Human Rights Consortium Scotland

What Human Rights Consortium Scotland does

Human Rights Consortium Scotland (HRCS) is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO, registration SC050099) operating as Scotland's civil society network for defending and promoting human rights. Headquartered at 66 Hanover Street, Edinburgh with a team of approximately 7 employees led by Director Mhairi Snowden, the organisation convenes more than 100 civil society organisations across issue areas including children's rights, disability rights, migrants' rights, racial equality, women's rights, and environmental rights. Its primary mission is to campaign for the incorporation of major UN human rights treaties (ICESCR, CEDAW, ICERD, CRPD, plus the right to a healthy environment) into Scots law, most visibly through the Scottish Human Rights Bill campaign, and to defend the UK Human Rights Act 1998 against measures such as the Rights Removal Bill.

HRCS delivers its work through a portfolio of advocacy campaigns, participatory platforms, and educational resources rather than a technology product. Core offerings include the Scottish Human Rights Bill campaign, the Lived Experience Boards (which channel the voices of rights-holders into policy), the All Our Rights In Law research project, the Human Rights Justice Initiative (13 Calls to Action on legal aid reform), the Migrants' Human Rights Project, an extensive Resource Bank of briefings and treaty explainers co-produced with University of Edinburgh and University of Strathclyde academics, plus webinars, podcasts, and the Scotland's Annual Human Rights Conference. Its technology footprint is a standard responsive website (hrcscotland.org) with no proprietary platform, integrations, or AI capabilities.

The business model is a diversified non-profit funding stack: recurring membership fees from organisational and individual members, project-specific foundation grants (notably Paul Hamlyn Foundation for the Migrants' Human Rights project and prior Corra Foundation support), and public donations. Membership pricing is not publicly disclosed. Go-to-market is community-led, relying on direct civil society recruitment, coordinated joint advocacy (joint letters, UN shadow reports, consultation responses), and engagement with the Scottish Government and Scottish Parliament via formal advisory board seats on the Human Rights Bill governance structure. The organisation also participates in UK-wide coalitions such as the Civil Society Alliance and Just Fair's UK ESCR Network, extending its influence beyond Scotland on UK-level human rights policy.

Name

Human Rights Consortium Scotland

Legal name

Human Rights Consortium Scotland

Website

https://hrcscotland.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Human Rights Consortium Scotland is a charity-registered civil society network of 100+ organisations that campaigns to incorporate UN human rights treaties into Scots law, convenes lived experience participation in policy, and coordinates collective advocacy across poverty, disability, migrants, and equality issues.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civil Society Advocacy Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Human Rights & Anti-Discrimination Organizations (BPAGAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Human Rights Monitoring, Documentation & Advocacy (BPADAGAK), Civil Liberties & Constitutional Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAA), Digital Rights, Privacy & Free Expression Advocacy (BPAGAFAL)

Keywords

• Human rights advocacy
• Civil society network
• Policy advocacy
• Human rights law
• Civil society coalition

Headquarters

HQ city

Edinburgh

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership fees (organisational and individual): Civil society organisations and individuals pay to become members of the Consortium, providing a recurring revenue stream and sustaining the network's operations.
2. Foundation grants: Project funding from philanthropic foundations such as Paul Hamlyn Foundation supports specific initiatives like the Migrants' Human Rights project.
3. Donations: The organisation accepts donations from members of the public who support its human rights mission.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Human Rights Consortium Scotland is Scotland's civil society network that coordinates over 100 civil society organisations to defend and promote human rights. It campaigns for the incorporation of major UN human rights treaties into Scots law (notably through the Scottish Human Rights Bill), facilitates Lived Experience Boards to channel marginalised voices into policy, produces policy briefings and reports, and engages directly with the Scottish Government and UK Government on human rights legislation and accountability.

Product overview

Human Rights Consortium Scotland operates as a civil society network providing human rights advocacy, not a technology product company. Its offerings consist of advocacy campaigns (primarily the Scottish Human Rights Bill campaign), participatory platforms (Lived Experience Boards), research projects (All Our Rights In Law), policy publications and briefings, educational webinars, and initiatives focused on access to justice and migrants' rights. These are advocacy and policy services rather than commercial products or software.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Organisational Membership

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 430 people participated in 35+ community conversations through the All Our Rights In Law project (2020), directly informing National Taskforce recommendations.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.

