MASS

What MASS does

MASS LBP is a Toronto-based public engagement consultancy founded in 2007 by Peter MacLeod that designs and facilitates deliberative-democracy processes for governments and public institutions in Canada. Its core offerings are Citizens' Assemblies, Reference Panels, and Civic Lotteries — structured methodologies based on sortition (random selection) that convene representative groups of citizens to examine policy issues, deliberate, and produce consensus recommendations for public authorities. Supporting services include Civic Challenges, Service Ballots (planned for 2026 municipal pilots), Barn-raising, Social Alumni, the Democratic Fitness Program (originally developed in Denmark), and a "Working with the Public" online course, plus royalty-free guides and reports to professionalize the broader field.

The firm's revenue model is professional services on project-based contracts won through direct enterprise engagement with government agencies, responding to tenders and leveraging referral relationships with existing public-sector clients. Since 2008, MASS has delivered more than 50 Citizens' Assemblies and Reference Panels and 200+ major policy projects across federal, provincial, and municipal levels; sent over 300,000 civic lottery invitations reaching approximately 1 in 38 Canadian households; and supported 3,000+ volunteers contributing 71,000 hours of policy work. A prior diversification attempt — the Wagemark wage-ratio certification initiative, funded by the Metcalf and Atkinson Foundations in 2012 — was discontinued in 2013 after failing to develop a viable business model.

The company operates with 1-10 employees led by Principal Peter MacLeod and Directors Chris Ellis, Jasmin Kay, and Richard Johnson (Victoria), supported by consultants and associates. Geographic focus is Canada (Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, plus federal), with international recognition and inquiries from Ireland, France, UK, Scotland, and Belgium. Distribution is exclusively direct enterprise sales; marketing relies on thought leadership, published guides, keynotes, and a 2026 book ("Democracy's Second Act"). The firm is privately held, founder-controlled, with no disclosed funding rounds or institutional investors.

Name

MASS

Legal name

MASS LBP

Website

https://masslbp.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

MASS LBP is a Toronto-based public engagement consultancy founded in 2007 that designs and facilitates Citizens' Assemblies, Reference Panels, and Civic Lotteries for Canadian federal, provincial, and municipal governments and public institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Engagement Consulting

NAICS

Other General Government Support (921190), Other General Government Support (92119)

akta.pro primary industry

Think Tanks, Policy Research & Public Policy Institutes (BPAGAFAO)

Keywords

• Deliberative democracy services
• Public engagement consulting
• Citizens assembly design
• Civic lottery facilitation
• Government consultation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

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

Revenue model

1. Government Consulting Services: MASS LBP provides consulting services to government agencies, public sector organizations, and civil society groups. They charge for facilitating Citizens' Assemblies, Reference Panels, civic lotteries, strategic planning, and other public engagement processes. Revenue is generated through project-based contracts with public institutions.
2. Wagemark Certification: Wagemark certification costs $200 per year for organizations meeting the 8:1 wage ratio standard. This includes use of the Wagemark logo, appearance on the global registry, and promotional materials. While the Wagemark initiative was discontinued in 2013, it generated revenue through certification fees during its active period.
3. Training and Education Programs: MASS offers the Working with the Public online course taught over Zoom to up to 12 participants, and the Democracy Fitness Program delivered by certified trainers. These educational offerings provide another revenue stream.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

MASS LBP is a public engagement consultancy that designs and facilitates deliberative democracy processes for government and public sector clients. Their core offerings include Citizens' Assemblies, Reference Panels, and Civic Lotteries—structured methodologies that convene randomly selected representative groups of citizens to deliberate on policy issues and produce consensus recommendations. They also offer supporting services including strategic planning, organizational strategy, and public engagement training programs for public sector and non-profit professionals.

