NEDAC

What NEDAC does

NEDAC (North Edinburgh Drug and Alcohol Centre) is a charitable company limited by guarantee headquartered at 15a Pennywell Court, Edinburgh, founded in 1983 as SHADA and renamed in 2011. It provides community-based support and treatment services for individuals affected by substance use and mental health issues in the Lothian region, with particular specialisation in the Complex and Multiple Needs Service launched in 2016 to serve clients described as non-compliant, difficult, or serial non-attenders who struggle to engage with mainstream treatment. The service portfolio spans case management and psychosocial support, a therapy menu including CBT, DBT, Motivational Interviewing, MAT and trauma-informed approaches, harm reduction (including needle exchange and overdose-prevention resources), self-help guides, and a Take-Home Naloxone programme distributing Prenoxad and Nyxoid through at least seven pharmacy partners and recovery hubs across Lothian.

NEDAC has no proprietary technology platform; it is a service-delivery charity rather than a technology company. Its distribution relies on an NHS Lothian referral pathway using encrypted NHS.scot email, direct face-to-face delivery at Spittal St Centre and community Recovery Hubs, and pharmacy-channel last-mile distribution of naloxone. The go-to-market motion is community-led, with referrals from GPs, NHS services, mental health teams, social services, police, probation, and safeguarding teams, plus community partnerships supporting social reintegration.

The revenue model is grant-funded managed-services delivery. Income is sourced from The National Lottery Community Fund (including a three-year extension awarded in 2021), the Alcohol and Drug Partnership and Integrated Joint Board (joint two-year grant in 2020), and NHS Lothian funded service delivery. Services are provided free to clients at the point of use; there is no direct client pricing model. The organisation operates with approximately 7 employees and is governed by a Board of Directors that meets quarterly, with Stuart Anderson as Service Manager and Danny Campbell as Manager of the Complex and Multiple Needs Service.

Name

NEDAC

Legal name

North Edinburgh Drug and Alcohol Centre

Website

https://nedac.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

NEDAC is an Edinburgh-based charitable organisation providing case management, therapies, harm reduction, and Take-Home Naloxone distribution for individuals with complex drug, alcohol, and mental health needs, funded by National Lottery and NHS Lothian grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Substance Abuse Treatment & Harm Reduction Services

NAICS

Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Substance Use Recovery & Harm Reduction Support Services (BPAGAEAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Substance Use Disorder Prevention & Recovery Services (BPAGACAE)

Keywords

• Substance misuse treatment
• Harm reduction services
• Complex needs support
• Community mental health
• Take-home naloxone

Headquarters

HQ city

Edinburgh

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding - National Lottery Community Fund: NEDAC receives ongoing funding from The National Lottery Community Fund to support its Complex and Multiple Needs Service. The service has received multiple rounds of funding including a 3-year extension to continue providing case management and support to existing clients, particularly addressing effects of COVID-19 on vulnerable communities.
2. Alcohol and Drug Partnership Funding: Additional 2-year funding secured from Alcohol and Drug Partnership and the Integrated Joint Board specifically to address social isolation among clients with complex needs.
3. NHS Funded Services: Services delivered in partnership with NHS Lothian with referrals processed through NHS.scot email accounts, suggesting NHS-funded service delivery.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

NEDAC is a charitable third-sector organization delivering free, community-based drug and alcohol support services in Edinburgh and Lothian. Its core offer is the Complex and Multiple Needs Service — person-centred case management, psychosocial support, advocacy, and harm reduction (including Take-Home Naloxone distribution via pharmacies) for individuals with co-occurring substance use, mental health, and social issues who struggle to engage with mainstream treatment. Services are funded by grants (National Lottery Community Fund, ADP, IJB, NHS Lothian) and delivered through referral partnerships and direct community engagement.

Product overview

NEDAC (North Edinburgh Drug and Alcohol Centre) operates as a charitable organisation providing community-based support services, primarily through its Complex and Multiple Needs Service which offers integrated case management, therapeutic interventions, and harm reduction services to individuals with co-occurring mental health and substance use issues. The organisation distributes Take Home Naloxone, provides self-help resources and guides, and operates a referral service for those who cannot access mainstream treatment. Services are delivered through partnerships with healthcare providers, social services, and community organisations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Complex and Multiple Needs Service A specialist team at NEDAC providing integrated support and treatment to individuals with complex needs related to drug and alcohol use, working in partnership with healthcare and support professionals to deliver coordinated, person-centred care for clients who often cannot engage with mainstream services.
• Take-Home Naloxone Programme Free distribution of Take-Home Naloxone kits (Prenoxad injection and Nyxoid nasal spray) to reverse opioid overdoses, available without appointment at participating Lothian pharmacies, Spittal St Centre drop-in, Recovery Hubs, and many drug treatment services across Edinburgh and Lothian.
• Harm Reduction Services Practical strategies and guidelines to minimise negative consequences associated with drug or alcohol use, including safe use practices, needle exchange, overdose prevention, and access to support services for individuals and their families.
• Case Management and Support Behavioural change service providing case management, psychosocial support, advocacy, and enablement to help clients engage with treatment, improve health and wellbeing, and reduce isolation.
• Therapies Multiple therapeutic approaches delivered to NEDAC clients, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), Contingency Management, 12-Step Facilitation, Family Therapy, Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT), Trauma-Informed Therapy, and Holistic Therapies.
• Referral Service Formal referral pathway for individuals with complex mental health and substance misuse needs, working with those described as non-compliant, difficult, or serial non-attenders who cannot access services traditionally. Referrals are accepted from NHS Lothian, GPs, mental health teams, addiction specialists, social services, police, probation, and safeguarding teams via the secure NHS Lothian email system.

