THE CLYDE RIVER FOUNDATION

What THE CLYDE RIVER FOUNDATION does

The Clyde River Foundation is a Scottish charity (SC029602) and company limited by guarantee (SC196438), founded in 2002 and headquartered within the University of Glasgow's Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine. Its core activity is applied freshwater ecology research and environmental education across the River Clyde catchment, combining long-term fish population monitoring, benthic macroinvertebrate water quality assessment, habitat surveys, and invasive non-native species research. Technical work follows Scottish Fisheries Co-ordination Centre (SFCC) protocols for electrofishing, and the foundation maintains a macroinvertebrate dataset dating from spring 2005. It also operates the Clyde Riverfly Monitoring Partnership (CRIMP), a citizen science network that has trained 113 monitors across 24 organisations and collected 450+ samples.

The foundation delivers a portfolio of educational programmes including Clyde in the Classroom (engaging 25,000+ pupils since 2001), Fish in Schools (FinS), Flying Fish, Trout at Transition, and Salmon Homecoming, reaching 100+ schools annually across primary and secondary segments. Educational programmes are primarily grant-funded and free for participating schools, with funding from Crown Estate Scotland, the University of Glasgow, Scottish Natural Heritage, Greggs Foundation, Glasgow Airport, ScotRail Foundation, and others. Operational delivery is supported by a lean team of 4-5 staff with 43 years of combined catchment experience.

The commercial revenue stream is a fisheries consultancy that provides contract surveying, environmental assessment, and fisheries data to government agencies, developers, and industries, with all profits redirected to the foundation's charitable work. The operating geography is Scotland, with services concentrated in the Clyde catchment across eight local authorities. Customer concentration is high in funder dependencies (Crown Estate Scotland, University of Glasgow, Scottish Natural Heritage account for major grants), while programme beneficiaries are highly distributed across schools and community groups.

Founded in 2002 by Dr. William Yeomans (the foundation's first full-time staff member and current Catchment Manager), the organization has expanded its programmes over two decades while maintaining a small core team. Strategic direction is overseen by a Board chaired by Robert Kerr, former Divisional Manager at Clyde River Purification with 38+ years of environmental regulation experience.

Name

THE CLYDE RIVER FOUNDATION

Legal name

The Clyde River Foundation

Website

https://clyderiverfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Clyde River Foundation is a Scottish charity conducting freshwater ecology research, fishery monitoring, and environmental education across the River Clyde catchment, serving primary and secondary schools, community groups, and government/industry clients via grant-funded programmes and a small consultancy arm.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Freshwater Ecology and Environmental Education

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Resources & Watershed Protection (BPAGAGAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Watershed/Source Water & Raw Water Quality Monitoring (intakes, reservoirs, groundwater) (EUANAJAH)

Keywords

• Freshwater ecology research
• Environmental education programmes
• Citizen science monitoring
• Fisheries consultancy services
• River conservation

Headquarters

HQ city

Glasgow

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Scientific Consultancy Services: The foundation offers commercial scientific consultancy services to inform management and development. All profits generated go towards supporting the Foundation's work to care for the River Clyde.
2. Grant Funding and Donations: Charitable organization receiving support from organizations like Crown Estate Scotland, University of Glasgow, Scottish Natural Heritage, and individual donors. Major projects like Clyde in the Classroom are grant-funded.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Clyde River Foundation is a Scottish charity that researches the ecology of the River Clyde and its tributaries and delivers environmental education programmes throughout the Clyde catchment. Its primary offerings are school-based education projects (Clyde in the Classroom, Flying Fish, Fish in Schools, Trout at Transition) combined with citizen science monitoring (CRIMP). It also sells commercial scientific consultancy services, including fish community surveys, invertebrate monitoring, habitat surveying, and invasive species research, with all profits reinvested into the Foundation's charitable work.

Product overview

The Clyde River Foundation offers a portfolio of environmental education programs and scientific research services focused on the River Clyde catchment. Core educational products include Clyde in the Classroom, Flying Fish, Fish in Schools (FinS), and Trout at Transition, which engage primary and secondary school pupils with river ecosystems through hands-on activities like raising brown trout and riverfly monitoring. The Foundation also operates CRIMP (Clyde Riverfly Monitoring Partnership), a citizen science initiative involving volunteer monitoring of water quality across the catchment. Commercial consultancy services in fisheries science, electrofishing surveys, invertebrate monitoring, habitat surveying, and invasive species research support the Foundation's charitable objectives. All commercial profits fund the Foundation's research and education work.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Clyde in the Classroom: Primary school education project bringing the river into classrooms or taking classrooms to the river
• Fish in Schools (FinS)
• Flying Fish
• Trout at Transition
• CRIMP (Clyde Riverfly Monitoring Partnership)
• Caring for the Clyde

