RAC Foundation
The RAC Foundation is a UK-registered charity that publishes independent research and data on motoring economics, road safety, mobility, and the environment, advising policymakers, media, and motorists since 1999.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What RAC Foundation does
The RAC Foundation is a UK transport policy and research organisation established in 1999 as a registered charity (No. 1002705). It was created using a legacy granted by the individual members of the Royal Automobile Club after the sale of RAC Motoring Services, and is legally independent of both RAC Motoring Services and the Royal Automobile Club. The Foundation publishes independent, authoritative research on the economic, mobility, safety, and environmental issues relating to roads and their users, and advocates policy in the interest of the responsible motorist.
Its core offerings are research publications organised under four themes (Economy, Environment, Mobility, Safety), recurring data resources such as the Motoring Price Index, weekly fuel fact sheets, pump-price-over-time datasets, and oil price tracking, and the DriveFit and DriveFit 2.0 pre-driver education programmes developed by Research Director Dr Elizabeth Box. Research and analysis are produced both in-house and via external commissions, with outputs made freely available through racfoundation.org and a dedicated press office that provides expert commentary to journalists and policymakers.
The Foundation is funded primarily by the original 1999 legacy, supplemented by project-specific grants from bodies such as the Road Safety Trust (£100,000 in April 2025) and earlier government funding (£480,000 in 2018 from the Department for Transport and National Highways). Its go-to-market is community- and policy-led: publishing free research, participating in government consultations, supplying media commentary, and maintaining partnerships with academic institutions and transport organisations. It serves central and local government, UK motorists, transport researchers and academics, and journalists, and operates from a small headquarters at 89-91 Pall Mall, London with a team of approximately seven staff.
RAC Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- RAC Foundation
- Legal name
- RAC Foundation
- Website
- https://racfoundation.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The RAC Foundation is a UK-registered charity that publishes independent research and data on motoring economics, road safety, mobility, and the environment, advising policymakers, media, and motorists since 1999.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
RAC Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Transport Policy Research
- NAICS
- Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Climate Policy, Governance & NDC Support (BPADALAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Environmental, Climate & Sustainability Standards & Reporting Cooperation (BPADANAI)
Keywords
Where RAC Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
RAC Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Charitable funding and grants: As a registered charity (No. 1002705), the RAC Foundation receives funding from legacies and grants. In 1999, RAC Motoring Services was sold and club members granted the Foundation a legacy to guarantee its long-term future. The Foundation also receives project-specific grants such as the £100,000 grant from the Road Safety Trust.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
RAC Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The RAC Foundation is a UK transport policy and research charity that publishes independent, authoritative research on the economic, mobility, safety, and environmental issues relating to roads and their users. It provides research publications, data resources (motoring price index, fuel price data), and road safety education programmes (DriveFit), and engages with government, media, and academic stakeholders to advocate for policy in the interest of the responsible motorist.
Product overview
RAC Foundation is a transport policy and research organization offering research publications, data resources, and educational programs. The core offerings include DriveFit (a pre-driver education program) and DriveFit 2.0, along with extensive research publications on Economy, Environment, Mobility, and Safety topics. Data resources include the Motoring Price Index and Fuel Price Data tracking UK pump prices, oil prices, and related motoring cost metrics. The organization publishes independent research both in-house and through external commissions, with programs like DriveFit delivered in collaboration with partners such as Agilysis.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- DriveFit A pre-driver education intervention programme designed by Dr Elizabeth Box, Research Director at the RAC Foundation, aimed at enhancing road safety education for young road users through film and workshop materials.
- RAC Foundation Research Publications Independent and authoritative research publications covering four key thematic areas: Economy, Environment, Mobility, and Safety relating to roads and their users.
- Motoring Price Index Data tracking the cost of motoring over time, including fuel prices, oil prices, and related metrics.
- Fuel Price Data Weekly fuel fact sheets and pump price data showing cost of Iran War to UK drivers, UK pump prices over time, and percentage of UK pump price which is tax.
Quantifiable outcome
- Research influencing government policy on fuel duty, road safety, and electric vehicle taxation
Companies that use RAC Foundation
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
RAC Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
RAC Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- AgilysiscoreTransport safety and behaviour consultancy working with the RAC Foundation on a £100,000 grant from the Road Safety Trust to explore links between deprivation and vehicle safety.
- Department for TransportcoreOngoing collaboration on transport policy research, road safety initiatives, and data sharing. RAC Foundation has worked with DfT on Safer Roads Fund and Road Safety Investigation Branch pilot.
