Charities Buying Group
Charities Buying Group is a UK-based buying consortium that helps charities, schools, and non-profits reduce operational costs through a national network of vetted suppliers across 18 service categories, with over 70,000 organisations supported since 2002.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2002
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Charities Buying Group does
Charities Buying Group (legal entity: EBuying Group Ltd) is a UK-based buying consortium founded in 2002 that supports charities, schools, community organisations, and other non-profits in reducing operational expenditure. Headquartered in London, the organisation reports having supported over 70,000 organisations over more than 20 years of operation, channeling member demand to a national network of vetted suppliers across 18 service categories spanning utilities, telecoms, insurance, office supplies, and print services. The group's strategic centre of gravity is its role as a recognised Contracting Authority operating its own procurement framework — most visibly the Multifunctional Print Devices and Associated Digital Solutions Framework — which differentiates it from a price-comparison site or simple referral broker.
The core product surface consists of tiered membership (free basic membership and Platinum Membership at £14.95 per year with a money-back guarantee, member grants up to £10,000, and social-value recognition), supplemented by product sales in mobile handsets via EE and O2 networks, recruitment advertising commission arrangements through CMS, an Event Assistant service, and SVDS (Social Value Delivery Solutions). Underlying technology is a web-based membership and procurement platform; there is no disclosed proprietary AI, data model, or training pipeline. Profits are directed to the National Walking Football Association (NWFA) community programme, which functions as both a profit-distribution vehicle and a community-engagement brand asset.
Revenue mechanics combine low-priced subscription membership, supplier referral and framework commissions, product resale (mobile phones), recruitment advertising commission, and event and SVDS service fees. Go-to-market is direct to UK third-sector buyers via online membership acquisition and partner-supplier channels, with no apparent enterprise sales motion or geographic expansion outside the United Kingdom.
Charities Buying Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Charities Buying Group
- Legal name
- EBuying Group Ltd
- Website
- https://charitiesbuyinggroup.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2002
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Charities Buying Group is a UK-based buying consortium that helps charities, schools, and non-profits reduce operational costs through a national network of vetted suppliers across 18 service categories, with over 70,000 organisations supported since 2002.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Charities Buying Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Non-profit procurement services
- NAICS
- Civic and Social Organizations (8134), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Charitable Giving & Philanthropic Trust Advisory (FSAEAKAH)
Keywords
Where Charities Buying Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Charities Buying Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Platinum Membership Fees: Annual subscription membership at £14.95 per year for non-profit organisations, providing access to savings on utilities, telecoms, and other essential services, plus eligibility for grants up to £10,000 and social value delivery opportunities.
- Product Sales: Sale of telecommunications hardware including mobile phones (Google Pixel, iPhone, Samsung Galaxy) and SIM cards through their e-commerce shop, priced for charities.
- Recruitment Advertising Commission: Partnership with Creative Marketing Services (CMS) for recruitment advertising. CMS earns commission on media bookings but provides free advice and artwork production to members.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Annual | Free basic membership with access to savings on essential services |
| Subscription | Annual | Platinum Membership at £14.95 per year for enhanced benefits |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Telecommunications hardware products with various price points |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Charities Buying Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Charities Buying Group operates a national buying network and membership-based procurement service that helps charities, schools, and non-profit organisations reduce expenditure on essential services such as utilities, telecoms, and insurance through a vetted supplier network of 18 services. The free basic membership provides access to negotiated supplier rates, while the £14.95/year Platinum Membership adds grant funding access up to £10,000, Social Value Delivery participation, and a money-back guarantee. CBG also operates as a Contracting Authority, enabling charities to purchase directly through procurement frameworks.
Product overview
Charities Buying Group operates as a national buying network offering a membership-based platform with 18 services designed to help charities and non-profit organisations reduce essential operational costs. The core offering consists of Platinum Membership (a premium tier at £14.95/year providing grant access, social value recognition, and cost-saving audits) supplemented by specialized service modules including Event Assistant (trade show support), Recruitment Advertising (via Creative Marketing Services), and Fundraising Resources. The recent Multifunctional Print Devices and Associated Digital Solutions Framework enables direct purchasing as a contracting authority. Additional offerings include mobile phone services through EE and O2 networks, and the Walking Football/NWFA community program. The Social Value Delivery Solutions (SVDS) network extends Platinum Members' ability to deliver measurable community impact through public/private sector contracts.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Event Assistant: Trade show support team offering flexible services including logistics, sourcing collateral, admin support, and stand management at a set monthly price.
- NWFA (National Walking Football Alliance)
- SVDS (Social Value Delivery Solutions)
Products and services
- Platinum Membership Premium annual membership priced at £14.95/year for non-profit organisations, providing official Platinum Club status, access to grant opportunities up to £10,000, social value benefactor recognition, free cost-saving audit, and access to multi-million pound grant funds. Includes a money-back guarantee if savings do not exceed the membership fee.
- Free Basic Membership Complimentary membership tier that opens access to the national buying network and supplier savings across 18 services including energy, insurance, telecoms, and tech support for charities, schools, and non-profit organisations.
- Event Assistant Trade show support service providing flexible backend event management including liaison with organisers, stand artwork development, signage production, banner shipment, onsite stand management, and post-event lead form data input for a set monthly price.
