What Collaborate Up does

CollaborateUp is a Washington, DC-based international consulting firm founded in 2003 that helps governments, corporations, and nonprofits accelerate collaboration and financing on complex global challenges. The firm serves a primary client base of US government agencies — particularly USAID missions and multilateral organizations like UNEP — alongside Fortune500 corporations, international NGOs, and executives seeking to build multi-stakeholder partnerships. Core operations center on three service lines: Strategic Advisory Services (multi-stakeholder engagement, facilitation, backbone support), Blended Finance Advisory (structuring capital across philanthropic, public, and private sources in Africa and the Americas), and a Training/Education Academy offering standardized courses in co-creation, facilitation, and partnership development.

The firm's core technology is a proprietary methodology stack — the CollaborateUp Formula (a Lean Startup-adapted co-creation process), Collaboration Canvas, Hybrid Meetings Guide, Agile Rollout Principles, and the Backbone Organization Field Guide (27 codified principles). These are taught, packaged, and productized rather than delivered as software. The business model is professional services: consulting fees through government contract vehicles (GSA Multiple Award Schedule, USAID CARSS IDIQ with $800M ceiling, EVAL-ME II, PDT) and direct enterprise/nonprofit engagements, plus course enrollment revenue from the Academy. The firm is an SBA 8(a) certified small business with CMMI Services Maturity Level 3, and operates joint ventures (PMCG CollaborateUp JV with Vistant; Collaboration House with Wheelhouse Group) to access federal opportunities. Founded as a private, founder-led firm with no disclosed external funding, the company has worked across 40+ countries and trained more than 1,350 USAID participants and 700+ executives via its Academy.

Name

Collaborate Up

Legal name

CollaborateUp

Website

https://collaborateup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CollaborateUp is a Washington, DC-based international consulting firm, founded in 2003, that advises governments, corporations, and nonprofits on multi-stakeholder collaboration and blended finance across Africa and the Americas, with deep focus on USAID contracting and proprietary co-creation methodology.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Management Consulting Services

NAICS

Other Management Consulting Services (541618), Educational Support Services (61171), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Digital Workplace & Collaboration Consulting (BPAHAEAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Work Management & Collaboration Suites (BPAMAMAG), Employer-Led Workforce Partnerships & Sector Strategies (EDAAAOAB), Remote/Hybrid Work Readiness & Digital Collaboration (EDAAAKAL)

Keywords

• Multi-stakeholder consulting
• Blended finance advisory
• Collective impact facilitation
• Co-creation training
• Government contracting services

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Strategic Advisory Services: Consulting fees for driving collective impact through multistakeholder engagement, strategic facilitation, and backbone support. Aligns partners around shared goals and provides training and development to build capacity.
2. Blended Finance Advisory: Advisory services on blended finance solutions across philanthropic, public, and private capital to raise funding for companies in critical industries. Revenue generated through consulting engagements with development finance institutions and government agencies.
3. Training and Education Programs: Revenue from Academy courses including facilitation skills training, multi-stakeholder partnership courses, and co-design/co-creation shared value programs. Also provides specialized training to US Government agencies including five training modules for USAID staff under PDT mechanism.
4. Government Contract Vehicles: Revenue from federal government contracting vehicles including GSA Multiple Award Schedule (2017-2027), USAID IDIQ mechanisms (CARSS IDIQ, EVAL-ME II), and PDT Procurement Mechanism. Task orders under these vehicles provide regional support services, evaluation, monitoring, and learning services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CollaborateUp is an international consulting firm that provides multi-stakeholder engagement, strategic facilitation, and blended finance advisory services to governments, corporations, and nonprofits. The firm also delivers structured training programs, including USAID Co-Creation Training Modules and Academy courses covering collaboration, facilitation, and co-design. Its proprietary methodology — the CollaborateUp Formula — adapts Lean Startup principles to drive collective impact programs across 40+ countries.

Product overview

CollaborateUp is an innovative international consulting firm that offers a portfolio of collaboration-focused services, tools, and training programs. The core offering is the CollaborateUp Formula (a structured multi-stakeholder engagement methodology adapted from Lean Startup principles), which is supported by a suite of practical tools including the Collaboration Canvas, Hybrid Meetings Guide, Agile Principles, and Backbone Organization Field Guide. These are complemented by an education and training arm offering multiple course formats: five Co-Creation Training Modules for USAID, the Core Collaboration Concepts Series (covering Adaptive Leadership, Stakeholder Engagement, and Community Engagement), Facilitation Skills Training, Multi-Stakeholder Partnership courses, and Custom Training programs. The firm also provides Strategic Advisory Services and Blended Finance Advisory Services. Together, these offerings form an integrated approach to helping organizations accelerate collaboration and financing when tackling complex challenges.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CollaborateUp Institute: A research initiative founded in 2021 to research and establish the evidence for collaboration in complex situations

