What CDAC Network does

CDAC Network is a London-headquartered registered charity (charity number 1178168) and company limited by guarantee that operates as a global alliance of 40+ humanitarian and media development organizations. Its mission is to ensure crisis-affected populations can access safe, trustworthy information by coordinating communication, community engagement, and accountability (CCEA) activities across the humanitarian system. The network serves UN agencies (UNICEF, UNHCR, WFP, WHO, IOM, OCHA), the ICRC, the International Rescue Committee, BBC Media Action, Internews, DW Akademie, Fondation Hirondelle, CLEAR Global, and other major humanitarian and media-development actors, and it engages local and national NGOs as well as crisis-affected communities across more than 50 countries in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Europe, the Pacific, and the Americas.

The organization's core offerings include the SAFE AI Framework (the first governance framework for AI in humanitarian action, co-developed with The Alan Turing Institute and Humanitarian AI Advisory), the Sudan AI Information Integrity Project (an AI-powered inauthentic-network detection pilot built with technology partner Valent and local Emergency Response Rooms), the Local Lifelines Sudan program (information ecosystem support for localized humanitarian action), Information Integrity Services, and Communities of Practice coordination convenings. Underlying technology includes machine-learning models for text-based narrative analysis across English and Arabic, structured-data analysis of metadata (IPs, timestamps, network behavior), and anomaly detection of coordinated inauthentic network activity, combined with CDAC's 15+ year content library of guidance, templates, and training materials.

CDAC generates no commercial revenue. It is funded through charitable grants and donations from institutional donors including UK Aid (via H2H Network), the UK Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), and UNICEF, and operates as a freemium model where all tools, guidance, and resources are provided free of charge to the humanitarian sector. The network distributes its services through its own website, through 40+ member organizations, and via direct engagement with IASC humanitarian coordination structures and AAP/CCE working groups at country and global levels. It is governed by a Board of Trustees (chaired by Geoff Loane) and led by Executive Director Helen McElhinney, supported by a secretariat of approximately 24 staff.

Name

CDAC Network

Legal name

CDAC Network

Website

https://cdacnetwork.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CDAC Network is a London-based global alliance of 40+ humanitarian and media development organizations coordinating communication, community engagement, and accountability in crisis response, with emerging AI capabilities for information integrity and the SAFE AI governance framework.

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

Revenue model

1. Charitable funding and grants: CDAC Network operates as a registered charity (number 1178168) and company limited by guarantee (number 10571501) funded through grants, donations, and institutional funding from donors including UK aid, H2H Network, and bilateral donors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CDAC Network is a global alliance of humanitarian and media development organizations that provides coordination services, tools, frameworks, and training to support communication with crisis-affected populations. Its core offerings include the SAFE AI Framework for ethical AI governance in humanitarian action, Information Integrity services for monitoring and responding to mis/disinformation in crises such as Sudan, Local Lifelines Sudan projects, and Communities of Practice for system-wide coordination among UN agencies, NGOs, donors, and local responders.

Product overview

CDAC Network is a global alliance of humanitarian and media development organizations committed to ensuring people can access safe, trustworthy information during crises. The organization offers a portfolio of services centered on communication, community engagement, and accountability (CCEA) in humanitarian response. Core offerings include the SAFE AI Framework (governance standards for AI in humanitarian action), the Sudan AI Information Integrity Project (using AI to detect harmful information), Local Lifelines Sudan (improving humanitarian information ecosystems), Information Integrity Services, and Communities of Practice for coordination. These products work together to strengthen collective approaches to communication with crisis-affected populations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SAFE AI: Standards and Assurance Framework for Ethical AI - a governance framework for AI in humanitarian action developed by CDAC Network in partnership with The Alan Turing Institute and Humanitarian AI Advisory.
• Local Lifelines

Products and services

• SAFE AI Framework Standards and Assurance Framework for Ethical AI that provides tools and guidance to help humanitarian actors, donors, and communities apply safeguards proportionate to context and risk when planning or using AI systems in humanitarian action.
• Sudan AI Information Integrity Project Pilot project using AI tools to detect and analyze harmful information early in Sudan, supporting Sudanese and international responders to counter dangerous narratives before they cause harm. Works with local Emergency Response Rooms and technology partner Valent.
• Local Lifelines Sudan Project to improve the humanitarian information ecosystem and support an enabling environment for greater localised humanitarian action in Sudan. Responds to gaps in coordination and information sharing between local actors and international IASC structures.
• Information Integrity Services Services focused on addressing harmful information, mis/disinformation, and information-related risks in humanitarian crises. Includes monitoring, analysis, and response strategies.
• Communities of Practice Network coordination services bringing together local actors, UN agencies, NGOs, and donors to share lessons, triangulate digital signals with ground realities, and strengthen coordination mechanisms.

