THE BRITISH INSTITUTE OF HUMAN RIGHTS

What THE BRITISH INSTITUTE OF HUMAN RIGHTS does

The British Institute of Human Rights (BIHR) is a UK-registered charity (No. 1101575) and company limited by guarantee (No. 4978121), headquartered in London at 167–169 Great Portland Street, that translates the Human Rights Act 1998 and the European Convention on Human Rights into practical action across individuals, communities, and public services. Founded in 2001, the organisation's core products are commissioned training programmes for public bodies (NHS trusts, local authorities, Integrated Care Boards, regulators, care providers), workshops and open courses for individuals and community groups, the Human Rights Act Policy Academy for policy professionals, and a free public Resources Hub including Easy Read materials, legislation explainers, and real-life stories.

The underlying 'technology' is a co-produced human rights curriculum grounded in UK statute and operationalised through structured two-part workshop and multi-module Practice Leads programmes, with input from the RITES Committee — a panel of Lived Experience Experts who have personally used the Human Rights Act. BIHR distributes content via its website, monthly eNews, blog series, YouTube explainers, and direct policy engagement with Parliament and the UN Human Rights Committee. The organisation runs two flagship programmes — Empowering Community Advocacy and Accountability in Public Services — alongside policy projects on protecting the HRA and embedding human rights in adjacent legislation.

BIHR's revenue model blends three streams: (1) professional services income from commissioned training contracts with public sector organisations; (2) grants and project funding, notably from the Equality & Human Rights Commission; and (3) donations, fundraising, Give as You Earn, Give as You Shop, and legacy giving. Free resources are distributed under a freemium model; hard-copy printing is charged at cost. The customer base is hybrid — individuals and community groups access free resources, while NHS trusts, local authorities, regulators, and care providers commission paid training. The organisation operates UK-wide with no subsidiaries, is governed by a Board of Trustees chaired by Imran Khan KC, and is led by CEO Sanchita Hosali.

Name

THE BRITISH INSTITUTE OF HUMAN RIGHTS

Legal name

The British Institute of Human Rights

Website

https://bihr.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Human Rights Education and Civil Society Training

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

akta.pro primary industry

Civil Liberties & Constitutional Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Human Rights Monitoring, Documentation & Advocacy (BPADAGAK), Legal Literacy & Public Legal Education (Know Your Rights) (EDAAAFAI), Legal & Governance Professional Development (EDAGANAK), Legal & Compliance (CLE, Paralegal CE) (EDAAALAB)

Keywords

• Human rights training
• Civil society charity
• Public sector capacity building
• Human rights education
• Policy advocacy services

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. Training and Capacity-Building Services: BIHR offers paid training programmes to public bodies, including workshops, lunch-and-learn series, and long-term capacity-building programmes. Training is commissioned by NHS trusts, local authorities, and other public sector organizations.
2. Donations and Fundraising: The organization receives donations from individuals, runs fundraising campaigns, and offers options including one-off donations, Give as you Earn, Give as you Shop online, and legacy giving through wills.
3. Grants and Commissioned Work: BIHR receives funding from organizations such as the Equality & Human Rights Commission to support specific projects, including attendance at UN Human Rights Committee sessions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

BIHR delivers commissioned human rights training and capacity-building programmes to UK public bodies (NHS trusts, local authorities, regulators) and community organisations, helping them understand and apply legal duties under the Human Rights Act 1998. The charity also produces a free library of accessible resources including Easy Read materials and legislation explainers, and engages in policy advocacy to influence UK human rights legislation.