- Recruitment Advertising Service Cost-effective recruitment advertising service for charities delivered through partner Creative Marketing Services (CMS), offering media negotiation, artwork production, and brand management without salary-linked fees.
- Multifunctional Print Devices and Associated Digital Solutions Framework Procurement framework allowing charities to purchase multifunctional print devices and digital solutions directly through CBG as a contracting authority, providing compliant purchasing channels for print and office supplies.
- Mobile Phone Services Mobile phones and SIMO plans available through EE and O2 networks including Google Pixel, iPhone, and Samsung Galaxy devices at charity-discounted rates with prices shown exclusive of VAT.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 70,000 organisations supported with cost reduction
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Charities Buying Group
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Charities Buying Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Charities Buying Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- National Walking Football Alliance (NWFA)coreCharities Buying Group operates as a Community Interest Company, directing all profits to the NWFA to support walking football initiatives and community health projects. This partnership enables funding for the walking football community while providing social value benefits to members.
- Creative Marketing Services (CMS)coreCMS provides recruitment advertising services to charity members with 30 years of experience in the sector. They offer free advice and artwork production while earning commission on media bookings, with no salary-linked fees for charities.
- EE NetworkminorEE mobile network partnership providing discounted telecommunications products including Google Pixel phones and SIM cards to charity members.
- O2 NetworkminorO2 mobile network partnership providing discounted telecommunications products including Google Pixel, iPhone, and Samsung devices to charity members.
- SwiftaidminorPartnership to help charities access unclaimed Gift Aid funding, with an estimated £564 million worth of Gift Aid unclaimed by charities every year.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Charities Buying Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Crown Commercial Service: UK government body that provides commercial procurement frameworks and supplier agreements to the public sector and wider economy. A larger incumbent whose framework offerings overlap with CBG's contracting authority activity but on a much broader government-wide scale.
Direct peers
- YPO (Yorkshire Purchasing Organisation): UK public-sector buying consortium providing procurement frameworks across goods and services to schools, local authorities, and public bodies. Directly comparable to CBG as a buying-group model aggregating demand across a defined membership to negotiate supplier terms.
- LUPC (London Universities Purchasing Consortium): Purchasing consortium serving London-based higher education institutions, providing framework agreements and procurement support. Closely comparable to CBG in operating model, focusing on aggregating demand from a defined institutional membership.
- SUPC (Southern Universities Purchasing Consortium): UK higher-education purchasing consortium that negotiates framework agreements for universities and colleges. Operates a structurally similar collective-buying model for a defined membership base, making it directly comparable to CBG's consortium approach.
- ESPO (Eastern Shires Purchasing Organisation): Local authority-owned purchasing organisation supplying a wide range of products and services to the public sector via framework agreements. Operates a similar buying-group/framework model to CBG, with comparable procurement and supplier-negotiation mechanics.
Others
- NCVO (National Council for Voluntary Organisations): Umbrella body for the UK voluntary sector, providing resources, policy representation, and support services to charities. Adjacent rather than directly competitive, but addresses the same charity-sector audience CBG serves with complementary support.
- Charity Finance Group (CFG): Membership organisation supporting charity finance professionals with training, resources, and community. Comparable to CBG as a charity-sector membership body, though focused on finance function support rather than procurement cost reduction.
Regional players
- NHS Supply Chain: National procurement and supply chain function for the English NHS, managing framework agreements and supplier contracts for healthcare providers. Comparable as a sector-specific procurement framework operator, though focused on healthcare rather than charities.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Charities Buying Group social profiles
Digital presenceCharities Buying Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Charities Buying Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Charities Buying Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Charities Buying Group 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 Charities Buying Group
What does Charities Buying Group do?
Charities Buying Group operates a national buying network and membership-based procurement service that helps charities, schools, and non-profit organisations reduce expenditure on essential services such as utilities, telecoms, and insurance through a vetted supplier network of 18 services. The free basic membership provides access to negotiated supplier rates, while the £14.95/year Platinum Membership adds grant funding access up to £10,000, Social Value Delivery participation, and a money-back guarantee. CBG also operates as a Contracting Authority, enabling charities to purchase directly through procurement frameworks.
Is Charities Buying Group a public or private company?
Charities Buying Group is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Charities Buying Group founded?
Charities Buying Group was founded in 2002. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Charities Buying Group based?
Charities Buying Group is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Charities Buying Group make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Platinum Membership Fees are the primary driver. The others are product Sales and recruitment Advertising Commission.
Who are Charities Buying Group's main competitors?
Crown Commercial Service is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are YPO (Yorkshire Purchasing Organisation), LUPC (London Universities Purchasing Consortium), SUPC (Southern Universities Purchasing Consortium) and ESPO (Eastern Shires Purchasing Organisation). Others are NCVO (National Council for Voluntary Organisations) and Charity Finance Group (CFG). NHS Supply Chain is listed as a regional player.
Does Charities Buying Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for Charities Buying Group.
What industry is Charities Buying Group in?
Charities Buying Group's product category is Non-profit procurement services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAE, Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries, with a secondary code of FSAEAKAH, Charitable Giving & Philanthropic Trust Advisory. Its NAICS code is 8134 and its SIC code is 8300.