The Social Innovation Partnership

What The Social Innovation Partnership does

The Social Innovation Partnership (TSIP) is a London-based social impact consultancy and B Corporation founded in 2010 that works with philanthropy, local government and business to help organisations understand social issues, design and pilot programmes, and measure social impact through community-engaged and participatory approaches. Its service portfolio comprises three professional-service offerings — Consultancy Partnership (social impact advisory), Social Innovation Lab (co-design and pilot programme design) and Fiscal Hosting (organisational infrastructure for groups without independent legal status) — plus a flagship programme, The Giving Lab, a community-led grantmaking fund co-designed with West-Southwark residents in partnership with Impact on Urban Health and Wellcome Trust.

TSIP's underlying technology stack is intentionally lightweight and entirely off-the-shelf: the website is built on Squarespace, data is stored in Google Drive and Salesforce, and there is no proprietary software, API surface or app product. Its intellectual property sits in methodology rather than code — participatory research, asset-based community development, co-design and co-production — and is delivered by a hybrid team of technical specialists (Head of Evaluation, Head of Service Design & Co-Production) and community practitioners with lived experience of the issues being addressed.

The business model is professional services revenue from project-based engagements with foundations (City Bridge Foundation, Wellcome Trust, Trust for London, Esmée Fairbairn), local government (Southwark Council) and corporate/institutional clients (JPMorgan Chase Foundation, Guy's and St Thomas' Charity, Impact on Urban Health, Royal College of Nursing), supplemented by managed-service fiscal hosting fees. In May 2024 TSIP received impact investment from The Social Investment Consultancy and launched a new Community Interest Company (CIC) alongside its existing private limited company, with a partnership with Renaisi announced in June 2024 — a structural step that positions TSIP for an explicit growth phase under CEO Katie Fowler (appointed October 2022) and Founder/Executive Chair Stephen Bediako OBE.

Name

The Social Innovation Partnership

Legal name

The Social Innovation Partnership Limited

Website

https://tsip.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Social Innovation Partnership (TSIP) is a London-based B Corporation consultancy, founded in 2010, that helps UK foundations, local government and corporates design, pilot and evaluate social impact programmes using participatory, community-led and lived-experience approaches.

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, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Consultancy and Advisory Services: TSIP provides consultancy services to help organisations better understand issues, places and their own social impact, as well as designing and piloting new programmes. Revenue comes from professional service engagements with foundations, local government, and corporate clients.
2. Fiscal Hosting: TSIP provides fiscal hosting services as part of their Social Innovation Lab offerings, managing funds on behalf of community-led initiatives like The Giving Lab.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

TSIP is a social impact consultancy that delivers advisory, co-design, evaluation and research services to philanthropic funders, local government and corporates, centring lived experience and community-led approaches. Its core service lines are Consultancy Partnership (advisory and impact evaluation), Social Innovation Lab (co-design and piloting of new programmes), and Fiscal Hosting (back-office infrastructure for community-led groups), supported by the flagship The Giving Lab community-led grantmaking fund in Southwark.

Product overview

The Social Innovation Partnership (TSIP) is a consultancy and social enterprise — not a product-based software company. Its offering consists of a portfolio of professional services and programmes: Consultancy Partnership (social impact advisory), Social Innovation Lab (co-design and pilot programmes), and Fiscal Hosting (organisational infrastructure), collectively delivered through community engagement and participatory approaches. The flagship programme is The Giving Lab, a community-led grantmaking fund operated in partnership with Impact on Urban Health and Wellcome Trust, where Southwark residents co-design and direct funding decisions for community health initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Giving Lab: A community-led fund co-designed with the West-Southwark community, an innovative funding model ecosystem where communities have reimagined grantmaking led by and for communities.

Products and services

• Consultancy Partnership Advisory and consulting service helping philanthropic, government and corporate clients understand social issues, places, and their own social impact, with a focus on community engagement and participatory approaches.
• Social Innovation Lab Co-design and innovation service that supports partners in designing and piloting new programmes to improve quality of life through participatory methods.
• Fiscal Hosting Managed-services offering that provides organisational infrastructure for groups without independent legal status to manage funds and operate under TSIP's umbrella.
• The Giving Lab Community-led grantmaking fund co-designed with the West-Southwark community, set up in partnership with Impact on Urban Health and Wellcome Trust, where residents reimagine and decide how funds are allocated for community health.

