and practitioners identify policies and programs that improve the well-being of all Canadians — with special concern for disadvantaged populations — and to raise the standards of evidence used in assessing those policies. SRDC serves federal and provincial government departments, municipalities, and non-profit organizations, and its research focuses on 12 policy areas including adult learning, post-secondary education, employment, immigration and settlement, health, housing, income security, and social finance.
SRDC's core offering is a portfolio of 12 interconnected research and evaluation capabilities rather than a commercial software product. These include experimentation services built around randomized controlled trials and quasi-experiments; full-spectrum program evaluation and performance measurement; survey design and data management; data sciences applied to survey and administrative datasets; policy research using literature reviews and multi-jurisdictional comparisons; strategic program review; collective impact evaluation; behavioural economics experiments (practiced since 2001); socio-economic impact assessment including social impact bond measurement; health economics evaluation; knowledge mobilization and workshop facilitation; and capacity building. Differentiating technical elements include long-term participant tracking infrastructure, methodological rigor established over 30+ years, and 550+ completed projects.
SRDC operates a professional services revenue model with no commercial product sales. All work is procured through commissioned research contracts and grants from government departments (notably Employment and Social Development Canada, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation), provincial bodies such as the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario, and non-profit partners. Pricing is custom-scoped per project, and revenue is not publicly disclosed. The organization employs between 11 and 50 staff and operates exclusively within Canada, with no disclosed subsidiaries, funding rounds, or ownership changes.
Social Research and Demonstration firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Social Research and Demonstration
- Legal name
- Social Research and Demonstration Corporation
- Website
- https://srdc.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1991
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Social Research and Demonstration Corporation (SRDC) is a Canadian non-profit research organization founded in 1991 that designs and evaluates social programs through randomized controlled trials, behavioral economics, and policy research for federal and provincial governments and non-profits.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Social Research and Demonstration is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ottawa
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Social Research and Demonstration business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Government Research Contracts: SRDC operates as a non-profit research organization that conducts commissioned research, evaluations, and policy analyses primarily for federal and provincial government departments, municipalities, and public organizations. The organization was established in 1991 specifically to develop, field test, and rigorously evaluate new programs. Revenue is generated through project-based contracts and grants rather than commercial product sales.
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Social Research and Demonstration product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SRDC is a non-profit research organization that develops, field tests, and rigorously evaluates social programs through randomized controlled trials, policy experiments, behavioural economics studies, survey design, data sciences, and econometric impact assessments. Its work spans policy areas such as adult learning, employment, income security, immigration and settlement, health, housing, post-secondary education, Indigenous communities, and social finance for government and non-profit clients in Canada. Revenue is earned through commissioned project-based research contracts and grants rather than commercial product sales.
Product overview
Social Research and Demonstration Corporation (SRDC) is a non-profit research organization offering a portfolio of research and evaluation service capabilities rather than a traditional product. SRDC provides 12 interconnected core capabilities including Experimentation, Program Evaluation/Performance Measurement, Survey Design and Data Management, Data Sciences, Policy Research, Strategic Program Review, Collective Impact Evaluation, Behavioural Economics, Socio-Economic Impact Assessment, Health Economics, Knowledge Mobilization/Workshop Facilitation, and Strengthening Capacity. These capabilities work together to help policymakers and practitioners develop, field test, and rigorously evaluate programs that improve the well-being of Canadians.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Experimentation Services Policy experiments for government and non-profit clients that rigorously test innovative program ideas and delivery processes using randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental designs across policy areas including employment, education, health, immigration, and income security.
- Program Evaluation and Performance Measurement Services Full range of program evaluation services covering program design and development, delivery, outcomes, and impact assessment commissioned by federal, provincial, municipal, and non-profit clients.
- Survey Design and Data Management Services Survey design and data management expertise stemming from long-term tracking of participants in large-scale demonstration projects, with attention to sample design, collection tools, data cleaning, and participant privacy.
- Data Sciences Services Analysis of survey and administrative datasets to identify population profiles, behavioural patterns, program outcomes, statistical relationships, and predictive models for evaluation clients.
- Policy Research Services Policy analyses using literature reviews, environmental scans, in-depth interviews, and multi-jurisdictional comparisons to support evidence-based policy development.
