Bristol Housing Festival

What Bristol Housing Festival does

Housing Festival (formerly Bristol Housing Festival) is a Bristol-headquartered, UK-registered private limited company (#12050684) operating as a non-profit 'think-and-do tank' focused on accelerating the delivery of social rent housing through Modern Methods of Construction (MMC). Founded in 2018, the organisation convenes industry experts, local and national government, housing associations, charities, and faith-based groups to publish research (most prominently the Social Rent Housing at Pace MMC Playbook), run design competitions, deliver flagship projects (Hope Rise, Bell Close, BoKlok, Innovation Enabling Model with Bristol City Council — 400+ MMC homes), and host the New Homes in New Ways exhibition and summit at the Building Centre, London.

Its core offerings are not a unified software product but a portfolio of publications, events, and a Community of Practice: the Social Rent Housing at Pace Playbook (May 2024), Bell Close Innovation in Practice report (October 2025), Closer to Home asylum accommodation report (May 2026), the Building Centre-hosted exhibition and summit (December 2024–2025), and the Building Better: Community of Practice (BB:CoP) joint platform formed with Building Better in October 2025. Recent additions include the Small Sites Aggregator (SSA) national rollout (June 2026) targeting 10,000 social rent homes per year from small public-sector brownfield sites.

Housing Festival is grant-funded, having received a Local Government Association grant (2019) and an Innovate UK grant (2021), supplemented by consultancy to local authorities. Pricing is not commercially applicable as publications, resources, and CoP membership are provided free to drive sector-wide change; consultancy is bespoke. Customers and partners are primarily local authorities (Bristol City Council, Goram Homes), housing associations, national bodies (Homes England, UN-Habitat, Crisis), MMC manufacturers (ZED PODS, Etopia), and charities (YMCA Bristol, Justlife, NACCOM). The organisation rebranded from Bristol Housing Festival to Housing Festival in November 2023 to reflect national scope beyond Bristol.

Name

Bristol Housing Festival

Legal name

Housing Festival

Website

https://housingfestival.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Housing Festival is a UK think-and-do tank that convenes government, housing associations, charities, and MMC manufacturers to accelerate social rent housing delivery through research, design competitions, flagship projects, and the Building Better Community of Practice.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Housing Policy Research and Social Innovation Consultancy

akta.pro primary industry

Housing Development, Construction & Rehabilitation Programs (BPAIANAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Residential Affordable Housing Development & Construction (IMAFABAI), Community Development & Neighborhood Revitalization Housing Programs (FSALAKAO), Community Development & Neighborhood Revitalization (CDBG, Place-Based Initiatives) (BPAIANAE)

Keywords

• Social housing innovation
• Modern methods of construction
• Housing policy research
• Community-led housing
• Affordable housing consultancy

Headquarters

HQ city

Bristol

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding and Consultancy: As a think-and-do tank, Bristol Housing Festival operates through grant funding and consultancy engagements. They receive support from Innovate UK for specific projects and generate revenue through consulting with local authorities seeking to replicate their approach.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Bristol Housing Festival (now Housing Festival) is a UK-based think-and-do tank that drives systemic change in social and affordable housing through research publications, strategic playbooks, design competitions, exhibitions, summits, and consultancy. Its core focus is accelerating social rent housing delivery using Modern Methods of Construction (MMC), unlocking underutilised brownfield land, and recalibrating economics to make social rent viable. It collaborates with local authorities, housing associations, charities, and national government bodies.

Product overview

Bristol Housing Festival is a think-and-do tank focused on addressing the UK housing crisis through research, advocacy, and practical innovation. Rather than a unified software product, the organization offers a portfolio of publications (including the Social Rent Housing at Pace MMC Playbook), events (New Homes in New Ways Exhibition and Summit), collaborative platforms (Building Better: Community of Practice), and initiatives (Design Competitions, Climate Smart Cities Challenge). These offerings work together to drive systemic change in social and affordable housing delivery using Modern Methods of Construction.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Building Better: Community of Practice (BB:CoP): A community of practice formed in partnership with Building Better to increase momentum in driving systemic change in the social and affordable housing sector through innovation and collaboration.

Products and services

• Social Rent Housing at Pace: The MMC Playbook for Local Authorities A strategic playbook for local authorities facing the housing crisis, providing actionable strategies for delivering social rent homes at pace using Modern Methods of Construction (MMC), unlocking underutilised brownfield land, and recalibrating economics to make social rent viable.
• Bell Close: Innovation in Practice Report Case study report documenting the lessons learnt from the Bell Close project, featuring SIPS panels and GAP House concepts developed in partnership with MMC manufacturer Etopia UK for social housing in Bristol.
• Closer to Home: Improving the asylum system through devolution Report exploring affordable, sustainable, community-oriented models of asylum accommodation to address the current failing system, co-produced with The Good Faith Partnership and NACCOM.
• New Homes in New Ways Exhibition & Summit Interactive exhibition and two-day summit showcasing MMC housing solutions, bringing together local authorities, housing commissioners, and the MMC housing supply ecosystem to drive collaborative action on the UK's social rent housing shortfall and temporary accommodation crisis.
• Building Better: Community of Practice (BB:CoP) Collaborative community platform joining Housing Festival and Building Better to increase momentum in driving systemic change in social and affordable housing through innovation, shared learning, and peer collaboration among housing professionals.
• Climate Smart Cities Challenge UN-Habitat award-winning initiative developing a Thrivability Toolkit for climate-neutral, affordable housing in Bristol, exploring innovative MMC and digital technology solutions for carbon-neutral homes.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 400 homes delivered using 9 different MMC methods through the Innovation Enabling Model with Bristol City Council
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and minor.

