What Cordis Bright does

Cordis Bright is a UK-based research and consultancy firm headquartered in London, established in 1998 and operating as a private limited company (registration 3620136). The firm provides research, evaluation, service reviews, audits, RCTs and quasi-experimental designs, consultancy, and performance improvement services to public sector and third-sector clients. Its work spans nine sector specialisms: children, young people and families; adult social care; criminal justice; integrated health and social care; domestic abuse; mental health; multiple disadvantage; public health; and employment. Core clients include central government departments (Department for Education, Home Office, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government), local authorities, NHS trusts and Integrated Care Systems, Offices of Police and Crime Commissioners, and major charities such as the National Lottery Community Fund, the King's Fund, and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

The firm's core technology is its research methodology, not software. Its competitive offering is built on a team that combines former front-line practice, public sector management, and academic credentials (Cambridge, Oxford, LSE, York, Birkbeck), alongside a proprietary research governance framework adapted from the NHS Health Research Authority and British Sociological Association. The firm supplements its commissioned work with two recurring information products: Cordis Briefing (a paid quarterly subscription service for adult social care providers, priced at £1,800/year and running 15+ years) and Cordis Pulse (a free monthly newsletter distributed via email).

Cordis Bright's revenue model is primarily professional services: projects are secured through competitive tenders, framework agreements (notably MCF4 and ESPO, where it holds places across 14+ lots), and direct commissioning relationships. The firm is independently owned with no disclosed parent company, private equity, or venture capital backing. It operates exclusively in the United Kingdom with 11-50 employees and no disclosed financial results.

Name

Cordis Bright

Legal name

Cordis Bright Limited

Website

https://cordisbright.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cordis Bright is a UK-based research and consultancy firm that provides evaluations, service reviews, RCTs, and policy research to central government, local authorities, NHS, and charities across social policy sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Research and Evaluation Consultancy: Cordis Bright generates primary revenue through commissioned research, evaluations, service reviews, and consultancy projects for government departments, local authorities, NHS organisations, police and crime commissioners, and third-sector organisations. Projects are typically competitively tendered or awarded through framework agreements.
2. Cordis Briefing Subscription: Subscription service for independent sector providers of adult social care and supported housing. Provides quarterly events and analysis of policy developments. Running for over 15 years.
3. Cordis Pulse Newsletter: Monthly digest of policy, practice and research developments distributed via email subscription to interested professionals across their specialist sectors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cordis Bright is a UK-based research and consultancy firm that provides evidence-based research, evaluation, and advisory services to public sector clients. Its work spans seven main service areas—research, service reviews, evaluations, RCTs and QEDs, audits and investigations, consultancy, and performance improvement—delivered to central government, local authorities, the NHS, police and crime commissioners, and VCSE organisations. The firm also operates two subscription information services, Cordis Briefing and Cordis Pulse, targeting adult social care providers and policy professionals respectively.

Product overview

Cordis Bright is a research and consultancy organisation providing services aimed at improving public services. The company offers a portfolio of research and evaluation products alongside subscription services. The core offerings include Cordis Briefing (a quarterly subscription event service for adult social care and supported housing providers) and Cordis Pulse (a monthly policy and research digest). These are complemented by seven main service areas: Research, Service reviews, Evaluations, RCTs and QEDs (Randomised Controlled Trials and Quasi-Experimental Designs), Audits and investigations, Consultancy, and Performance improvement. Services span multiple sectors including children/young people/families, adult social care, criminal justice, integrated health and social care, domestic abuse, mental health, multiple disadvantage, public health, and employment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cordis Briefing: A subscription service for independent sector providers of adult social care and supported housing, providing quarterly events and analysis of key policy developments.
• Cordis Pulse

Products and services

• Cordis Briefing A subscription service for independent sector providers of adult social care and supported housing, providing quarterly events with analysis of key policy developments and practical guidance for positioning organisations to respond effectively. Priced at £1,800 per year including VAT.
• Cordis Pulse A monthly digest of policy, practice, and research developments distributed via email subscription across the sectors in which Cordis Bright specialises, including adult social care, health, children and young people's services, and criminal justice.
• Research services Research services providing evidence base and analysis to inform public sector decision-making, spanning multiple policy areas including children, social care, health, and criminal justice.
• Service reviews Reviews of existing public services to identify strengths, areas for improvement, and recommendations for commissioners and providers.
• Evaluations Process and impact evaluations of programmes and services across multiple public sector sectors, including national evaluations of major government initiatives.
• RCTs and QEDs Randomised Controlled Trials and Quasi-Experimental Designs providing robust evaluation methodologies for programmes in criminal justice, youth services, and other public sector areas.
• Audits and investigations Comprehensive audits and investigative reviews of public services and systems to assess performance, compliance, and areas of concern.
• Consultancy Consultancy services helping public sector clients solve problems and explore areas for growth, improvement, and innovation.
• Performance improvement