- Strategic Program Review Services System-level analyses and reviews examining alignment of government programs with population needs for strategic decision-making by public-sector clients.
- Collective Impact Evaluation Services Evaluation approaches tailored to collaborative and collective impact initiatives with continuous learning integration for cross-sector partnerships.
- Behavioural Economics Services Economic experiments creating controlled settings to study program participants' preferences and behaviour, applied in adult education, labour market information use, and student financial aid since 2001.
- Socio-Economic Impact Assessment Services Economic and socio-economic assessment techniques for social finance interventions and social impact bonds, including cost-benefit analysis and performance measurement frameworks.
- Health Economics Services Economic evaluation of health policies and programs from patient, family, service provider, organization, and health systems perspectives, focusing on equitable access and distribution of health outcomes.
- Knowledge Mobilization and Workshop Facilitation Services Workshop facilitation and knowledge mobilization ensuring findings from SRDC's research and evaluation projects can be put into action by funders, program managers, practitioners, and participants through appropriate media channels.
- Strengthening Capacity Services Capacity-building in service delivery, data development and management, evaluation, analysis, and innovation for partner organizations in the social-policy sector.
Quantifiable outcome
- 12.7 percentage point increase in settlement service usage among newcomers receiving proactive outreach (CANN E-Link project)
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Social Research and Demonstration
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Social Research and Demonstration technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Social Research and Demonstration partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
20 partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Canada Green Building Council (CAGBC)coreCAGBC is leading a project on advancing sustainable buildings workforce in Canada, with SRDC supporting monitoring and impact evaluation across all program components including labour market information, stakeholder engagement, and training resources.
- Comité consultatif des Québécoises et Québécois d'expression anglaise (CCQEA)coreCCQEA sponsors SRDC research on public employment service accessibility for English-speaking Quebecers. SRDC is conducting the evaluation and research to understand barriers faced by this population in accessing employment services.
- MOSAICcoreMOSAIC is leading an employment support project for refugees with lower English proficiency, with SRDC conducting the evaluation to examine program effectiveness and participant outcomes.
- Higher Education Quality Council of OntariocoreHEQCO commissioned SRDC to study entrepreneurship activities among Ontario postsecondary graduates using the Education and Labour Market Longitudinal Platform data.
- Children's Mental Health OntariocoreCHMO engaged SRDC to conduct Phase 2 evaluation of the Provincial Training Initiative including process, outcomes, and economic evaluations.
- British Columbia Non-Profit Housing AssociationcoreBCNPHA engaged SRDC to analyze labour market challenges and workforce development needs of BC's non-profit housing sector, including survey implementation and capacity building recommendations.
- Innovation, Science and Economic Development CanadacoreISED engaged SRDC to estimate socioeconomic impacts of Innovative Solutions Canada through econometric analysis.
- Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium (EMC)coreEMC partnered with SRDC on the Rapid Skills Marketplace project and other manufacturing workforce development initiatives.
- RiipencoreSRDC is working with Riipen to evaluate its Level UP program, an experiential learning marketplace connecting educators, students, and employers.
- S.U.C.C.E.S.S.coreS.U.C.C.E.S.S. piloted the Community Airport Newcomers Network (CANN) E-Link project with SRDC as research and evaluation partner.
- Future Skills CentrecoreFSC engaged SRDC for strategic evaluation and learning support, as well as pay-for-performance research projects.
- Higher Education Quality Council of OntariocoreHEQCO engaged SRDC for the Net Cost of Postsecondary Non-Completion in Ontario project, developing cost-benefit analysis framework.
- Canadian Women's FoundationcoreCWF engaged SRDC to evaluate the Girls' Mental Health Project, which pilots anti-oppressive mental health support training for grantees.
- Inuit Tapiriit KanatamicoreITK engaged SRDC to support the Qanuippitaa National Inuit Health Survey teams in Nunavut and Nunatsiavut through reflective reports and continuous learning processes.
- Mentor CanadacoreSRDC partnered with Mentor Canada to investigate, co-design, and mobilize knowledge about improving access to employment-focused mentoring for young people with racialized identities.
- Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium (EMC)coreEMC partnered with SRDC on developing the next generation of skilled trades workers in advanced manufacturing through a pre-apprenticeship program.