Products and services

• Strategic Advisory Services Consulting services that help governments, nonprofits, and corporations drive collective impact through multi-stakeholder engagement, strategic facilitation, and backbone support, aligning partners around shared goals and building collaboration capacity.
• Blended Finance Advisory Services Advisory services that structure blended finance solutions across philanthropic, public, and private capital to raise funding for companies in critical industries across Africa and the Americas, including minerals, energy, agriculture, infrastructure, and technology.
• Co-Creation Training Modules (USAID PDT) Five specialized training modules covering Co-Creation Basics, Activity Design and Award, Implementation and Close-Out, Executing Co-Creation Activities, and Applying Co-Creation to Localization Efforts, designed for USAID staff.
• Facilitation Skills Training A half-day or one-day course providing hands-on experience and insights into proven principles and techniques for effectively facilitating groups.
• How to Build Effective Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships An interactive course for learning, testing, and developing skills for tackling tough challenges requiring multi-sector, multi-stakeholder collaboration.
• How to Co-Design & Co-Create Shared Value A course module based on 15+ years of experience working with Fortune500 companies, community organizations, international NGOs, and governments to create collective impact programs based on shared value.
• Core Collaboration Concepts Series A training series introducing core collaboration concepts including Adaptive Leadership, Stakeholder Engagement Continuum, Collaboration Canvas, Be-Do-Have Mindset, and Community Engagement.
• US Government Courses Specialized training on innovative procurement tools (BAAs, challenges, prizes), Fixed Amount Awards, and private-sector engagement modules for US government clients.
• Custom Training Customized training programs co-created with clients to meet specific organizational needs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Helped organizations in 40+ countries structure outcome-oriented programs and investments
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 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

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• VistantcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024PMCG CollaborateUp JV (PMCU JV) is a joint venture between CollaborateUp and Vistant, with CollaborateUp as managing member. Awarded small business contract under the Central America Regional Support Services (CARSS) IDIQ with a $800 million ceiling over five years to support USAID Missions in Latin America and Caribbean.
• FHI 360supportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Subpartner in the PMCG CollaborateUp JV joint venture providing technical support services to USAID Missions in Latin America and Caribbean under the CARSS IDIQ.
• DevTech Systems, Inc.supportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Subpartner in the PMCG CollaborateUp JV joint venture providing technical support services to USAID Missions in Latin America and Caribbean under the CARSS IDIQ.
• Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)supportingGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 March 2023Convened thought leaders and practitioners from government, private sector, DFIs, and supporting ecosystem actors in a roundtable series (August 2023 - March 2024) to explore blended finance intricacies and develop a vision for blended finance.
• Wheelhouse GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Collaboration House joint venture formed as part of SBA's Mentor-Protégé Program. Wheelhouse Group serves as mentor to CollaborateUp (protégé), combining CollaborateUp's co-creation and facilitation expertise with Wheelhouse's organizational change management and stakeholder engagement capabilities.
• PanagorasupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020CollaborateUp is part of Panagora's consortium of partners responding to task orders under the USAID EVAL-ME II IDIQ mechanism for evaluation, monitoring, and learning services globally.
• The Palladium GroupsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborateUp partnered with The Palladium Group in support of the USAID CATALYZE EduFinance activity, a program uniting private sector engagement for education in Latin America and the Caribbean.
• ChemonicssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner on USAID's VukaNow Activity focused on combating wildlife crime in Southern Africa. CollaborateUp provided facilitation and co-creation support, including virtual engagement strategies during COVID-19.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Palladium Group: Global development consulting firm delivering USAID and DFID programming across blended finance, education, and economic growth; directly comparable as a multi-stakeholder engagement and development advisory peer, and an existing CollaborateUp implementation partner.
• FHI 360: International development organization delivering education, health, and economic development programming for USAID and other donors; serves as a subpartner on CollaborateUp's PMCG JV and competes for adjacent USAID task orders.
• DAI (Development Alternatives, Inc.): Global development consultancy with deep USAID footprint across multiple IDIQ vehicles; comparable on federal contract vehicles, multi-stakeholder programming, and capacity-building services.
• Chemonics International: Major USAID contractor implementing large-scale international development programs; shares USAID IDIQ access and has partnered with CollaborateUp on the VukaNow Activity, making it a close capability and customer-overlap peer.
• Dalberg Advisors: Strategic advisory firm focused on social impact, international development, and emerging markets; directly comparable on multi-stakeholder facilitation, blended finance structuring, and shared-value consulting.
• BSR (Business for Social Responsibility): Global nonprofit consultancy helping companies integrate sustainability and stakeholder engagement; closely aligned on multi-stakeholder partnership design and shared value work with corporate partners.
• The Bridgespan Group: Nonprofit and social impact strategy consulting firm advising foundations, NGOs, and governments on collaboration and collective impact; comparable on collective impact program design and stakeholder facilitation.
• Vistant: Federal services and international development firm that is CollaborateUp's JV partner in the PMCG CARSS vehicle; competes and co-bids in the same USAID small-business pool and shares capability overlap.
• Wheelhouse Group: Organizational change management and workforce transformation consultancy; serves as mentor in the Collaboration House joint venture and competes for adjacent federal stakeholder engagement work.

Broad incumbents

• Abt Associates: Large international development and research consulting firm with extensive USAID IDIQ holdings; competes for adjacent task orders and offers broader MEL and evaluation capabilities than CollaborateUp.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/collaborateup
• Facebookfacebook.com/collaborateup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/collaborateup

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 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 Collaborate Up