Voscur
Voscur is the local support and development agency for Bristol's Voluntary, Community & Social Enterprise sector, delivering one-to-one advisory services, training, and convening infrastructure to over 250 charities, community groups, and social enterprises each year.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersBristol, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Voscur does
Voscur is a registered charity (number 1148403) and company limited by guarantee operating as the local support and development agency for Bristol's Voluntary, Community & Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector. Headquartered at Royal Oak House, Bristol, the organisation describes itself as a "charity for charities" and delivers three core functions: one-to-one specialist advisory support on funding, governance, volunteer management, and operations; collaboration and partnership brokerage across public, private, and third sectors; and convening the VCSE sector through Voice and Influence Networks (Communities of Practice, of Place, and for Equalities) to drive systemic change.
The organisation's product surface is service-based rather than technology-based — there is no proprietary software platform, no API, and no AI/ML capability. Core offerings include One-to-One Support (free for members with at least 45 minutes of advice), the VCSE Academy training programme, Voscur Plus bespoke consultancy charged at £700+VAT per full day or £450+VAT per half-day, Social Enterprise Support, Volunteering Support, and a Resources library. Complementary revenue comes from job advertisement listings at £45-£145 per posting and from grant-funded programme delivery through partnerships including the BNSSG VCSE Alliance, Pathfinder, Local Access Programme, Social Economy West, and Social Value Pioneers.
Voscur is led by CEO Rebecca Mear and governed by a Board of Trustees. As a non-profit, any surpluses are reinvested into mission delivery rather than distributed, and ownership rests with trustees as members of the company limited by guarantee. The organisation has been delivering training and consultancy to the VCSE sector for over 25 years and currently serves more than 250 Bristol-based VCSE organisations annually.
Voscur firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Voscur
- Legal name
- Voscur Limited
- Website
- https://voscur.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Voscur is the local support and development agency for Bristol's Voluntary, Community & Social Enterprise sector, delivering one-to-one advisory services, training, and convening infrastructure to over 250 charities, community groups, and social enterprises each year.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Voscur industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Nonprofit Sector Support Services
- NAICS
- Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Capacity Building & Nonprofit Infrastructure Funders (BPAGAKAO)
Keywords
Where Voscur is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bristol
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Voscur business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Fees: Voscur operates a membership model where VCSE sector organisations can become members to access free support services, at least 45 minutes of free advice, and discounted paid services.
- Consultancy Services (Voscur Plus): Bespoke training and consultancy services for the VCSE sector. Rates are £700 + VAT per full day, £450 + VAT per half-day, and £80 per hour for additional hours. Multiple day discounts available.
- Job Advertisement Fees: Charges for posting job advertisements: £45 ex VAT for members, £95 ex VAT for affiliates, £145 ex VAT for non-members. Volunteer role adverts are free for all organisations.
- Grant Funding: As a registered charity, Voscur operates with grant funding to support their core operations and programmes.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Full-day consultancy rate |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Half-day consultancy rate |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Hourly consultancy rate |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Paid job advertisement - members |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Paid job advertisement - affiliates |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Paid job advertisement - non-members |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Volunteer role adverts |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Voscur product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Voscur is the local support and development agency for Bristol's Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector, providing one-to-one specialist advice, training (VCSE Academy), bespoke consultancy (Voscur Plus), social enterprise support, volunteer management support, and facilitating sector networks and Voice and Influence Networks. Core services are delivered free to members and at commercial rates for paid consultancy, with grant funding supporting broader programmes.
Product overview
Voscur is a support and development agency for Bristol's Voluntary, Community & Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector, operating as a charity for charities. The organisation offers a unified portfolio of advisory, training, and networking services rather than a technology product. Core offerings include: One-to-One Support providing free and paid advisory services; VCSE Academy delivering training programs; Voscur Plus offering bespoke consultancy; and comprehensive Resources library. The organisation also facilitates numerous Voice and Influence Networks (Communities of Practice, Communities of Place, Communities for Equalities) and hosts/participates in strategic partnerships including the BNSSG VCSE Alliance, Bristol LGBTQ+ Coalition, Pathfinder, Local Access Programme, Social Economy West Programme, and Social Value Pioneers. Membership provides access to free support and discounted services.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- One-to-One Support Free and paid advisory support service for VCSE organisations, offering at least 45 minutes of free support for members on topics including funding, volunteer management, training, governance, and other operational areas. Delivered to over 250 organisations annually.
- VCSE Academy Learning and training programme for the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise sector, developed by Voscur and often delivered in collaboration with other expert organisations. Covers topics relevant to operating and growing a VCSE organisation.