Product overview

The British Institute of Human Rights (BIHR) is a UK-wide charity offering a portfolio of human rights education and capacity-building products. The core offerings consist of training programmes for individuals/communities and public bodies, open courses on specific topics (housing, mental health), and the Human Rights Act Policy Academy for policy professionals. Supporting resources include a Resources Hub with guides and posters, Easy Read materials, Legislation Explainers, and Real Life Stories. BIHR also runs lived experience programmes through the RITES Committee, community advocacy programmes, and public services accountability programmes. The organization amplifies impact through policy projects, consultation responses, and a monthly eNews newsletter.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Human Rights Training for Public Bodies & Service Providers Commissioned training programmes for UK public bodies and service providers (NHS trusts, local authorities, regulators, care providers) supporting them to understand and implement their binding legal duties under the Human Rights Act 1998. Delivered as workshops, two-part capacity-building programmes, and long-term practice leadership courses.
• Human Rights Training for Individuals & Communities Workshops for individuals and grassroots community groups designed to help them use the language of human rights law in advocacy and bring about positive change in their lives and communities.
• Open Courses Open courses on specific human rights topics for individual practitioners and interested participants, covering areas such as Housing & Human Rights and Human Rights in Mental Health Inpatient Care.
• Human Rights Act Policy Academy A specialist professional development programme for policy, campaigns and advocacy professionals to use the Human Rights Act fluently and strategically. Includes certificate of completion, course handbook, supported practice project, and professional network.
• Empowering Community Advocacy Programme A UK-wide programme supporting community and voluntary groups to address social justice issues using human rights-based approaches.
• Accountability in Public Services Programme A programme working with public bodies to embed human rights approaches in health, social care and regulatory services.
• Resources Hub Free library of tools, guides, and posters including co-produced resources available for download from the website, covering practical application of the Human Rights Act.
• Easy Read Hub Accessible Easy Read versions of human rights information and resources, co-produced with lived experience experts, making legal concepts accessible to people with learning disabilities.
• Legislation & Explainers Information resources explaining human rights legislation including the Human Rights Act 1998 and the European Convention on Human Rights, presented in accessible formats.
• Policy Projects Policy projects including Protecting our HRA and Putting human rights into other laws, comprising consultation responses, parliamentary briefings, and submissions to UN Human Rights Committee sessions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 93% of workshop attendees reported being more likely to rely on the HRA to make positive changes in their work
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• West Midlands Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025West Midlands ADASS and NHS England Midlands partnered with BIHR to deliver the 'Supporting Change Through Human Rights for Autistic People and People with a Learning Disability' programme. This capacity-building initiative included two-part workshops and practice leadership courses for over 220 practitioners across health and social care in the Midlands region.
• NHS England MidlandscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025NHS England Midlands collaborated with West Midlands ADASS and BIHR to deliver human rights workshops for professionals working with people with learning disabilities and autistic people, supporting the Building the Right Support national plan to develop community services and close inpatient facilities.
• National Care ForumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024BIHR and the National Care Forum (representing 170+ not-for-profit care organisations) created a joint briefing supporting an amendment to the Mental Health Bill to ensure human rights protections apply when care is outsourced to independent providers, closing a legal loophole exposed in the Paul/Sammut v Next Steps case.
• Just FairsecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022BIHR and Just Fair partnered on the London Communities Human Rights Programme, working with London communities to use human rights-based approaches to address social justice issues.
• Scottish Recovery ConsortiumsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to deliver capacity-building sessions supporting mental health recovery through human rights approaches in Scotland.
• Scottish CaresecondaryOthersScottish Care contributed to BIHR's evidence submission on the Mental Health Bill, voicing support for ensuring human rights obligations are clear and accessible for duty holders in the Scottish care sector.
• Human Rights Consortium ScotlandsecondaryOthersHuman Rights Consortium Scotland contributed to evidence submission supporting equal human rights protections in mental health care.
• Care Rights UKsecondaryOthersCare Rights UK contributed to BIHR's evidence submission supporting equal access to human rights protections for people receiving care services.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Scottish Human Rights Commission: The Scottish Human Rights Commission is Scotland's national human rights institution, promoting and protecting human rights across devolved policy areas. It is a comparable regional peer to BIHR's UK-wide work, focused on rights implementation, training, and policy.

Direct peers

• JUSTICE: JUSTICE is an independent UK law reform and human rights charity working on the rule of law and access to rights, including legal training and policy work on the Human Rights Act. It overlaps with BIHR's focus on HRA implementation, legal education, and rights-based reform advocacy.
• Human Rights Consortium Scotland: The Human Rights Consortium Scotland is a Scottish civil society network promoting human rights-based approaches. It is comparable as a peer human rights NGO working on policy, training, and advocacy, and has collaborated with BIHR on Mental Health Bill evidence submissions.
• Liberty (Liberty): Liberty is a leading UK civil liberties and human rights organisation that campaigns, litigates, and educates on rights protections, including the Human Rights Act. It is directly comparable to BIHR as a UK-focused human rights NGO engaging in policy advocacy, training, and rights awareness.
• British Institute of International and Comparative Law (BIICL): BIICL is an independent research and training organisation focused on international and comparative law, including human rights law. It is comparable to BIHR through its legal research, training, and convening activities targeting practitioners and policymakers.
• Just Fair: Just Fair is a UK human rights NGO that works with people and communities to use human rights in tackling economic and social injustice. BIHR and Just Fair have an established partnership (London Communities Human Rights Programme), making Just Fair a direct peer in community-based human rights training and advocacy.

Emerging players

• Howard League for Penal Reform: The Howard League is a UK charity working on penal reform and the rights of people in detention, with education and policy programmes. It overlaps with BIHR's public-sector human rights training and advocacy, particularly on rights protections in custodial and health settings.
• Centre for Women's Justice: Centre for Women's Justice is a UK charity focused on using strategic litigation and rights-based advocacy to address violence against women. BIHR's CEO is a trustee of the Centre for Women's Justice, and the organisations share an approach of using rights frameworks to drive systemic change in public services.

Broad incumbents

• Amnesty International UK: Amnesty International UK is the UK section of a major global human rights organisation with broad campaigning, training, and policy programmes. It overlaps with BIHR's human rights education and policy work but operates at much larger scale and broader thematic scope.
• Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC): EHRC is the UK's statutory regulator for equality and human rights, providing guidance, enforcement, and grant funding — including direct grants to BIHR for UN engagement. It is comparable through its role promoting HRA implementation and is also a key funder of BIHR's work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-british-institute-of-human-rights

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 BRITISH INSTITUTE OF HUMAN RIGHTS