Product overview

MASS LBP is a consulting firm offering a portfolio of democratic process services and initiatives. The core offerings include Civic Lotteries, Reference Panels, and Citizens' Assemblies—structured deliberative processes that bring representative groups of randomly selected citizens into policy-making. Supporting these core services are conceptual frameworks like Barn-raising, Social Alumni, D1D2 (Democracy's Second Act), and Civic Challenges. The company also operates the Wagemark initiative, which provides an income certification standard for fair wage ratios, and delivers educational programs including the Democratic Fitness Program and the Working with the Public online course. MASS publishes royalty-free guides and project reports to support the public engagement field.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Civic Lotteries A tool used by governments to convene broadly representative groups of citizen volunteers to tackle public policy challenges, based on the ancient practice of sortition (random selection). MASS has pioneered civic lotteries, cumulatively sending more than 350,000 invitations across Canada.
• Reference Panels Long-form deliberative processes typically involving 36 randomly selected residents who meet over three or more days to examine issues, reach consensus, and draft detailed recommendations for public authorities. Since 2007, more than 1,300 Canadians have served on a Reference Panel.
• Citizens' Assemblies Representative and randomly selected policy juries that have the opportunity to be informed, consider a range of perspectives, and through facilitated dialogue reach consensus recommendations that government or public bodies can use. MASS has delivered more than 50 Citizens' Assemblies since 2008.
• Service Ballots A mechanism to give voters a simple and effective way to volunteer their time to serve on a public board, agency, or commission, and to provide advice to government on specific issues. Work is underway to pilot service ballots in municipalities across Canada in 2026.
• Civic Challenges A framework that governments can use to tap into civic abilities to address major social issues without straining budgets, giving people a sense of purpose. Based on examples like the Groups of Five private sponsorship program for Syrian refugees.
• Wagemark An international income certification standard used by companies, non-profit organizations, and government agencies to certify that the ratio between their highest and lowest earners is competitive and sustainable. Organizations could achieve Wagemark Certification (8:1 or better ratio, $200/year) or Wagemark Registration (free, commitment to transparency).
• Democratic Fitness Program A training program developed in Denmark offering a dynamic way to grow fundamental social capabilities (tools of everyday democracy). In a supportive environment, participants practice essential skills like active listening, productive disagreement, and empathy-building through 30-minute sessions.
• Working with the Public (Online Course) An online course for public sector and non-profit professionals consisting of five 90-minute sessions taught over Zoom, sharing tools for rethinking how to work more effectively with the public and stakeholders. Course includes presentations, discussions, exercises, and office hours.
• Guides and Publications Royalty-free materials including the Civic Lottery Guide, Reference Panel Guide, and various project reports published to support the growing field of public engagement and democratic process design.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 50 Citizens' Assemblies and Reference Panels delivered since 2008
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers18 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• newDemocracy Foundation: Australia-based research and development organization for deliberative democracy, running citizens' juries and assemblies for government. Direct peer using sortition-based methods on government commissions.
• Jefferson Center: Pioneered the Citizens Jury model in the US, designs and facilitates deliberative processes for public agencies. Comparable as a legacy deliberative democracy nonprofit serving government clients.
• Involve: UK charity designing and delivering public deliberation, citizens' assemblies, and participatory processes for governments. Direct peer with overlapping methodology and clientele.
• People Powered: Global hub for participatory democracy programs, supporting governments with civic engagement infrastructure. Directly comparable in target market (governments and public institutions) and service line (deliberative process design).
• Kettering Foundation: US nonprofit research org focused on deliberative democracy and the "National Issues Forums" model. Comparable as a thought-leading nonprofit in democratic process design and civic research.
• Healthy Democracy: US-based nonprofit specializing in Citizens' Initiative Reviews and deliberative democracy processes. Directly comparable as a non-profit consultancy designing sortition-based public engagement for government clients.

Broad incumbents

• International IDEA: Intergovernmental organization supporting democratic governance and electoral processes worldwide. Comparable as a broader institution designing public deliberation frameworks with government partners.
• McKinsey Public Sector Practice: Global management consultancy with a dedicated public sector practice advising governments on policy and citizen engagement. Comparable as a broader incumbent offering overlapping citizen engagement capabilities to government clients.
• Civicus Alliance: Global civil society alliance focused on civic space and citizen participation. Comparable as a broader international organization working at the intersection of civil society and government policy engagement.

Emerging players

• Sortition Foundation: UK nonprofit advocating for and piloting sortition-based citizens' assemblies. Comparable as a smaller emerging player in the same deliberative methodology niche.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/masslbp
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mass-lbp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 MASS