Products and services

• Clyde in the Classroom A hands-on primary school education project where children raise brown trout from eggs to fry before releasing them into their local river or burn. The project brings the river into the classroom or takes the classroom to the river, and is supported by Crown Estate Scotland, the University of Glasgow, and Glasgow Science Centre.
• Flying Fish An outdoor education programme that takes primary school pupils to local rivers for hands-on learning about river ecosystems and fish populations, supported by Glasgow Airport funding.
• Fish in Schools (FinS) An eco-education project where pupils in 15 schools (particularly those in areas with high SIMD rankings) care for brown trout in school hatcheries, developing scientific and team-building skills while learning about native species and local environments.
• Trout at Transition A primary-to-secondary school transition project that follows pupils through their educational transition while continuing engagement with river ecosystems and freshwater biology.
• Clyde Riverfly Monitoring Partnership (CRIMP) A citizen science project involving monthly invertebrate sampling across the Clyde catchment to monitor water quality and environmental health using benthic macroinvertebrates as indicators. Trained 113 monitors from 24 organisations between 2013-2015.
• Fisheries Consultancy Services Commercial consultancy services providing advice, data (fish, invertebrates, habitat), and contract surveying to industry standards for government agencies, developers, and industries. All profits support the Foundation's work to care for the River Clyde.
• Electrofishing Surveys Fish community surveys conducted using electrofishing following industry-standard protocols devised by the Scottish Fisheries Co-ordination Centre (SFCC).
• Invertebrate Monitoring and Water Quality Assessment Water quality assessment using benthic macroinvertebrates as environmental quality indicators, with macroinvertebrate data accumulated since spring 2005 across multiple sub-catchments.
• Habitat Surveying Identification of fish habitat quantity and quality, locations of barriers to fish migration, sources of pollution, and distribution of invasive non-native species across the Clyde catchment.
• Invasive Non-Native Species (INNS) Research Research on invasive species including American signal crayfish, European bullhead, invasive plants, and invasive Gammarus species, with a comprehensive biosecurity plan and Check, Clean, Dry protocols.
• Healthy Rivers, Healthy Communities A river adoption model engaging communities and schools across the River Clyde and River Ayr catchments in caring for their local rivers.
• Salmon Homecoming An education project celebrating the return of Atlantic salmon to local rivers, engaging school children in the Avon Valley with salmon science and conservation; Salmon Homecoming 2017 saw 21 primary schools and almost 500 primary school children releasing young fish into the Avon Water.

Quantifiable outcome

• Salmon recolonised upstream of weir for first time in 120 years following fish pass installation on the Gotter Water
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• University of GlasgowcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe foundation is based within the University of Glasgow's Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine. Partner in Clyde in the Classroom project. The foundation teaches undergraduate courses and offers projects to students.
• Glasgow Science CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Clyde in the Classroom launch events and Fish in Schools projects. Provides venue for educational programmes.
• The Rivers TrustmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in developing Fish in Schools project alongside Ayrshire Rivers Trust and Loch Lomond Fisheries Trust.
• Ayrshire Rivers TrustmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-developed Fish in Schools project with The Rivers Trust and Loch Lomond Fisheries Trust.
• Loch Lomond Fisheries TrustmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-developed Fish in Schools project with The Rivers Trust and Ayrshire Rivers Trust.
• Riverfly PartnershipmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCRIMP is part of the Riverfly Partnership network. Foundation has delivered training workshops on behalf of the Partnership.
• Central Scotland Green Network TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in INNS OUT project for invasive plant removal along the Clyde walkway.
• Rivers and Fisheries Trusts Scotland (RAFTS)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipated in CIRB project for controlling invasive riparian plants. Part of national fisheries management programme.
• Clyde and Avon Valley PartnershipminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in INNS OUT project for invasive plant management.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Scottish Wildlife Trust: Scotland's largest nature conservation charity. Overlaps with the Clyde River Foundation on freshwater habitat, species recovery, and community engagement, though operates at much larger scale and broader remit than a single-catchment river trust.
• The Wildlife Trusts: UK federation of 46 local wildlife trusts. Comparable in mission around nature recovery, community engagement, and education, but operates at national scale with broader biodiversity scope rather than a single river catchment.
• Atlantic Salmon Trust: UK-wide charity focused on wild Atlantic salmon conservation. Operates at a national policy and research level overlapping with the Clyde River Foundation's salmon recovery work, including the Gotter Water fish passage outcome.
• The Rivers Trust: UK-wide umbrella body for river and catchment trusts, of which the Clyde River Foundation is a partner. Operates the national movement that the foundation's catchment work feeds into, with overlapping mission around river health, education, and citizen science.

Emerging players

• Rivers and Fisheries Trusts Scotland (RAFTS): Scottish umbrella membership body for fisheries and river trusts, of which the Clyde River Foundation is a member. Comparable in coordinating catchment-scale river conservation and connecting local trusts to national funding streams.

Regional players

• Clyde and Avon Valley Partnership: Cross-boundary landscape partnership operating in the Clyde catchment, overlapping with the Clyde River Foundation's INNS OUT invasive plant work and broader catchment engagement — a thematic peer in the same geography.

Direct peers

• Tweed Foundation: Scottish salmon river conservation charity focused on the River Tweed. Closely comparable model: scientific research, education, and habitat work on a single major catchment — a direct analogue for how the Clyde River Foundation operates on the Clyde.
• Loch Lomond Fisheries Trust: Scottish fisheries trust co-developing Fish in Schools with the Clyde River Foundation. Operates the same combination of fisheries science, education outreach, and catchment-based habitat work in central Scotland.
• Ayrshire Rivers Trust: Co-developer of the Fish in Schools project with the Clyde River Foundation. A directly comparable Scottish river trust engaged in catchment monitoring, education, and habitat work in an adjacent geography.
• Spey Foundation: Scottish fishery trust undertaking research, monitoring, and conservation on the River Spey. Similar to the Clyde River Foundation in being a single-catchment research and education charity with strong technical fisheries expertise.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ClydeRiverFoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-clyde-river-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 THE CLYDE RIVER FOUNDATION