Quantifiable outcome

• £2.99 billion in estimated recruitment and training cost savings through reduced turnover if Real Living Wage implemented in social care
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PPLcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead partner in consortium for Management Consultancy Framework 4 (MCF4) and ESPO Consultancy Services Framework. PPL leads a partnership of multiple consultancy organisations awarded places on major public sector frameworks.
• BaxendaleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in public sector consultancy frameworks MCF4 and ESPO, working collaboratively on government procurement opportunities.
• Collaborate CICminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in public sector consultancy frameworks enabling collaborative working on local government and public service projects.
• Edge Health UKminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in public sector consultancy frameworks specialising in health sector consultancy.
• National VoicesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in public sector consultancy frameworks, bringing voluntary sector perspective to health and social care partnerships.
• Social FinanceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in public sector consultancy frameworks with expertise in social finance and impact investment.
• CFE ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint delivery partner for national evaluations including the Partnership for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) and Changing Futures programme evaluation.
• Rees Centre, University of OxfordcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with academic institution for evaluation of Department for Education's Pupil Premium Plus Post-16 programme, combining academic rigour with consultancy expertise.
• The King's FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint delivery with The King's Fund on Healthy Communities Together programme evaluation, examining partnership working between VCSE sector, NHS, and local authorities.
• The National Lottery Community FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey commissioning and delivery partner for multiple programmes including Healthy Communities Together and Changing Futures (£91.8 million initiative).
• Revolving Doors AgencycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of evaluation consortium for Changing Futures programme, bringing expertise in multiple disadvantage and criminal justice system engagement.
• University of SheffieldcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in Changing Futures programme evaluation consortium, providing research rigour alongside practice-focused partners.
• FitzRoyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupported FitzRoy and KeyRing in developing white paper on cuckooing responses in social care for people with learning disabilities, autism and mental health needs.
• KeyRingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupported development of white paper on responding to cuckooing of people involved with social care services, particularly people with learning disabilities, autism and mental health needs.
• Youth Endowment Fund (YEF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunded and partnered on multiple efficacy study RCTs including Salford Foundation's Steps programme and United Borders' B.U.S. programme for preventing youth violence.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ecorys: Ecorys is an international research and consultancy company with a strong UK public sector practice, providing policy evaluation, impact assessment and programme review services to governments and the third sector — closely comparable in scope and methodology.
• RAND Europe: RAND Europe is a not-for-profit policy research institute conducting evaluations and analysis for governments, foundations and the third sector across health, justice and social policy — competing on the same high-profile, rigorous-evaluation briefs.
• IFF Research: IFF Research is an independent UK social and policy research consultancy that delivers evaluations and surveys for government departments, charities and the public sector — overlapping heavily with Cordis Bright's offer, methodology mix and client types.
• PPL: PPL is the lead consultancy in the MCF4 and ESPO consortiums of which Cordis Bright is a partner; it delivers UK public sector monitoring, evaluation and learning services — making it the closest framework-level peer for both capability and go-to-market approach.
• Traverse: Traverse is a UK social research and engagement consultancy specialising in evaluation, user insight and co-production for public and VCSE clients — a direct alternative for many of the same commissions Cordis Bright wins.
• NatCen Social Research: The UK's largest independent social research charity, NatCen delivers large-scale quantitative and mixed-methods policy evaluations for central and local government — directly comparable to Cordis Bright's mission and client base across welfare, health and justice.
• CFE Research: CFE Research is a UK-based research and evaluation consultancy that co-delivers national evaluations with Cordis Bright (including Changing Futures and PINS); its independent commissions and methodology mix closely mirror the subject company's.

Broad incumbents

• ICF: ICF is a large global consultancy with a substantial UK public sector practice in health, education and justice evaluation; it competes for the same government evaluation commissions but offers a much wider portfolio of advisory and technology services.
• Kantar Public (UK): Kantar Public's UK division is the public sector arm of a global research group delivering large-scale surveys, policy evaluation and social research; it overlaps with Cordis Bright's evaluation work but operates from a much broader commercial research portfolio.
• Ipsos (UK Social Research Institute): Ipsos' UK Social Research Institute delivers large-scale mixed-methods policy evaluations and public sector surveys; it works with the same client base as Cordis Bright but from the vantage point of a global, multi-practice research group.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cordis-bright
• Xx.com/cordisbright

Compliance7 records

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 Cordis Bright