- Road Safety FoundationcoreJoint collaboration on Safer Roads Fund which won Prince Michael International Road Safety Award. Both organizations host receptions and work together on road safety research.
- Transport Technology ForumminorRAC Foundation Director Steve Gooding chairs this DfT/Innovate UK-sponsored forum focused on transport technology.
- London CouncilsminorCollaboration on data sharing framework for car clubs to understand usage patterns in London and elsewhere.
- Urban Systems Lab (University College London)minorAcademic partner in car clubs data sharing framework report alongside London Councils.
- UK Advanced Propulsion CentreminorNeville Jackson, RAC Foundation Chair, serves as Non-Executive Director of the UK Advanced Propulsion Centre.
- Royal Academy of EngineeringminorNeville Jackson, RAC Foundation Chair, is a member of the Royal Academy of Engineering Research Committee.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
RAC Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- RAC Motoring Services: The commercial breakdown and motoring services business from whose 1999 sale the RAC Foundation was endowed. Although legally independent, both organisations share the RAC brand and serve overlapping motoring audiences.
- Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (CIHT): UK professional body for highways and transportation practitioners that publishes research, runs awards (including the CIHT Road Safety Award won by the RAC Foundation), and shapes practitioner opinion — adjacent ecosystem participant rather than a direct research competitor.
- Rees Jeffreys Road Fund: UK charitable trust funding transport research and education — closely comparable operating model (charitable funding of road/transport research), and RAC Foundation Director Steve Gooding is a listed trustee.
- Royal Automobile Club: The original motoring club whose members endowed the RAC Foundation in 1999. Both organisations operate in the UK motoring and road policy space, though the RAC itself is a members' club rather than a research charity.
- ITS UK (Intelligent Transport Systems UK): UK membership body promoting intelligent transport systems and convening industry, government and academia — adjacent to RAC Foundation through shared partners in the Transport Technology Forum (chaired by Steve Gooding) and shared transport-policy advocacy.
- Centre for Transport & Society (University of the West of England): Academic transport research centre where RAC Foundation Director Steve Gooding is a visiting professor — comparable as a UK transport research producer, though operating within an academic rather than charitable funding model.
Direct peers
- Road Safety Foundation: UK charity that produces independent road safety research, manages the Safer Roads Fund, and collaborates with DfT — directly overlapping the RAC Foundation's safety research remit and a named collaboration partner.
- Campaign for Better Transport: UK charity advocating evidence-based transport policy — comparable as a UK advocacy charity publishing independent research to influence government on mobility, economy and environment, though from a more pro-public-transport stance.
- PACTS (Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety): Independent UK parliamentary advisory body producing transport safety research and policy briefings — directly comparable in mission (independent transport safety research) and customer base (UK policymakers and parliamentarians).
Broad incumbents
- Transport Research Laboratory (TRL): The UK's largest dedicated transport research organisation with commercial testing labs and a broad portfolio spanning road, rail and vehicle safety — overlaps with RAC Foundation's research remit but as a much larger, commercially-funded incumbent.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
RAC Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceRAC Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
RAC Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
RAC Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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RAC Foundation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about RAC Foundation
What does RAC Foundation do?
The RAC Foundation is a UK transport policy and research charity that publishes independent, authoritative research on the economic, mobility, safety, and environmental issues relating to roads and their users. It provides research publications, data resources (motoring price index, fuel price data), and road safety education programmes (DriveFit), and engages with government, media, and academic stakeholders to advocate for policy in the interest of the responsible motorist.
Is RAC Foundation a public or private company?
RAC Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was RAC Foundation founded?
RAC Foundation was founded in 1999. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is RAC Foundation based?
RAC Foundation is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does RAC Foundation make money?
One revenue line is on record: charitable funding and grants.
Who are RAC Foundation's main competitors?
Others on record are RAC Motoring Services, Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (CIHT), Rees Jeffreys Road Fund, Royal Automobile Club, ITS UK (Intelligent Transport Systems UK) and Centre for Transport & Society (University of the West of England). Direct peers are Road Safety Foundation, Campaign for Better Transport and PACTS (Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety). Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does RAC Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for RAC Foundation.
What industry is RAC Foundation in?
RAC Foundation's product category is Transport Policy Research. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPADALAA, Climate Policy, Governance & NDC Support, with a secondary code of BPADANAI, Environmental, Climate & Sustainability Standards & Reporting Cooperation. Its NAICS code is 5417 and its SIC code is 8600.