Quantifiable outcome

• 271 young black men known to be in paid work following Moving on Up participation (40-60% job entry rate)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers12 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

24 partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• RenaisicoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 June 2024Partnership announced June 2024 where TSIP provides capital and expertise to ensure continuity of Renaisi's work, made possible by TSIC's impact investment.
• Impact on Urban HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunder and founding partner for The Giving Lab community-led fund, bringing together people, organisations and businesses in Southwark to share, develop and fund ideas for improving community health.
• Wellcome TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunder and partner for The Giving Lab community-led funding model ecosystem supporting community health initiatives.
• Trust for LondoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunder of Moving on Up Initiative addressing employment gap for young black men in London. TSIP conducted independent evaluation of the programme.
• Youth Futures FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for discovery research on why young people from marginalised backgrounds pursue self-employment and what constitutes quality self-employment.
• The McPin FoundationsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on COVID-19 research exploring experiences of Black people in Lambeth in relation to employment and the Black Lives Matter movement.
• Black ThrivesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on COVID-19 research exploring experiences of Black people in Lambeth in relation to employment and the Black Lives Matter movement.
• Toynbee HallsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorked with Toynbee Hall to evaluate their pilot programme allowing local people to engage in the conservation appraisal process in the Wentworth Street conservation area in East London.
• London Community FoundationsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership on the Food for London fund run with The Evening Standard, supporting organisations using creative community-based initiatives to distribute surplus food.
• Collaborate CICsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on Civil Society strategy report for the Greater London Authority outlining bold vision for an open and progressive London.
• Royal College of NursingsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerTSIP acting as learning partner to RCN as they transition from advocacy and servicing to an organising approach.
• British Science AssociationsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the Ideas Fund in co-designing a fund with community participants.
• UnLtdsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerDelivered leadership initiative with groups of leaders with lived experience in Birmingham and Bristol, funded by Big Lottery Fund.
• Hackney QuestsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in pop-up Civic Innovation Hub workshops in Hackney.
• HCVS (Hackney Council for Voluntary Service)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in pop-up Civic Innovation Hub workshops in Hackney.
• Shoreditch TrustsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in youth-led design workshops and co-designing health and wellbeing service with young black men in Hackney.
• Young HackneysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in civic innovation activities engaging young people in Hackney.
• On Our RadarsecondaryTechnology or IntegrationPartnership in establishing the Community Storytelling Network for amplifying unheard voices.
• Centric (Centric Labs)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership on Disruptors project exploring successful entrepreneurs from underrepresented communities, and Medical Scepticism project.
• WorldSkills UKsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublished joint report on diversity and inclusion across WorldSkills Competitions Programme across the UK.
• NestasecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on guide for hospital trusts on strategic approach to volunteering and impact measurement.
• International Centre for Social Franchising (now Spring Impact)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on franchising report exploring potential to create quality jobs in London.
• Numbers for GoodsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on franchising report with analysis of social impact for unemployment and poverty in London.
• MOPAC (Mayor of London's Office for Policing and Crime)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on VAWG Grassroots Fund jointly designed with 'by and for' organisations supporting women across London.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• New Economics Foundation: UK think tank focused on social and economic justice, with research, advocacy, and community programmes. Comparable on social policy research and systems change work, though broader in scope than TSIP's place-based focus.
• Locality: UK national membership body supporting community-led organisations with advice, networks, and programmes. Comparable to TSIP on community-led development and local government engagement, but is a larger, membership-funded incumbent.
• Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES): UK-wide think-and-do tank working on local economic strategy and community wealth building with local authorities. Overlaps with TSIP on local government community engagement and place-based programme design, but operates at a larger scale and broader remit.

Direct peers

• Collaborate CIC: UK social-purpose consultancy focused on place-based systems change, community research, and civic innovation. Directly comparable to TSIP on service line, audience, and an existing partnership (Greater London Authority civil society strategy).
• NPC (New Philanthropy Capital): UK social-sector advisory and analytics consultancy that helps charities and foundations understand impact and improve practice. Directly comparable to TSIP's Consultancy Partnership offering and shared foundation client base.
• Renaisi: UK social enterprise focused on employment outcomes and social impact advisory, with deep place-based community programmes in London. Highly comparable to TSIP on mission, geography, and service mix, and is already an active partner.
• Pro Bono Economics: UK charity that connects volunteer economists with charities and social enterprises to deliver impact analysis and evaluation. Directly comparable to TSIP's evaluation and impact measurement work for the social sector.
• IVAR (Institute for Voluntary Action Research): UK research and consultancy charity working with voluntary sector organisations on practice, leadership, and impact. Directly comparable to TSIP on research, evaluation, and learning partnerships with foundations and charities.
• The Social Investment Consultancy (TSIC): UK impact investment advisory firm that has provided TSIP's growth capital and serves as a Learning Partner on The Giving Lab. Highly comparable on the impact advisory and social investment support side of TSIP's work.

Others

• Baring Foundation: UK independent foundation that funds arts and social justice initiatives and commissions research/practice from grantees. Functions more as a TSIP funder/ecosystem partner than a competitor, but is closely connected to the same community of practice.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/tsiptweets

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

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 The Social Innovation Partnership