Urban Matters CCC
Urban Matters CCC is a Western Canadian social-purpose consulting firm, one of Canada's first Community Contribution Companies, serving municipalities and Indigenous governing bodies in British Columbia and Alberta with facilitation, housing needs assessments, and community engagement services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersKelowna, Canada
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
Urban Matters CCC firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Urban Matters CCC
- Legal name
- Urban Matters Ltd.
- Website
- https://urbanmatters.ca
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Urban Matters CCC is a Western Canadian social-purpose consulting firm, one of Canada's first Community Contribution Companies, serving municipalities and Indigenous governing bodies in British Columbia and Alberta with facilitation, housing needs assessments, and community engagement services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Urban Matters CCC is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kelowna
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Urban Matters CCC business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Consulting and Professional Services: Urban Matters generates revenue through fee-for-service consulting engagements with government clients, municipalities, First Nations, and non-profit organizations for social planning and community development projects
- Community Contributions (Redistribution): As a Community Contribution Company (CCC), Urban Matters is required to reinvest a minimum of 60% of profits back into community innovation ventures and social purpose initiatives
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Project-based consulting services |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Urban Matters CCC product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Urban Matters CCC is a Community Contribution Company (CCC) registered in British Columbia that provides social planning, community development, and social innovation consulting services. The firm works with municipalities, First Nations, non-profits, and provincial governments across Western Canada to address complex social challenges such as housing affordability, poverty reduction, and equity. It applies facilitation methods such as Solutions Labs and frameworks like Three Horizons to engage stakeholders and develop actionable strategies.
Product overview
Urban Matters CCC operates as a consulting and social innovation firm rather than a traditional product company. Their offerings consist of advisory and facilitation services organized around community development, social planning, and systems change methodologies. Core service offerings include Solutions Lab facilitation, Housing Needs Assessments, Social Needs Assessments, Community Engagement, Strategic Planning Support, and specialized initiatives such as Poverty Reduction Strategy Development, Complex Needs Housing Advocacy, and Food System Innovation. The company also operates a Community Contribution Program that reinvests profits into community-led initiatives. These services are delivered through collaborative consulting engagements with municipalities, First Nations, non-profit organizations, and other stakeholders across western Canada.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Social Innovation Lab Facilitation
Quantifiable outcome
- $1,025,000+ contributed to communities since 2016
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Urban Matters CCC
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Urban Matters CCC technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Urban Matters CCC partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
19 partnerships are on record, tiered experimental, major, minor and core.
- Green ViolinexperimentalEdmonton-based community development company. Urban Matters is partnering to explore unconventional actors in Edmonton's affordable housing space through a Community Innovation Lab.
- Dr. Peter CentremajorVancouver-based nonprofit healthcare organization. Urban Matters supports their project to advance partnership with Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Society for co-designed trauma and violence-informed responses.
- AKSISminorEdmonton's Indigenous Business & Professional Association. Urban Matters contribution helped develop a communications strategy and marketing campaign to shift narratives around Indigenous economic growth.
- Employ to EmpowerminorVancouver-based charity empowering low-income individuals facing barriers. Urban Matters contribution helped empower 15 entrepreneurs with skills training, mentorship, and wrap-around support.
- Community Action Initiative (CAI)majorBC-based granting organization that delivered a micro-grant program for Provincial Peer Network members. Urban Matters contributed $100,000 with matching funds from CAI to fund PWLLE-led projects addressing structural stigma.
- AAWEAR (Alberta Alliance Who Educate and Advocate Responsibly)majorAlberta organization run by people with lived/living experience of substance use. Urban Matters provided $100,000 contribution and in-kind mentorship support, helping double peer outreach capacity and create full-time positions.
- PEOPLE Employment ServicescoreKelowna-based social enterprise that provides training, mentorship and partnerships leading to paid employment for people with lived/living experience of homelessness and substance use. Urban Matters incubated this enterprise since 2018 and invested $40,000. Now an independent non-profit employing 30+ individuals.
- Urban Systems Ltd.coreUrban Systems Ltd. is the parent company of Urban Matters CCC. It is an award-winning urban design and professional services firm founded in 1975, privately held by employees. Urban Matters can draw from Urban Systems' expertise and network of 600+ professionals to deliver integrated services.
- Urban Systems FoundationcoreEstablished charity affiliated with Urban Systems that receives contributions and distributes funds to communities. Urban Matters delivered its annual contribution to the Foundation in 2020 ($100,000). The Foundation is a vehicle for Urbanites to give back to communities.
- Evergreen / Future Cities CanadamajorNational organizations that spearheaded the Our Urban Futures project examining disruption in Canadian regions. Urban Matters was engaged to analyze policy recommendations and develop an action plan for the Calgary/Edmonton Corridor.