- Voscur Plus Bespoke training and consultancy service for the VCSE sector covering governance, strategic planning, financial planning, fundraising, volunteer management, equality and diversity, HR, and partnership development. Charged at £700 + VAT per full day, £450 + VAT per half-day, and £80 per hour for additional hours; multiple-day discounts available.
- Social Enterprise Support Advisory services for social enterprises, charities that trade, or organisations looking to start trading, tailored to various sizes and needs.
- Volunteering Support for Organisations Advice and support for volunteer-involving organisations, including resources on volunteer management, digital volunteer management systems, and recruiting and retaining volunteers. Supported 106 unique volunteer managers between November 2024 and October 2025.
- Membership Organisational membership service providing access to free support, training discounts, and exclusive resources for VCSE sector organisations. Members receive at least 45 minutes of free advice per year.
- VCSE Sector Networks Collated directory and facilitated hosting of networks for VCSE sector organisations, including Bristol Voice & Influence Networks, HR Finance and Operations Network, Bristol Charity CEOs Network, Volunteer Organisers' Forum, and over 25 other local networks.
- Bristol LGBTQ+ Coalition Coalition hosted by Voscur that unites grassroots LGBTQ+ groups and charitable organisations across Bristol to strengthen community support and amplify collective voice, in response to a hostile environment for LGBTQ+ people.
- BNSSG VCSE Alliance Collaboration between the BNSSG (Bristol, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire) health and care system and the VCSE sector, hosted by Voscur, providing a single route for the NHS to engage with the community and positioning VCSE organisations for the design and delivery of integrated care.
- Pathfinder Partnership VCSE sector initiative funded by NHS England since 2021 to improve therapeutic provision for adults across the Avon and Somerset Constabulary area who have been raped or sexually assaulted. Led by SARSAS with partners Kinergy, Southmead Project, Womankind, and The Bridge Foundation. Secured £500K recurring funding until 2029.
- Local Access Programme Multi-year programme offering enterprise development services, small grants, and up to £1m of investment to social enterprises in Bristol. Voscur was a delivery partner until the end of March 2025.
- Social Economy West Programme West of England Mayoral Combined Authority initiative providing charities, social enterprises, and co-operatives with coaching, workshops, mentoring, peer networks, and an Accelerator programme.
- Social Value Pioneers Partnership with ARUP, Atkins Realis, Burges Salmon and YTL to improve social value delivery, create a more accessible social value ecosystem for procurement, and develop trusteeship and business engagement opportunities with the VCSE sector.
- Job and Volunteer Advertising Platform Online portal (Aide Portal) for organisations to post and track job and volunteer advertisements. Job adverts are £45 ex VAT for members, £95 ex VAT for affiliates, £145 ex VAT for non-members; volunteer role adverts are free for all organisations.
Quantifiable outcome
- 250+ organisations served annually with support services
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Voscur
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Voscur technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Voscur partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and significant.
- Pathfinder PartnershipcoreVCSE sector initiative funded by NHS England since 2021 to improve therapeutic provision for adults across Avon and Somerset Constabulary area who have been raped or sexually assaulted. Led by SARSAS with partners Kinergy, Southmead Project, Womankind, and Bridge Foundation. Secured £500K recurring funding until 2029.
- Local Access ProgrammemajorMulti-year programme designed to make Bristol's economy more equitable by investing in social enterprises. £3m programme offered enterprise development services, small grants, and up to £1m of investment. Voscur was a delivery partner until end of March 2025.
- BNSSG VCSE AlliancecoreThe VCSE Alliance is a collaboration between BNSSG (Bristol, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire) health and care system and the VCSE sector. Voscur hosts this alliance which aims to enable VCSE sector to work in coordinated way to inform policy, provide NHS with single route to community, and position VCSE for design and delivery of integrated care. Interim Steering Group includes ACFA, Bristol Ageing Better Alliance, Bristol Black Carers, and 16 other organisations.
- Bristol LGBTQ+ CoalitioncoreBristol LGBTQ+ Coalition unites grassroots LGBTQ+ groups and charitable organisations across Bristol to strengthen community support and amplify collective voice. Hosted by Voscur and led by Steering Group of 13 LGBTQ+ community groups and charities. Created in response to increasingly hostile environment for LGBTQ+ people.
- Social Economy West ProgrammemajorWest of England Mayoral Combined Authority initiative supporting social economy organisations. Delivered by Voscur along with 3SG, CVS South Gloucestershire, School for Social Entrepreneurs and BBRC. Provides coaching, workshops, mentoring, peer networks, and Accelerator programme for charities, social enterprises and co-operatives.