• Scottish Human Rights CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey strategic partner in human rights work. The Consortium and SHRC co-authored reports and coordinated positions, including joint opposition to the Rights Removal Bill. SHRC also co-chairs the SNAP2 Leadership Panel with the Consortium.
• JustRight ScotlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey campaign partner in the 'Make Human Rights Justice a Reality' report (co-authored with ERCS, Poverty Alliance, Shelter Scotland, CLAN Childlaw and Justice) and joint UN review submissions. Also partner in migrants' rights work.
• Environmental Rights Centre for Scotland (ERCS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-author of the 'Make Human Rights Justice a Reality' report and joint submissions to UN reviews. Partner on the Civil Legal Aid Reform campaign alongside JustRight Scotland.
• Together (Scottish Alliance for Children's Rights)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in UNCRC incorporation advocacy and co-facilitator of one of the Lived Experience Boards (Rights Detectives – children and young people). Collaborated on joint letter to the Secretary of State for Scotland.
• Just FaircoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHRCS is on the steering group of the UK Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Network led by Just Fair, which campaigns for incorporation of economic, social and cultural rights at a UK level.
• Amnesty International ScotlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partner in human rights campaigns, including joint opposition to the Rights Removal Bill, joint statements, and coordinated civil society advocacy.
• University of Edinburgh (Human Rights Law Research)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner contributing to the resource bank through research papers on incorporation, international human rights law summaries, and infographics. Professor Nicole Busby and Dr Kasey McCall-Smith authored the International Human Rights Briefing Series for the Consortium.
• University of Strathclyde (Centre for the Study of Human Rights Law)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner contributing research on human rights incorporation and implementation. Professor Alan Miller and Dr Elaine Webster have contributed to Consortium work and reports.
• Migrant VoicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Migrants' Participation Project, contributing to the Migrant's Guide to Scotland and migrant-specific response to the Scottish Human Rights Bill Consultation. Key voice for migrants in policy conversations.
• CEMVO ScotlandsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerContributor to joint evidence on civil and political rights for UN Human Rights Committee review. Partner in consultation responses on the Scottish Human Rights Bill.
• Poverty AlliancesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerContributor to joint evidence to UN CESCR review and joint UN review submissions. Partner in the human rights justice campaign.
• Inclusion ScotlandsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerContributor to UN CRPD shadow report and joint UN review submissions. Partner in human rights Bill consultation responses and access to justice work.
• Shelter ScotlandsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-author of 'Make Human Rights Justice a Reality' report and contributor to joint UN evidence submissions.
• Scottish Refugee CouncilsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in migrants' rights work and joint statement with JustRight Scotland against the 'Refugee Ban Bill'. Contributor to lived expertise in access to justice report.
• Civil Society AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHRCS is a steering group member of the Civil Society Alliance, working together to protect rights and standards in the UK.
• fuzzylimeminorOthersProvides responsive website design and development services for the Human Rights Consortium Scotland website.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Amnesty International Scotland: Long-standing partner and direct peer in Scottish human rights advocacy. Co-signs statements with HRCS, jointly opposes the Rights Removal Bill, and shares the same civil society campaigning model around Scottish and UK human rights frameworks.
• Just Fair: UK-wide coalition advocating for economic, social and cultural rights, leading the UK ESCR Network of which HRCS is a steering group member. Operates the same coalition-based model for human rights incorporation advocacy at UK level.
• Scottish Human Rights Commission: Scotland's National Human Rights Institution, the closest direct peer to HRCS. Both focus on promoting and protecting human rights in Scotland, co-author reports, and share advisory roles on the Human Rights Bill — SHRC co-chairs the SNAP2 Leadership Panel with the Consortium.
• Together (Scottish Alliance for Children's Rights): Scottish civil society alliance for children's rights and UNCRC implementation. Strategic partner of HRCS, co-facilitator of the Rights Detectives Lived Experience Board, and operates a similar alliance-based model on a single human rights treaty area.
• Civil Society Alliance: UK-wide coalition of civil society organisations working to protect rights and standards post-Brexit. HRCS is a steering group member, making this a direct peer in convening civil society around human rights defence.

Broad incumbents

• Equality and Human Rights Commission: UK-wide statutory regulator and National Human Rights Institution for Great Britain. A broader incumbent operating across equality and human rights with statutory powers that HRCS, as a civil society network, complements through grassroots advocacy.

Emerging players

• Environmental Rights Centre for Scotland (ERCS): Scottish civil society organisation focused on environmental rights and the right to a healthy environment. Co-author with HRCS of 'Make Human Rights Justice a Reality' and joint UN submission partner — emerging as a complementary issue-area specialist in Scotland's rights landscape.
• British Institute of Human Rights: UK charity dedicated to promoting human rights awareness and implementation through training and resources. A peer in the civil society human rights education/training space that complements HRCS's resource bank and webinar offerings.

Others

• Together for Short Lives: UK children's palliative care charity — included as an adjacent civil society organisation sharing the charity/NGO operating model in Scotland and the UK, illustrating the broader third-sector funding and advocacy ecosystem within which HRCS operates.

Regional players

• Scottish Refugee Council: Scotland's leading refugee and asylum rights NGO, working on migrant rights and access to justice. Direct partner in HRCS's Migrants' Human Rights project and shared co-author on access to justice work; comparable as a thematic-issue civil society organisation in Scotland.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HRCScotland
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/human-rights-consortium-scotland

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Human Rights Consortium Scotland