Edinburgh Food Project

Name

Edinburgh Food Project

Legal name

Edinburgh Food Project

Website

https://edinburghfoodproject.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Bank and Poverty Relief Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (624210), Emergency and Other Relief Services (62423)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Assistance & Food Banks (BPAGAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Food Assistance & Safety Nets (In-Kind, Vouchers, Cash Transfers) (BPADAJAA)

Keywords

• Emergency food assistance
• Food bank services
• Money advice services
• Poverty relief charity
• Community support hub

Headquarters

HQ city

Edinburgh

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Monetary Donations: One-off and regular donations from individuals and organisations supporting the charity's operations and food bank services.
2. Food Donations: Donated food from community members, supermarkets, and corporate partners redistributed to those in need.
3. Fundraising Events: Registration fees and sponsorship from events including Scottish Half Marathon, Kiltwalk, 10K runs, Forth Bridge Abseil, Seven Hills Challenge, and Edinburgh Marathon.
4. Corporate Partnerships: Sponsorships, equipment donations, and match funding from businesses supporting food bank operations.
5. Money Advice Service Outcomes: Benefits, debt advice and income maximisation services that put money into clients' pockets, with the service generating £1.5 million in gains for clients in 2025.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Edinburgh Food Project provides emergency food parcels through seven food bank centres across Edinburgh, an in-house Money Advice Service offering benefits, debt, budgeting and income maximisation guidance, and the Craigmillar Community Hub co-locating a shop-style foodbank with 12 support agencies under a wrap-around model. All client-facing services are delivered free of charge to people referred into the system by partner agencies, with no commercial sale of food or advice.

Product overview

Edinburgh Food Project operates a portfolio of interconnected charitable services focused on food security and poverty relief. The core offerings include seven food bank locations distributing emergency food parcels, an in-house Money Advice Service providing benefits and debt advice, and the Craigmillar Community Hub (a partnership with Thistle Foundation) offering holistic support combining shop-style foodbank selection, specialist advice services, support agencies, and community courses. A Referral Pathways Service works to reform how people access support through partner agencies. All services work together to address immediate hunger needs while helping people achieve financial stability.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Food Bank Services Voucher-based emergency food parcel distribution across seven food bank centres in Edinburgh, providing a minimum of three days of nutritionally balanced food including dietary-specific provisions (diabetes, gluten-free, halal, vegetarian) and baby items such as food and nappies. Free at point of use to individuals and families referred by partner agencies.
• Money Advice Service In-house advice service providing guidance on benefits, debt, budgeting and income maximisation to help individuals move out of financial crisis; delivered at the Craigmillar Community Hub and via referral. Service secured £230,000+ in benefits for clients and contributed to £1.5m put into clients' pockets in 2025.
• Craigmillar Community Hub Wrap-around community hub at the Thistle Centre of Wellbeing (12 Queen's Walk, Edinburgh EH16 4EA) combining a shop-style foodbank with the Money Advice Service and 12 partner support agencies, plus seasonal events and courses (e.g., cooking, digital inclusion). Operates Tuesdays and Thursdays 11:00-13:30 in partnership with the Thistle Foundation.
• Referral Pathways Service System reform initiative working with partner agencies to build stronger referral relationships and shift support toward cash-first approaches that address the root causes of crises. Underpinned by the 'Reforming our Referral Pathways' report published in 2026.

Quantifiable outcome

• 18,000+ food parcels distributed in 2025
• +4 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

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Edinburgh Community BookshopminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 December 2025Edinburgh Community Bookshop on Great Junction Street chooses a different local charity each month to receive profits from book sales. Edinburgh Food Project was selected as charity of the month for December 2025, with the shop having donated over £38,000 to local charities since opening.
• East Lothian FoodbankminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 30 May 2025Partner in the Big Bounce fundraising event, a collaborative initiative where three food banks in Edinburgh, East Lothian, and West Lothian field teams of seven sponsored racers each for an inflatable 5K obstacle course.
• West Lothian FoodbankminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 30 May 2025Partner in the Big Bounce fundraising event, a collaborative initiative where three food banks in Edinburgh, East Lothian, and West Lothian field teams of seven sponsored racers each for an inflatable 5K obstacle course.
• Thistle FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2023Partnership hosting the Craigmillar Community Hub at the Thistle Centre of Wellbeing. The Thistle Foundation provides space for the shop-style food bank, Money Advice Service, and 12 support agency partners. This partnership enables the holistic wrap-around support model.
• Trussell TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEdinburgh Food Project operates as a franchisee of the Trussell Trust network of foodbanks. The partnership provides the operational framework, database systems, training, and support for food bank operations. Trussell Trust is the franchisor and shares best practices across the network of independent food bank charities.
• Corporate Partners (unspecified)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerVarious local and national businesses support the food bank through corporate volunteering, team building activities, fundraising events, match funding, food drives, and equipment donations. Contact via [email protected].

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Direct peers

• Glasgow NW & Central Foodbank: Trussell Trust food bank serving central Scotland's largest urban population. Directly comparable in operating model (voucher-based food parcels, volunteer-led) and in addressing urban food poverty at a similar scale.
• Magic Breakfast: UK charity providing school breakfasts and food support to children facing food insecurity. Comparable as a UK food-poverty charity operating at scale with corporate partnerships and measurable beneficiary outcomes.
• FareShare: UK's largest charity fighting food poverty by redistributing surplus food to frontline organisations. Comparable in mission (food poverty alleviation) and scale, though operating via a redistribution/wholesale model rather than direct-to-beneficiary food banks.
• Aberdeen Cyrenians: Scottish charity providing food, housing, and welfare support to people in crisis. Comparable as a multi-service Scottish anti-poverty charity combining food assistance with advice, housing, and wraparound support.
• The Bread and Butter Thing: UK charity providing affordable food through community membership hubs. Comparable in mission (food poverty relief) and in using a community-hub distribution model that combines dignity-preserving choice with wraparound support.
• West Lothian Foodbank: Sibling Trussell Trust food bank in West Lothian, co-partner with Edinburgh Food Project in the Big Bounce fundraising event. Directly comparable as a Scottish Trussell Trust franchise operating food parcels in a neighbouring region.
• East Lothian Foodbank: Trussell Trust franchise food bank in East Lothian and Big Bounce co-partner. Closely comparable as a Scottish regional food bank with a volunteer-driven, voucher-based operating model.

Broad incumbents

• Citizens Advice Edinburgh: Edinburgh-based referral partner that issues food bank vouchers to clients in crisis. Comparable as a frontline social-advice charity addressing overlapping beneficiary needs (debt, benefits, hardship) but with a broader advice remit.
• The Trussell Trust: National UK food bank network and franchisor of which Edinburgh Food Project is a member. Directly comparable as the umbrella body governing EFP's operational framework, database, and food-bank standards.

Emerging players

• Social Bite: Scottish social enterprise tackling homelessness and food poverty through cafés and food programmes. Comparable as a Scotland-based charity addressing overlapping beneficiary populations and employing a hybrid commercial/philanthropic funding model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/EdinFoodProject
• Facebookfacebook.com/EdinFoodProject
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/edinburgh-food-project
• Instagraminstagram.com/edinfoodproject

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Edinburgh Food Project