- Social Value PioneerssignificantPartnership with ARUP, Atkins Realis, Burges Salmon, and YTL to improve social value delivery and create more impactful outcomes for local communities. Aims to enhance social value processes for procurement, develop business engagement with VCSE sector, and create Social Value Partnership model.
- Communities for Equalities Network (C4E)coreCollaborative initiative between Voscur and Stand Against Racism and Inequality (SARI) to strengthen and amplify voice of equalities organisations across Bristol's VCSE sector. Informed by 2021 'Designing a New Social Reality' report from Black South West Network.
- Bristol Refugee and Asylum Seeker Partnership (BRASP)coreInnovative partnership of 15 Bristol-based organisations working in solidarity with refugees and asylum seekers. Facilitated by Bristol Refugee Rights.
- West of England Rural Network (WERN)significantCo-hosts Community Transport Network with Voscur, meeting regularly with community transport providers across BNSSG area to collaborate, share insight, and work strategically.
- VCSE Sector NetworkscoreVoscur facilitates multiple sector networks including Bristol Voice & Influence Networks (Communities of Practice, of Place, for Equalities), Bristol Charity CEOs Network, Volunteer Organisers' Forum, HR Finance and Operations Network, and 25+ other local networks.
- LocalitysignificantCollaboration with Locality to launch Communities of Place Network - Voice and Influence Network designed to amplify voices of VCSE organisations dedicated to specific neighbourhoods or geographic areas within Bristol.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Voscur competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- NCVO (National Council for Voluntary Organisations):
- Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES): UK think-and-do tank supporting local economic strategies including community wealth building and social enterprise development. Comparable in working with local authorities and VCSEs on equitable economy programmes akin to Voscur's Local Access Programme work.
Direct peers
- Locality: National membership body for community-led organisations in England. Directly comparable to Voscur as a local infrastructure/support agency; Locality actually partners with Voscur on the Communities of Place Network and operates the same member-supported, network-convening model at national scale.
- 3SG: Bristol-based charity and social enterprise support network operating across Bristol, South Gloucestershire and Somerset. Co-delivery partner with Voscur on Social Economy West; offers overlapping membership, training, and VCSE support services.
- CVS South Gloucestershire: Council for Voluntary Service for South Gloucestershire, providing VCSE infrastructure support, training, funding advice and networks. Directly comparable in role, service mix and geography adjacent to Voscur's BNSSG catchment.
Broad incumbents
- NAVCA (National Association for Voluntary and Community Action): UK-wide membership body for local Voluntary and Community Action (VCA) infrastructure organisations. Voscur is effectively a NAVCA member serving the Bristol area, making NAVCA the umbrella incumbent in the same infrastructure category.
Regional players
- School for Social Entrepreneurs: UK charity providing learning, mentoring and accelerator programmes for social entrepreneurs and charities. Co-delivery partner with Voscur on Social Economy West and offers comparable training/accelerator services, but with national rather than single-city focus.
- BBRC (Black South West Network): South West England racial justice network. Co-delivery partner with Voscur on Social Economy West; comparable in providing infrastructure, networks and capacity-building to a sub-segment of the VCSE sector, but focused on Black-led organisations.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Voscur social profiles
Digital presenceVoscur financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Voscur leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Voscur funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Voscur 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 Voscur
What does Voscur do?
Voscur is the local support and development agency for Bristol's Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector, providing one-to-one specialist advice, training (VCSE Academy), bespoke consultancy (Voscur Plus), social enterprise support, volunteer management support, and facilitating sector networks and Voice and Influence Networks. Core services are delivered free to members and at commercial rates for paid consultancy, with grant funding supporting broader programmes.
Is Voscur a public or private company?
Voscur is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Voscur founded?
Voscur was founded in 1999. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Voscur based?
Voscur is headquartered in Bristol, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Voscur make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Membership Fees are the primary driver. The others are consultancy Services (Voscur Plus), job Advertisement Fees and grant Funding.
Who are Voscur's main competitors?
Others on record are NCVO (National Council for Voluntary Organisations) and Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES). Direct peers are Locality, 3SG and CVS South Gloucestershire. NAVCA (National Association for Voluntary and Community Action) is listed as a broad incumbent. Regional players are School for Social Entrepreneurs and BBRC (Black South West Network).
Does Voscur have an API?
No public API is recorded for Voscur.
What industry is Voscur in?
Voscur's product category is Nonprofit Sector Support Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAO, Capacity Building & Nonprofit Infrastructure Funders. Its NAICS code is 813410 and its SIC code is 8300.