Quantifiable outcome

• Improved engagement with treatment services and reduced missed appointments
• +4 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 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 core and minor.

• Scottish GovernmentcoreOthers · 1 January 2015The Scottish Government's Take-Home Naloxone Programme was introduced in 2011 in response to rising opioid-related deaths. Regulations changed in October 2015 to allow third sector organizations to supply naloxone kits, enabling greater distribution.
• Scottish Drugs ForumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011The Scottish Drugs Forum coordinated the take-home naloxone programme introduced in 2011 by the Scottish Government. NEDAC participates in this national programme coordinating distribution of naloxone kits through pharmacies and drug services.
• Pharmacy Partners (Lindsay & Gilmour, Boots, Craigmillar Pharmacy, Lloyds Pharmacy, Mackinnon Pharmacy, Newington Pharmacy, Omnicare Pharmacy)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMultiple pharmacies throughout Edinburgh and Lothian participate in the Take-Home Naloxone programme, providing free naloxone kits without appointment. These include Lindsay & Gilmour branches, Boots (Shandwick Place), Craigmillar Pharmacy, Lloyds Pharmacy (Ferniehill Road and Wester Hailes), Mackinnon Pharmacy (Calder Road), Newington Pharmacy, and Omnicare Pharmacy locations.
• NHS LothiancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNEDAC works with NHS services, sharing information securely through NHS-approved communication channels for continuity of care. Referrals are processed through NHS Lothian email systems ([email protected]).
• CGL (Change, Grow, Live)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClients who do not meet all criteria for NEDAC's Complex and Multiple Needs Service are referred to generic Substance Misuse Services such as CGL.
• Community Facilities and ResourcesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with local community facilities including cafes, shops, and community centres to support clients' social re-integration and reduce isolation through facilitated community involvement.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Change Grow Live (CGL): UK's largest voluntary-sector provider of drug and alcohol treatment, directly named in NEDAC's data as a referral destination for clients who do not meet NEDAC's complex-needs criteria. Operates commissioned services across multiple UK regions.
• Turning Point: UK social enterprise providing substance use, mental health, and learning disability services. Operates commissioned drug and alcohol treatment contracts across England and Scotland, overlapping with NEDAC's service model.
• With You (formerly Addaction): Major UK substance use charity delivering community-based treatment, recovery, and harm reduction services. Comparable to NEDAC in client population and service mix, but operating at significantly larger national scale.

Direct peers

• Humankind: UK charity providing health and wellbeing services including substance use treatment. Comparable third-sector delivery model with commissioned public-sector contracts and free-at-point-of-use services.
• Cranstoun: UK charity delivering substance use, housing, and criminal justice services. Comparable in mission, charitable structure, and delivery of community-based recovery and harm reduction support.
• We Are With You Scotland: Operates specifically in Scotland as a local delivery arm for substance use support, recovery hubs, and naloxone distribution — directly comparable to NEDAC's Recovery Hub and pharmacy-based outreach model.
• Scottish Drugs Forum: Named partner of NEDAC in the Take-Home Naloxone Programme. SDF is the national Scottish membership organization working on drug-related harms, training, and policy — directly comparable as a peer in the Scottish harm reduction ecosystem.
• Phoenix Futures: UK charity providing residential and community-based drug and alcohol recovery services. Comparable service model (case management, psychosocial support, recovery pathways) and similar third-sector funding structure.

Regional players

• Edinburgh Alcohol and Drug Partnership: Statutory commissioning body funding NEDAC's services — sits in the same Edinburgh geographic market as a coordinator/commissioner rather than direct provider, but comparable as the regional ecosystem anchor for drug and alcohol services in the same territory.

Others

• Public Health Scotland (Drug Harms Unit): National public body that monitors drug-related harms and publishes SIMD-linked mortality data referenced by NEDAC. Comparable ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor — NEDAC's outcomes data aligns with this body's reporting framework.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nedac

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about NEDAC