Quantifiable outcome

• 622 responders engaged in CCEA coordination through Quality of Practice meetings
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.

• ValentcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 August 2025Technology partner for Sudan AI project, providing AI models trained to detect inauthentic networks and monitor manipulation of online narratives. Valent's technical detection capabilities are combined with CDAC's humanitarian interpretation to develop counter-content strategies for dangerous narratives.
• The Alan Turing InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Co-developer of the SAFE AI Framework (Standards and Assurance Framework for Ethical AI in humanitarian action). The partnership brings together humanitarian expertise and academic AI research to create governance tools for AI deployment in crisis settings.
• Humanitarian AI AdvisorycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Co-developer of the SAFE AI Framework, contributing expertise in humanitarian AI implementation and governance to the standards and assurance framework development.
• Emergency Response Rooms (ERRs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal Sudanese mutual aid networks working at the forefront of humanitarian response in Sudan. ERRs collaborate with CDAC on the pilot project to co-design AI tools that are grounded in local expertise and operational realities.
• Local LifelinescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-country initiative to improve humanitarian information ecosystems and support localized humanitarian action. CDAC works with local actors to bridge knowledge and support between local networks and international IASC coordination structures.
• DW AkademiestrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in displacement communication and the 2025 Public Forum. DW Akademie works with local partners to strengthen free media and expression, and collaborates with CDAC on accountability through dialogue in displacement contexts.
• Fondation HirondellestrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss non-profit organization working to ensure people facing crises have access to reliable local information. Partner in the 2025 Public Forum and collaboration on information integrity in crisis contexts.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Internews: Internews is a member of CDAC Network and the closest direct peer in humanitarian information/media development. Both organizations work on information access, mis/disinformation response, and community engagement in crisis contexts, and share many staff pipelines and donor relationships.
• BBC Media Action: BBC Media Action is a CDAC member and a direct peer operating at the intersection of media development and humanitarian communication. Both produce guidance, training, and field programming focused on communication with crisis-affected populations.
• DW Akademie: DW Akademie is a CDAC member working on media development, free expression, and accountability in displacement contexts. Both organizations co-programmed the 2025 Public Forum and share a thematic focus on information integrity.
• CLEAR Global: CLEAR Global (formerly Translators without Borders) is a CDAC member providing language and translation services in humanitarian contexts. It is directly comparable as a small-to-mid-sized specialized humanitarian-services network addressing information barriers.
• Fondation Hirondelle: Fondation Hirondelle is a CDAC member operating independent media in crisis contexts. It is a direct peer providing information services to crisis-affected populations and partner in CDAC's 2025 Public Forum.

Broad incumbents

• ReliefWeb: ReliefWeb is the UN OCHA-operated humanitarian information service providing global crisis information. It is a broad incumbent addressing overlapping humanitarian-information needs and is hosted by a CDAC member organization.
• ACAPS: ACAPS is an independent humanitarian needs analysis provider serving UN agencies, NGOs, and donors. Comparable as a specialized information-analysis provider supporting humanitarian decision-making across crises.

Emerging players

• ALNAP: ALNAP is the Active Learning Network for Accountability and Performance in humanitarian action, a sector-wide learning network hosted by ODI. Comparable as a humanitarian learning and standards body serving overlapping audiences.
• Ground Truth Solutions: Ground Truth Solutions is a small specialized organization running community-perception monitoring and accountability-to-affected-populations programs in humanitarian crises. It is directly comparable to CDAC's CCEA focus and shares many of the same member/donor relationships.
• Humanitarian AI Advisory: Humanitarian AI Advisory is a co-developer of CDAC's SAFE AI Framework. It is an emerging player in the humanitarian AI governance space, sharing CDAC's focus on ethical AI deployment in crisis contexts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CDACN
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cdac-network

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CDAC Network