Community Research

What Community Research does

Community Research Ltd. is a privately held UK boutique market research and consultation agency headquartered in Market Harborough, Leicestershire. Founded in 2008/2009 by Rachel Lopata, the firm specialises in qualitative and deliberative research — including online bulletin boards, mobile ethnography, focus groups, in-depth interviews, and Citizens' Juries / Citizens' Advisory Panels — sold as project-based professional services to UK regulators, utilities, healthcare bodies, consumer protection organisations, and public-sector policy makers. The firm operates a senior-only team model (five permanent employees as of January 2019 plus an associate network), with no junior staff, meaning clients receive principal-level involvement throughout every engagement.

The firm's underlying technology stack is methodological rather than software-platform based: deliberately designed qualitative and deliberative research approaches that combine online and in-person techniques (e.g., asynchronous online forums for geographic flexibility and anonymity, smartphone-based mobile ethnography capturing in-context photos and video, and managed collaborative programmes that bring together lay and professional participants). Operational tooling is limited to standard office, web (Squarespace-hosted site), Mailchimp newsletter distribution, and compliance infrastructure (Cyber Essentials Plus, ICO registration Z1683197, Crown Commercial Service supplier status).

The revenue model is straightforward professional services: project-based consulting fees for qualitative and deliberative research engagements. Customer segments are concentrated in three primary verticals — healthcare and professional regulators (General Medical Council, General Dental Council, General Chiropractic Council, General Osteopathic Council, Professional Standards Authority), water and utility companies (Thames Water, Portsmouth Water, South Staffs Water), and consumer protection / advocacy organisations (Citizens Advice, Consumer Council for Water) — with secondary exposure to communications regulation (Ofcom), food safety (Food Standards Agency), legal services (Legal Services Board), emergency response (British Red Cross), and arts/culture (London First, Arts Council England). Pricing is project-specific and not publicly disclosed; the firm pursues growth through thought leadership (blog, LinkedIn, conference presentations), sector accreditations that unlock public-sector procurement, and consortium partnerships (notably with 2CV Research on the FSA Citizens' Forum) to access larger multi-year programmes than a five-person core team could otherwise deliver.

Name

Community Research

Legal name

Community Research Ltd.

Website

https://communityresearch.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Community Research is a UK boutique qualitative and deliberative research agency serving regulators, water utilities, healthcare bodies, and consumer protection organisations with senior-led project-based services such as Citizens' Juries, Citizens' Advisory Panels, online forums, mobile ethnography, and co-design workshops.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Qualitative Market Research Services

NAICS

Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (541910)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Industry & Sector Research (Syndicated/Custom) (BPAHALAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Policy, Regulatory & Public Affairs Research (BPAHALAF)

Keywords

• Qualitative research services
• Deliberative research methods
• Citizen jury facilitation
• Mobile ethnography research
• Stakeholder engagement consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Market Harborough

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Research and Consultation Services: Project-based consulting fees for qualitative and deliberative research services. Full-service boutique research agency delivering work across sectors including regulation, water, healthcare, consumer protection, and public policy. Projects range from traditional surveys and focus groups to innovative deliberative approaches.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Community Research is a boutique UK-based market research and consultation agency specialising in qualitative and deliberative research. It delivers services such as Citizens' Juries, Citizens' Advisory Panels, online discussion forums, focus groups, in-depth interviews, mobile ethnography, and collaborative co-design workshops to regulators, utility companies, public sector bodies, and consumer advocacy organisations. All client engagements are delivered by a senior-only team, supplemented by a network of specialist associates for larger projects.

Product overview

Community Research is a boutique qualitative and deliberative research agency offering a portfolio of specialised research services rather than a single software product. Its core offerings include deliberative processes (Citizens' Juries, Citizens' Advisory Panels/CAPs, Citizens' Forums), online and face-to-face qualitative research (discussion forums, focus groups, in-depth interviews), mobile ethnography, and collaborative co-design workshops. The company does not develop or sell a software platform; instead, it applies these research methodologies as a service to clients in regulation, public policy, utilities, and healthcare sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Citizens' Jury
• Citizens' Advisory Panel (CAP)
• Online Discussion Forums / Online Qualitative Research
• Face-to-Face Focus Groups and In-Depth Interviews
• Mobile Ethnography
• Collaborative Research / Co-Design Workshops
• Citizens' Forum Research Programmes

Quantifiable outcome

• Research led to Thames Water making specific commitments in their Vulnerability Strategy and five-year business plan to address barriers for vulnerable customers
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and important.

