Dissensus Research

What Dissensus Research does

Dissensus Research (legal name: Dissensus Araştırma ve Danışmanlık Hizmetleri Anonim Şirketi) is a privately-held, interdisciplinary research and consultancy firm founded in 2018 and headquartered in Beşiktaş, Istanbul, Türkiye. The firm specializes in rights-based, people-centered social science research, applying both quantitative and qualitative methodologies to thematic areas including child rights, gender equality, youth studies, migration, human rights, education, poverty, and community resilience. Its service portfolio spans research design, field research, data analysis, impact evaluation, policy analysis, training, and consultancy, delivered through mixed-method approaches that combine digital and CATI surveys, in-depth interviews, focus groups, desk research, tracer studies, policy simulations, and co-design workshops with affected communities. The firm employs a team of approximately seven staff alongside a broader core network of academic specialists with credentials from Boğaziçi, Koç, Boston University, and Goldsmiths.

The firm generates revenue through commissioned research and consultancy projects awarded by international organizations (ILO, UN Women, Save the Children, EBRD, OXFAM, Sparkassenstiftung), Turkish civil society organizations (KİH, KEDV, Yurttaşlık Derneği), foundations (Aydın Doğan Vakfı), and public institutions. Pricing is project-based and negotiated individually; the firm does not publicly disclose rates. Go-to-market is sales-led and reputation-driven, leveraging long-standing relationships within Turkey's rights-based and humanitarian sector, academic rigor, and direct engagement with civil society actors and local communities. Outputs include research reports, green papers, training modules, family guidebooks, digital content, and stakeholder workshops.

Dissensus operates field research across multiple Turkish provinces, including Istanbul, Ankara, Balıkesir, Adana, Hatay, İzmir, Malatya, Edirne, Gaziantep, Çanakkale, Mersin, and Kars, supported by an administrative and field operations structure built out in 2024–2025. The firm's leadership is anchored by co-founder and Chairman Yusuf Kutlu, with co-founder Şemsa Özar (1954–2026), a pioneering Boğaziçi economist and feminist scholar, having passed away in 2026; researcher Nükhet Sirman, an anthropologist with four decades of teaching experience, also plays a senior role.

Name

Dissensus Research

Legal name

Dissensus Araştırma ve Danışmanlık Hizmetleri Anonim Şirketi

Website

https://dissensusresearch.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Dissensus Research is an Istanbul-based interdisciplinary research and consultancy firm founded in 2018 that delivers rights-based quantitative and qualitative research, impact evaluation, and training to international organizations (ILO, UN Women, Save the Children, EBRD, OXFAM) and Turkish civil society actors, with thematic focus on child rights, gender equality, migration, and community resilience.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Research and Consultancy Services

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Policy, Regulatory & Public Affairs Research (BPAHALAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

ESG, Sustainability & Impact Research (BPAHALAL), Due Diligence & Investigative Research (BPAHALAI), Global Health Research, Evidence & Technical Assistance Organizations (HLAJAKAN)

Keywords

• Social science research
• Impact evaluation services
• Gender equality research
• Rights-based consultancy
• Policy field research

Headquarters

HQ city

Istanbul

HQ country

Türkiye

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Research and Consultancy Services: Dissensus generates revenue through commissioned research projects, consultancy services, impact evaluations, needs assessments, capacity building programs, and training services. Projects are conducted for various clients including international organizations (ILO, UN Women, Save the Children), civil society organizations, foundations, and government institutions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Dissensus Research is an interdisciplinary research and consultancy firm that delivers commissioned social science research, impact evaluations, policy analysis, needs assessments, and capacity-building programs using quantitative and qualitative methodologies. The firm works on thematic areas including child rights, gender equality, youth studies, migration, human rights, education, poverty, and community resilience, serving international organizations, NGOs, government institutions, and foundations. Services span the full research lifecycle from design and fieldwork through data analysis and actionable policy recommendations.

