Civil Society Consulting CIC

What Civil Society Consulting CIC does

Civil Society Consulting CIC, operating publicly as Civil Society Together, is a UK-registered not-for-profit Community Interest Company (company number 07815137) headquartered in Dalston, London. Founded circa 2012 by a group of freelancers and relaunched under its current name in 2020, the organisation runs three core streams of work: (1) commissioned affordable consultancy for social impact organisations such as charities, CICs, CIOs, funders, think tanks, housing associations and statutory services; (2) free support to grassroots organisations led by and for marginalised communities via the Nurturing Grassroots initiative; and (3) the 32 Steps to Togetherness movement, a community-connection programme designed to create conditions for systems change. Supporting programmes include Building Connections Training, Poetry Workshops, Film-Making Workshops, a Book Club, the Togetherness Poetry Challenge and a Climate Action: Community & Faith Leaders Network, delivered through in-person events across at least nine UK locations as well as online formats.

The underlying technology is minimal: the organisation is not a technology company, running on a Squarespace website with no app, API, SDK or proprietary software platform. Service delivery is powered by a network of experienced freelance consultants, with a small 14-person core team providing directorial oversight, client engagement and programme coordination.

The business model blends fee-based commissioned consultancy with grant and donation funding from sources including the National Lottery Community Fund, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, and DCMS. Pricing for paid work is quote-based and tailored to client budgets with a stated mission of affordability, while grassroots support is provided free of charge. Distribution is achieved through direct consultancy engagements, community events and workshops, and digital channels including LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Eventbrite and email. The organisation has supported approximately 1,500 organisations cumulatively and counts Greater London Authority, Tower Hamlets, Mind, GMCVO, Mobilise and Devon Carers among named clients.

Name

Civil Society Consulting CIC

Legal name

Civil Society Together CIC

Website

https://civilsocietyconsulting.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Civil Society Consulting CIC, trading as Civil Society Together, is a UK non-profit consultancy that provides affordable and free support to charities, grassroots organisations and civil society groups, alongside the 32 Steps to Togetherness community movement.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civil Society Consultancy Services

NAICS

Other Management Consulting Services (541618), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Civil Society Strengthening & Civic Space (BPADAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Engagement & Service-Learning Partnerships (EDALAOAI), Interfaith & Ecumenical Councils and Dialogue Organizations (BPAGAJAJ)

Keywords

• Civil society consultancy
• Nonprofit support services
• Grassroots capacity building
• Community engagement programmes
• Social impact advisory

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. Commissioned Consultancy Work: Providing affordable but excellent consultancy support for social impact organisations including charities, CICs, CIOs, funders, social action leaders, think tanks, housing associations and statutory services. This is fee-based work delivered by a network of freelance consultants.
2. Free Support for Grassroots Organisations: Free support provided to grassroots organisations led by and for marginalised communities through the Nurturing Grassroots initiative. This is funded through grants and donations rather than client fees.
3. Donations and Grants: The organisation is a not-for-profit Community Interest Company that relies on funding from organisations including TNL Community Fund, Dept of Levelling Up Housing and Communities, DCMS, and other charitable foundations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Civil Society Consulting CIC (trading as Civil Society Together) is a UK not-for-profit Community Interest Company that delivers affordable, commissioned consultancy support to charities, CICs, CIOs, funders, social action leaders, think tanks, housing associations, and statutory services. It operates three streams: (1) paid consultancy engagements, (2) free support through the Nurturing Grassroots initiative for grassroots organisations led by and for marginalised communities, and (3) the 32 Steps to Togetherness movement focused on building community connections. Complementary programmes include Building Connections Training, Film-Making Workshops, Poetry Workshops, the Togetherness Poetry Challenge, Book Club, and a Climate Action Community & Faith Leaders Network.

Product overview

Civil Society Together operates as a non-profit consultancy organisation offering a portfolio of interconnected programmes and services rather than a unified software product. The core offering comprises three streams: (1) commissioned affordable consultancy services for social impact organisations, (2) free support through the Nurturing Grassroots initiative for grassroots organisations serving marginalised communities, and (3) the 32 Steps to Togetherness movement focused on systems change. Supporting programmes include Building Connections Training (loneliness reduction), Film-Making Workshops, Poetry Workshops and the Togetherness Poetry Challenge, Book Club, and the Climate Action Network. These initiatives work together to advance the organisation's mission of health, equality, and social solidarity within UK civil society.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 32 Steps to Togetherness: A movement on a mission to build connections within and between communities, creating the conditions for systems change
• Nurturing Grassroots
• Togetherness Poetry Challenge
• Building Connections Training
• Film-Making Workshops
• Poetry Workshops
• CSC Book Club

Products and services

• Affordable Consultancy Support
• Nurturing Grassroots (Free Support Programme)
• 32 Steps to Togetherness
• Building Connections Training
• Poetry Workshops
• Film-Making Workshops

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,500 organisations supported with affordable or free consultancy

Named customers11 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

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Foundation for Social Improvement (FSI): UK charity delivering affordable training, consultancy and resources to small and medium-sized charities. Closely comparable as a specialist provider of affordable civil-society consulting and capacity-building services across the UK.
• Locality: UK membership organisation supporting community-led organisations, neighbourhood groups and social enterprises with advice, networks and capacity building. Directly comparable in mission (community organisation support, affordable advice, UK focus), with similar vertical customer base.
• School for Social Entrepreneurs: UK charity providing training, mentoring and peer support for social entrepreneurs and community leaders. Directly comparable on the capacity-building and grassroots-leader-development dimension of CST's Nurturing Grassroots initiative.

Emerging players

• Reach Volunteering: UK charity connecting skilled professionals with boards of charities and social enterprises. Comparable in supporting UK civil-society capacity, with overlapping grassroots and small-charity client base.
• CharityComms: UK membership organisation for charity communicators, providing training, resources and events. Comparable in serving UK third-sector organisations with training, events and community-building programmes, though narrower in scope (comms only).
• Third Sector Lab: UK consultancy helping charities and civil-society organisations use digital, data and design. Comparable as a values-led UK third-sector consultancy serving a similar client base, though more specialised in digital transformation.

Broad incumbents

• NCVO (National Council for Voluntary Organisations): UK's largest membership body for charities and voluntary organisations, providing infrastructure support, advice and policy representation. Highly comparable as a UK civil-society support organisation, but with a much broader national mandate and significantly larger scale than CST.
• UK Community Foundations: UK network of 47 accredited community foundations supporting local grassroots groups with grant-making and capacity building. Comparable in supporting grassroots civil society in the UK, but operating as a funder/network rather than a consultancy.
• Bates Wells: UK law firm with a dedicated civil-society practice advising charities, social enterprises and CICs. Adjacent peer providing professional services to the same UK third-sector client base that CST consults to.
• New Philanthropy Capital (NPC): UK think tank and consultancy for the social sector, advising charities and funders on impact, strategy and evaluation. Comparable as a UK civil-society-focused advisory, but more research-driven and oriented to larger charities and funders.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CivilSocietyCIC
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/stepstotogetherness
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/civil-society-consulting
• Instagraminstagram.com/stepstotogetherness

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Civil Society Consulting CIC