- Central Okanagan Journey Home SocietymajorRegional partner in Complex Needs Housing Advocacy Paper project. The advocacy work led to provincial approval for Complex Care Housing delivery for up to 20 people with complex care needs.
- PEOPLE Employment ServicesmajorSocial enterprise created through the PWLLE Indigenous Peer Navigator Program. PEOPLE Employment Services supports people with lived experience to maintain meaningful employment in the social serving sector.
- Comox Valley Coalition to End HomelessnessminorCommunity partner in Poverty Reduction Strategy project, representing local organizations working on homelessness.
- Comox Valley Community Health NetworkminorCommunity partner in Poverty Reduction Strategy project providing health network perspective.
- Comox Valley Social Planning CommitteeminorCommunity partner in Poverty Reduction Strategy project representing social planning interests.
- United Way BCmajorPartner in Kelowna Food Innovation Project addressing food insecurity in the Central Okanagan region.
- Squamish First NationmajorPartner in Housing Needs Report and Balanced Housing Lab for the North Shore, working on Housing Opportunity Areas and development approvals process.
- Aseniwuche Winewak NationcoreIndigenous community near Grande Cache, Alberta that exists without treaty status. Urban Matters is supporting the development of a citizenship code as a trusted third party to help navigate establishing community identity.
- New Power LabsmajorNational social finance organization based in Toronto. Urban Matters worked with them to design the Entrepreneur Mothers with Lived Experiences Fund supporting mother entrepreneurs.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Urban Matters CCC competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Centre for Social Innovation: Toronto-based member-supported community hub that connects social innovators, non-profits, and entrepreneurs. Adjacent to Urban Matters in the Canadian social innovation ecosystem, but operates as a co-working/membership platform rather than a consulting firm.
- Maytree Foundation: Toronto-based private foundation focused on poverty reduction, immigrant integration, and public policy. Comparable to Urban Matters' social planning and poverty reduction work in mission but operates as a grant-making and policy advocacy foundation rather than a fee-for-service consulting firm.
Direct peers
- Social Capital Partners: Canadian social purpose organization that builds employment outcomes for people facing barriers, working with employers, governments, and impact investors. Comparable to Urban Matters for the social enterprise incubation dimension (e.g., PEOPLE Employment Services) and the focus on workforce/social purpose initiatives.
- Tamarack Institute: Canadian community change institute that works with municipalities, foundations, and non-profits on poverty reduction, collective impact, and community innovation across Canada. Highly comparable to Urban Matters' social planning, poverty reduction strategy development, and community engagement work, though Tamarack operates more as a learning network/think-tank than a fee-for-service consultancy.
- Purpose Capital: Toronto-based advisory firm that partners with foundations, governments, and social enterprises on impact investing, social finance, and double-bottom-line strategy. Comparable to Urban Matters for advisory services targeting social-purpose organizations and designing blended-capital solutions (e.g., the Entrepreneur Mothers with Lived Experiences Fund designed with New Power Labs).
- MASS LBP: Canadian social purpose consulting firm that provides strategy, evaluation, and policy advisory to non-profits, governments, and Indigenous organizations. Directly comparable to Urban Matters in offering strategy and policy consulting to social-purpose clients, with similar geographic and mission focus on systems change work.
Broad incumbents
- McConnell Foundation: One of Canada's largest private foundations, which houses the Social Innovation Generation (SiG) initiative. Comparable to Urban Matters in its social innovation focus and prior partnership with Evergreen on the Our Urban Futures project; operates as a major funder rather than a direct consulting competitor.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Urban Matters CCC financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Urban Matters CCC leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Urban Matters CCC funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Urban Matters CCC M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Urban Matters CCC
What does Urban Matters CCC do?
Urban Matters CCC is a Community Contribution Company (CCC) registered in British Columbia that provides social planning, community development, and social innovation consulting services. The firm works with municipalities, First Nations, non-profits, and provincial governments across Western Canada to address complex social challenges such as housing affordability, poverty reduction, and equity. It applies facilitation methods such as Solutions Labs and frameworks like Three Horizons to engage stakeholders and develop actionable strategies.
Is Urban Matters CCC a public or private company?
Urban Matters CCC is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Urban Matters CCC founded?
Urban Matters CCC was founded in 2014. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Urban Matters CCC based?
Urban Matters CCC is headquartered in Kelowna, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Urban Matters CCC make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Consulting and Professional Services are the primary driver. The others are community Contributions (Redistribution).
Who are Urban Matters CCC's main competitors?
Others on record are Centre for Social Innovation and Maytree Foundation. Direct peers are Social Capital Partners, Tamarack Institute, Purpose Capital and MASS LBP. McConnell Foundation is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Urban Matters CCC have an API?
No public API is recorded for Urban Matters CCC.