Product overview

Dissensus Research offers a unified suite of research and consultancy services rather than a software product or platform. The core offering is interdisciplinary social science research combining quantitative and qualitative methodologies. Services span the complete research lifecycle from design through fieldwork, data analysis, impact evaluation, and policy advisory. The company prioritizes participatory, rights-based, and people-centered approaches, working closely with civil society actors, local governments, public institutions, and affected communities including children, women, youth, refugees, and other vulnerable populations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Research and Consultancy Services Interdisciplinary research and consultancy services that deliver research design, field research, data analysis, impact evaluation, policy analysis, training, and consultancy for international organizations, NGOs, government institutions, and foundations. The service uses quantitative and qualitative methods to analyze social processes on thematic areas including child rights, gender equality, youth studies, migration, human rights, education, poverty, and community resilience.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2614 survey participants including 2304 young women and 310 CSO representatives in a single needs assessment project
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• International Labour Organisation (ILO) Türkiye OfisicoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 September 2025Dissensus collaborates with ILO on multiple projects: (1) Roma communities' labour rights research across six provinces, (2) Care sector labour market assessment with demand forecasts, (3) KIGEP impact assessment for formal employment promotion. Projects employ mixed-method approaches combining quantitative and qualitative research.
• Yurttaşlık Derneği ((h)Yd)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025Dissensus serves as project partner in research on private school teachers' working conditions, trade union rights, and organizing struggles in Turkey. The project runs from September 2025 to July 2026 and includes digital surveys, in-depth interviews, focus groups, and consultation processes with teachers, union representatives, and rights-based CSOs.
• Kadının İnsan Hakları Derneği (KİH)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 August 2025Dissensus conducts research on women's economic empowerment from a feminist perspective in Ankara, examining barriers to employment, care work burden, time poverty, and discriminatory mechanisms in the labour market. Qualitative methods include in-depth interviews with women across five districts and focus group discussions with stakeholders.
• Save the Children International (SCI) Türkiye OfisicoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 January 2025Dissensus develops educational modules on climate awareness and emergency preparedness for refugee and host community children aged 4-8. The project includes family guidebook, social media content, training-of-trainers program, and awareness activities for 500 children. Modules are published on Save the Children Resource Centre.
• KEDV, OXFAM & EBRDcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2024Dissensus provides MEAL (Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning) support for projects enhancing economic participation of refugee and local women. Activities include baseline/endline assessments, surveys, in-depth interviews, and empowerment scale analysis using OXFAM's women empowerment measurement guide.
• Sınırlı Sorumlu Proje Evi Eğitim, Çevre Koruma ve Sosyal İşletme KooperatifiminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 March 2024Dissensus conducted situation analysis for climate change adaptation and green transformation in Turkey's olive sector. Field research across six olive-growing regions with approximately 150 stakeholder interviews including producers, factory owners, company representatives, and civil society experts.
• Aydın Doğan VakfıcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2024Dissensus conducted needs assessment for 'Empowered Girls, Empowered Future' project supporting disadvantaged young women and girls in Turkey. The study included 2,614 survey participants (2,304 young women, 310 CSO representatives), 20 in-depth interviews, and 3 focus group discussions to guide empowerment support strategies.
• Sparkassenstiftung für internationale Kooperation e. V.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 November 2023Dissensus conducted market research on agricultural sector financial inclusion for refugees and host communities in Turkey. Research combined desk review, stakeholder mapping, and fieldwork in six provinces (Adana, Gaziantep, Hatay, Çanakkale, Mersin, Kars) with interviews across producer, cooperative, public, financial, and civil society sectors.
• UN WomencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2022Dissensus developed modular capacity-building program on gender data and statistics for UN Women, targeting women's organizations, media professionals, and students. Activities included gender data capacity needs analysis, program development, and empowerment of target groups to effectively use gender data.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• TEPAV (Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey): Turkish think tank conducting economic and social policy research with international partners. Shares Dissensus's project-based, donor-funded research model and policy analysis orientation, though with stronger macroeconomic and trade policy emphasis.
• SPARK: Dutch-based international development organization with active programming in Turkey focused on higher education, refugee livelihoods, and women's economic empowerment. Comparable in commissioning and conducting rights-based research for refugee and women's economic participation projects in Turkey.
• GAP Institute (Görüş, Araştırma, Proje): Turkish research institution conducting regional development, social policy, and gender research with international partners. Directly comparable thematic focus (rural development, women's empowerment, migration) and donor-funded research model to Dissensus.
• Yaşama Dair Vakıf (YADA): Turkish foundation conducting social policy research on gender, poverty, child welfare, and education. Comparable in thematic areas, mixed-method research approach, and donor-funded project structure — serving similar international organization clients in the rights-based development space.
• İltica ve Göç Araştırmaları Derneği (İGAM): Turkish NGO focused on migration and refugee research, conducting policy analysis, field research, and rights-based advocacy. Directly comparable to Dissensus's refugee, migration, and labour-rights research mandates with international donor backing.
• International Center for Research on Women (ICRW): Global research institution conducting evidence-based research on gender equity, women's economic empowerment, and adolescent girls. Comparable to Dissensus in feminist-perspective research methodology, mixed-method approach, and international donor client base (UN Women, USAID).
• İstanbul Policy Center (IPC) at Sabancı University: Policy research center producing independent, evidence-based analysis on Turkey's most pressing policy issues, with thematic focus areas overlapping Dissensus (migration, gender, social policy, urbanization). Comparable in academic rigor and donor-funded research model, though larger in scale and hosted within a university.
• BAŞAK Strategy and Social Research Center: Turkish research consultancy providing social policy research, impact evaluation, and consulting services to international organizations and foundations. Closely comparable in service offerings, target clients (UN agencies, foundations), and methodology emphasis.

Broad incumbents

• Migration Policy Institute (MPI): International think tank studying migration and refugee policy through research, analysis, and policy development. Comparable in evidence-based policy research methodology and international organization client base, though with broader geographic mandate than Dissensus's Turkey focus.
• Overseas Development Institute (ODI): Leading global development think tank producing policy research and consulting on international development, humanitarian, and gender issues. Comparable in research methodology and donor client base; represents the scaled, globally-resourced version of Dissensus's niche.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dissensusr
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCUZhQGj0tqG1U1izLDuk9jg
• Facebookfacebook.com/dissensus.research
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dissensus-research
• Instagraminstagram.com/dissensus.research

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Dissensus Research