CSES

What CSES does

CSES (Centre for Strategy & Evaluation Services LLP) is a Birmingham-headquartered, partner-owned multidisciplinary research and evaluation consultancy founded in 1999. The firm provides strategy and evaluation services to public-sector clients across the UK, the EU, and selected international markets, organized around ten practice areas including cohesion policy and regional development, internal market, sector studies, SMEs and industrial policy, education and culture, research and innovation, employment and social affairs, justice and home affairs, environment, and legislative fitness checks. Service lines fall into two main groups: Strategy (impact assessments, feasibility studies, strategy development, performance improvement) and Evaluation (ex-ante, interim, and ex-post programme, policy, and legislative evaluation), delivered through methods such as focus groups, mediated workshops, statistical analysis, and econometric modelling.

CSES operates from registered offices in Birmingham (headquarters) and London, supplemented by a wholly-owned Dublin subsidiary, CSES Europe, established in June 2018 specifically to maintain continuity of service to EU institutions following Brexit. The firm generates revenue through project-based professional services engagements won via competitive tendering, framework contracts with the European Commission, European Parliament, and UK Government, and consortium partnerships with more than 25 European consultancies. Named clients span UK Government departments (including BEIS, HSE, EHRC, UK IPO, ACAS, Welsh Government, Scottish Government), the NHS, multiple European Commission DGs, the European Investment Bank, the Committee of the Regions, the United Nations, the World Bank, and the European Science Foundation.

The firm competes in a segment characterized by long institutional procurement cycles, framework-contract dependency, and consortium-based delivery. With 11-50 employees and 200+ completed studies since foundation, CSES occupies a specialist niche alongside larger diversified consultancies (Ecorys, Ernst & Young, PwC, Ramboll), differentiating through regulatory methodology depth, EU policy institutional knowledge, and a partner-led delivery model. There is no disclosed external funding, parent company, or M&A activity; the firm operates as an independent LLP with internal partner ownership.

Name

CSES

Legal name

Centre for Strategy & Evaluation Services LLP

Website

https://cses.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CSES is a Birmingham-headquartered, partner-owned research and evaluation consultancy founded in 1999 that delivers impact assessments, feasibility studies, and policy evaluations to public-sector clients including UK Government, the NHS, the European Commission, the European Parliament, the EIB, the UN, and the World Bank.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Policy Evaluation and Impact Assessment Consulting

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services (541611), Other Management Consulting Services (541618), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720), All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541990)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Survey, Panel & Fieldwork Services (BPAHALAJ)

Keywords

• Policy evaluation services
• Impact assessment consulting
• Public sector consultancy
• Research and evaluation services
• Strategy and evaluation advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Birmingham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Consulting and Advisory Services: CSES generates revenue through providing consultancy services including impact assessments, feasibility studies, evaluations, and strategic advisory work to public sector clients. Revenue is project-based, typically through competitive tendering for government and institutional contracts.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CSES is a multidisciplinary research and consultancy firm that delivers policy evaluations (ex-ante, interim, ex-post), impact assessments, feasibility studies, and strategic advisory services to public sector clients. Its work is organized around ten practice areas including cohesion policy, internal market, SMEs and industrial policy, education and culture, research and innovation, employment and social affairs, justice and home affairs, environment, and legislative evaluation. Primary clients include UK Government departments, the NHS, the European Commission, the European Parliament, the European Investment Bank, the UN, and the World Bank.

Product overview

CSES (Centre for Strategy & Evaluation Services) is a multidisciplinary research and consultancy services firm rather than a software product company. The company provides professional consulting services organized around ten Practice Areas covering: Local and Regional Development, Internal Market, Sector Studies, SMEs and Industrial Policy, Education and Culture, Research and Innovation, Employment and Social Affairs, Justice and Home Affairs, Environment, and Evaluating Legislation, Fitness Checks and Legal Reviews. Their core service offerings include Strategy services (feasibility studies, impact assessments, development of strategies, performance improvement) and Evaluation services (programme evaluation, policy evaluation, evaluation of legislation). The company serves clients including UK Government, NHS, European Commission, European Parliament, EU Agencies, European Investment Bank, Committee of the Regions, United Nations, World Bank, and other international organizations. CSES Europe is a Dublin-based subsidiary established in June 2018 to serve EU institutions post-Brexit.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