- AchēvcoreAchēv piloted the Skilled Newcomer Training Incentive Bond project with SRDC contracted to design and conduct the evaluation.
- Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia (ISANS)coreISANS co-piloted the Skilled Newcomer Training Incentive Bond project with SRDC contracted to evaluate the pilot.
- SkillPlancoreSkillPlan engaged SRDC to design and implement evaluation framework for the Connecting the Dots project supporting apprentices in construction trades.
- Association Francophone à L'éducation des Services à L'enfance de L'Ontario (AFÉSEO)coreAFÉSEO engaged SRDC to evaluate the Nurturing the Future project testing an intervention for children's socio-emotional competencies development.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Social Research and Demonstration competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Institute for Fiscal Studies: IFS is a UK-based independent microeconomic and fiscal policy research institute. While focused on economics rather than social programs, it shares SRDC's model of rigorous, independent, government-funded policy research with strong quantitative methods.
- MDRC: MDRC is a US-based non-profit social policy research organization that designs, runs, and evaluates randomized controlled trials in education, employment, and income security. It is the closest international analogue to SRDC in mission, methodology, and non-profit structure.
- Public Policy Forum: The Public Policy Forum is a Canadian non-profit dedicated to improving policy outcomes through research and dialogue. It shares SRDC's Canadian policy focus and non-profit status, and engages with similar federal and provincial government stakeholders.
- Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives: CCPA is a Canadian non-profit policy research organization that produces research on economic and social policy issues. It shares SRDC's Canadian policy research focus and non-profit structure, though it operates more as an advocacy think tank than an evaluation specialist.
- The Conference Board of Canada: The Conference Board of Canada is a Canadian non-profit research organization that delivers economic and policy research to government and business. It shares SRDC's Canadian focus, government/non-profit client base, and applied research mandate, though it does not specialize in RCTs.
- Mathematica Policy Research: Mathematica is a US non-profit research organization with deep RCT and program evaluation expertise across health, education, and social programs. It competes for the same federal evaluation mandates and uses the same quasi-experimental toolkit as SRDC.
- Urban Institute: Urban Institute is a US non-profit research organization focused on social and economic policy, conducting program evaluation and policy research for government and philanthropic funders. It overlaps with SRDC in evidence-based social policy evaluation.
Broad incumbents
- RAND Corporation: RAND is a large US non-profit policy research institution conducting work across health, education, labour, and security policy. It overlaps with SRDC on rigorous program evaluation and government-funded research, but at much greater scale and breadth.
- Abt Associates: Abt Associates is a large US-based research and consulting firm with extensive program evaluation and RCT capabilities. It serves federal and provincial governments on social programs similar to SRDC's portfolio, but at greater scale and with broader service offerings including commercial consulting.
- Brookings Institution: Brookings is a major US public policy research organization covering economic and social policy. While it conducts program evaluation research, its primary focus is policy analysis and thought leadership rather than the field-experimental evaluation work that defines SRDC.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Social Research and Demonstration social profiles
Digital presenceSocial Research and Demonstration financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Social Research and Demonstration leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Social Research and Demonstration funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Social Research and Demonstration M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Social Research and Demonstration
What does Social Research and Demonstration do?
SRDC is a non-profit research organization that develops, field tests, and rigorously evaluates social programs through randomized controlled trials, policy experiments, behavioural economics studies, survey design, data sciences, and econometric impact assessments. Its work spans policy areas such as adult learning, employment, income security, immigration and settlement, health, housing, post-secondary education, Indigenous communities, and social finance for government and non-profit clients in Canada. Revenue is earned through commissioned project-based research contracts and grants rather than commercial product sales.
Is Social Research and Demonstration a public or private company?
Social Research and Demonstration is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Social Research and Demonstration founded?
Social Research and Demonstration was founded in 1991. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Social Research and Demonstration based?
Social Research and Demonstration is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Social Research and Demonstration make money?
One revenue line is on record: government Research Contracts.
Who are Social Research and Demonstration's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Institute for Fiscal Studies, MDRC, Public Policy Forum, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, The Conference Board of Canada, Mathematica Policy Research and Urban Institute. Broad incumbents are RAND Corporation, Abt Associates and Brookings Institution.
Does Social Research and Demonstration have an API?
No public API is recorded for Social Research and Demonstration.