• Building BettercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 October 2025Housing Festival and Building Better joined forces in October 2025 to form Building Better: Community of Practice (BB:CoP). This partnership aims to increase momentum in their shared mission to drive systemic change in the social and affordable housing sector through innovation and collaboration. The Community of Practice provides a platform for housing professionals to share learning and accelerate MMC adoption.
• The Good Faith PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with The Good Faith Partnership on the 'Closer to Home' report exploring devolved approaches to asylum accommodation. The partnership brought together research and stakeholder engagement across the North East and South West of England.
• NACCOMcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-published 'Closer to Home' report with NACCOM (No Accommodation Network) examining asylum accommodation devolution opportunities. NACCOM brings expertise in homelessness and accommodation for excluded groups.
• Goram HomescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBristol-based housing company that partners with Housing Festival on multiple design competitions including Castle Park, Redcliffe Way, and Novers Hill. Goram Homes builds homes that create communities and are environmentally, socially and economically sustainable.
• ZED PODS LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTurnkey modular housing company that manufactured homes for the Hope Rise project in Bristol. ZED PODS produces energy-efficient modular homes that have been featured in the New Homes in New Ways exhibition.
• Bristol City CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary public sector partner in Bristol, collaborating on the Innovation Enabling Model delivering over 400 MMC homes, Hope Rise project, and multiple design competitions. The partnership has been central to Bristol's housing innovation journey.
• CrisiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational charity for homeless people and key contributor to the Social Rent Housing at Pace Playbook. Crisis provides expertise on homelessness prevention and social housing needs, supporting research on 90,000 social rent homes needed annually.
• Homes EnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational housing agency that contributed to the Playbook and supports MMC adoption through their Affordable Housing Programme with a 25% MMC mandate. Homes England recognises MMC enables higher quality and more sustainable homes delivered faster.
• UN-HabitatstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerThrough collaboration on the Climate Smart Cities Challenge, Bristol and Housing Festival have worked with UN-Habitat to pioneer new approaches to affordable, carbon-neutral homes using innovative MMC and digital technology. UN-Habitat has recognised Bristol's work as inspiring for a global community.
• AkerlofcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsultancy that co-produced the Social Return on Investment (SROI) analysis 'Constructing Homes, Rebuilding Lives' with Housing Festival, and produced a video summary of the Playbook in partnership with Churton Studio.
• AtkinsRéaliscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal engineering, management and development consulting firm that contributed to the Playbook and hosted the New Homes in New Ways Summit session on homes for health. Supporting the industrialisation of housing delivery.
• Commonweal HousingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial justice charity that funded the Hope Rise Post Occupancy Evaluation report. Commonweal Housing instigated the Hope Rise concept in partnership with Bristol Housing Festival and Bristol City Council.
• Building CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosted the New Homes in New Ways exhibition in London, showcasing MMC innovations and the temporary accommodation crisis. The Building Centre is a key venue for driving innovation in the built environment.
• Etopia UKminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMMC manufacturer featured in the Bell Close Innovation in Practice report, contributing to the showcase of different modern construction methods.
• YMCA BristolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided housing support for the Hope Rise modular housing project, delivering wraparound support to young people living in the MMC homes.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Centre for Cities: Urban-economy think tank producing research and convening city leaders, including on housing and land use; closely comparable as a UK policy-focused think tank engaging local authorities on systemic place-based issues.
• Crisis: National homelessness charity that co-produced the Social Rent Housing at Pace Playbook and Housing Festival's flagship market-sizing research on the 90,000 homes per year shortfall; directly comparable as a UK housing/homelessness advocacy and research organisation.
• New Local: Independent think tank and network focused on local government innovation and place-based public service reform; comparable as a UK convening-and-research organisation working with local authorities on systemic change.
• NACCOM: UK network of organisations providing accommodation for people excluded from mainstream housing; co-published the 'Closer to Home' asylum accommodation report with Housing Festival and is a direct sectoral peer on housing and homelessness systems change.
• Building Better: Co-founding partner of the Building Better: Community of Practice platform; operates an adjacent 'building better' mission focused on housing quality and innovation, making it the closest organisational twin to Housing Festival.

Broad incumbents

• Shelter: Largest UK housing charity, conducting advocacy, research and direct services on housing and homelessness; overlaps with Housing Festival on policy and research outputs but operates a much wider campaign and service footprint.
• National Housing Federation: UK's principal membership body for housing associations and a major sector advocate on social and affordable housing policy; shares Housing Festival's reformist agenda but operates as an established trade body serving hundreds of institutional members.
• Homes England: Statutory national housing agency that funds affordable housing and operates the Affordable Housing Programme with a 25% MMC mandate; an active Housing Festival partner and the dominant public-sector incumbent shaping the same agenda.
• Policy Exchange: Prominent UK centre-right think tank producing research and policy recommendations, including on housing and planning; comparable as a UK policy think tank with national influence, though broader in topic remit than Housing Festival.

Emerging players

• UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence (CaCHE): Academic-policy consortium producing housing evidence and research for UK policymakers; overlaps with Housing Festival's research and playbook outputs but is anchored in university partners and is more narrowly evidence-led.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PLl62rn5fBZdyjErWy8vlE6rH7LQRIsBW-
• Xx.com/bristol_hf
• Facebookfacebook.com/BristolHousingFestival
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bristolhf

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Bristol Housing Festival