• Food Standards Agency (FSA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 December 2017Appointed in partnership with 2CV Research to deliver FSA's citizens' forum research programme over 18 months. Partnership combines deliberative forum expertise with communications, campaign strategy, and behavior change capabilities. Central to the programme is creation and management of deliberative citizens' forums alongside mobile ethnography, tracking, quali-halls and citizens' panels.
• 2CV ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 December 2017Partnership with 2CV Research to deliver Food Standards Agency citizens' forum programme. 2CV brings expertise in communications and campaign strategy, behaviour change theory and consumer trends. Two agencies provide complementary skills while accessing wider consortium resources.
• Ethnic OpinionsimportantImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSpecialist recruitment partner for research with minoritised ethnic groups. Advised on adapting research to specific ethnic, national and cultural groups. Used networks to recruit participants and provided facilitators who shared ethnic backgrounds with participants. Conducted interviews in participants' first language and contributed cultural knowledge to analysis sessions.
• Market Research SocietycoreOthersFull member of MRS, committed to MRS Code of Conduct. Signed MRS Climate Pledge for net zero commitment. Access to MRS resources, standards, and professional network.
• The Consultation InstituteimportantOthersCommunity Research team members are associates of The Consultation Institute, a not-for-profit best practice institute promoting high-quality public and stakeholder consultation. Access to resources on online engagement techniques, risk management, and COVID-19 consultation guidance.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Revealing Reality: UK research consultancy using ethnographic, qualitative, and behaviour-change methods to serve public-sector and charity clients. Comparable in methodology (ethnography, in-depth qualitative work) and client mix to Community Research's mobile ethnography and deliberative services.
• Hopkins Van Mil: Boutique UK consultancy focused on deliberative engagement, citizens' panels, and qualitative public dialogue. Directly comparable in scale, methodology, and client type to Community Research's Citizens' Jury and Citizens' Advisory Panel work.
• 2CV Research: London-based research agency combining qualitative, quantitative, and behavioural change expertise. Community Research partnered directly with 2CV to deliver the Food Standards Agency Citizens' Forum programme, indicating a closely comparable methodology stack and public-sector client base.
• Jigsaw Research: Mid-sized UK qualitative research agency working across public, private, and third sectors with deliberative and co-design methods. Operates in a comparable size band and methodology mix to Community Research with similar consumer-and-citizen engagement focus.
• BritainThinks: UK insight and engagement agency specialising in qualitative research and public engagement with government, regulators, and charities. Operates in the same deliberative and public-affairs research niche as Community Research with overlapping client segments.
• The Involve Foundation: UK charity and consultancy specialising in deliberative democracy, citizens' assemblies, and public participation design. Highly comparable to Community Research's deliberative and Citizens' Jury offerings, particularly for policy and public-sector clients.

Broad incumbents

• Kantar Public: Public sector and social research practice of Kantar, providing insight to government, regulators, and charities. Overlaps with Community Research on regulator and water utility research, with substantially larger resources and panel infrastructure.
• Ipsos UK (Public Affairs): Public affairs and social research division of global research group Ipsos, serving UK regulators, government, and utilities with mixed-method research. Competes with Community Research on public-sector mandates while offering greater scale and methodological breadth.
• NatCen Social Research: UK's largest independent social research charity, conducting surveys and qualitative research for government, charities, and academics. Overlaps with Community Research on social research and policy engagement, though at significantly greater scale and with broader survey capabilities.

Others

• The Consultation Institute: Not-for-profit best practice body for public and stakeholder consultation with which Community Research team members are associates. Closely adjacent ecosystem player rather than direct competitor, but indicative of the institutional landscape the firm operates within.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/community-research-ltd
• Xx.com/commresearchuk

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Community Research