31 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• RAND EuropecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2024Appointed alongside CSES by EISMEA to undertake study on gender investment gap affecting women-led companies and women-led investment funds.
• Spark Legal and Policy ConsultingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2022Consortium partner for DG GROW Framework Contract and multiple evaluation studies including Mutual Recognition Regulation, Measuring Instruments Directives, and New Legislative Framework evaluation.
• WavestonecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2022Partner on Impact Assessment for Product Liability Directive revision.
• Grimaldi Studio LegalecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2022Italian law firm partner on Product Liability Directive impact assessment.
• VVA GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2021Italy-based partner working with CSES on Study to Support Fitness Check of EU Consumer Law on Digital Fairness.
• Tetra TechcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2021International consultancy partnered on European Excellence Initiative study, EU Consumer Law fitness check, and EPPO Regulation impact assessment.
• WIKcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2021Partner on EU Consumer Law and Digital Fairness fitness check study.
• Blomeyer & SanzcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpain-based consultancy partner enabling CSES to undertake research and consultancy assignments on a pan-European basis. Worked together on studies such as the Contribution of Sport to Regional Development through the Structural Funds.
• CASE ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPoland-based research partner in CSES's European partnership network for pan-European consultancy assignments.
• CEDRUcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPortugal-based consultancy partner in CSES's European partnership network.
• CSIL (Centre for Industrial Studies)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerItaly-based consortium partner that worked with CSES on evaluations such as the ex post evaluation of Cohesion Policy programmes 2007-2013, Product Liability Directive impact assessment, and Fertilising Products Regulation evaluation.
• Economisti AssociaticoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerItaly-based economics consultancy partner in the CSES European partnership network.
• EcoryscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK/Netherlands-based consultancy that has partnered with CSES on European Capitals of Culture evaluations, Satellite and Cable Directive studies, and other EU Commission projects.
• Europe EconomicscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEU-focused economics consultancy partner in the CSES network.
• European Citizens Advice Service (ECAS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBelgium-based partner in the CSES European consultancy network.
• Institute for Advanced Studies (IHS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAustria-based academic partner in the CSES network for pan-European research assignments.
• London EconomicscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK-based economics consultancy partner in the CSES European partnership network.
• Office for Economic Policy and Regional Development (EPRD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPoland-based partner in the CSES European consultancy network.
• Oxford ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDenmark/Scandinavia-wide consultancy partner in the CSES network. Also worked on Single Market Scoreboard update.
• Panteia GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetherlands-based partner; member of pan-EU ENSR network of SME research organisations. Partnered on European Excellence Initiative study.
• Public Policy Management Institute (PPMI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLithuania/Baltic States-based institute in the CSES partnership network. Partnered on legal statute for university alliances study and ERA policy framework evaluation.
• RPAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK-based consultancy partner in the CSES European partnership network.
• Prognos AGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium partner in DG GROW Framework Contract and Study on Competitiveness of EU Engineering Industries.
• IDEA ConsultcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBelgian consultancy consortium partner for DG GROW Framework Contract and EU Engineering Industries study.
• Viegand MaagøecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDanish consultancy consortium partner in DG GROW Framework Contract.
• Trilateral ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK-based consultancy partner for Single Market Scoreboard update and DG RTD EDAR Framework Contract.
• Tech4i2coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner on Radio Equipment Directive impact assessment and DG RTD EDAR Framework Contract.
• CoffeycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational development consultancy partner in DG RTD EDAR Framework Contract.
• IpsosMoricoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner in DG RTD EDAR Framework Contract consortium.
• SPIcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPortuguese partner on European Excellence Initiative study and DG RTD EDAR Framework Contract.
• Resilience Advisors NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCivil protection experts partnered with CSES on Union Civil Protection Mechanism studies.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ecorys: Major European research and consultancy firm headquartered in the Netherlands, directly comparable to CSES in policy evaluation, impact assessment, and EU framework contracts. A long-standing CSES consortium partner, both firms compete and co-bid on the same Commission DGs.
• Wavestone: French-headquartered consulting firm with a substantial EU policy and regulation practice, frequently competing on and winning EU evaluation framework contracts alongside CSES. Named CSES partner on the Product Liability Directive impact assessment.
• IDEA Consult: Belgian consultancy specializing in innovation, SMEs, industrial policy, and economic development evaluations, often within the same DG GROW and DG RTD framework contracts where CSES competes and partners.
• Spark Legal and Policy Consulting: Belgium-based legal and policy consultancy with strong focus on internal market and product safety legislation evaluations, frequently co-bidding with CSES on DG GROW assignments including Mutual Recognition Regulation and NLF evaluation.
• London Economics: UK economics consultancy with a strong EU public sector practice spanning competition policy, regulatory impact assessment, and trade - highly comparable client base and analytical style; an established CSES consortium partner.
• RAND Europe: UK- and Belgium-based policy research organization producing evaluations and impact assessments for EU and UK clients; co-bid with CSES on the 2024 EISMEA gender investment gap study. Comparable in multi-disciplinary social-science orientation and public sector focus.
• Oxford Research: Scandinavian consultancy focused on policy evaluation, regional development, and Single Market studies, comparable in scale and methodology orientation; partnered with CSES on the Single Market Scoreboard update.
• Public Policy Management Institute (PPMI): Lithuania-based policy research and evaluation firm with a comparable mix of EU framework contract work and national-level assignments. Co-bids with CSES on studies such as legal statute for university alliances and ERA policy framework evaluation.

Broad incumbents

• Ramboll Management Consulting: Large Nordic-rooted consultancy with a sizable EU policy, climate, and sustainability evaluation practice that competes with CSES on Commission tenders but offers much broader service lines including engineering and environmental consulting.
• ICF International: Large global consultancy with a major European policy evaluation practice serving the European Commission, EEA, and UK government. Directly competitive on framework contracts, with much deeper bench and geographic reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cses_uk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cses

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 CSES