Capacity

What Capacity does

Capacity is a Liverpool-based Community Interest Company (CIC) that designs and delivers public service transformation programmes on behalf of UK local authorities, combined authorities, and third-sector organisations. Founded in 2015 and operating across the Liverpool City Region and Cheshire, the company works at the intersection of service design and direct delivery — a practice it describes as "designing and doing" — combining co-production methodology with hands-on operational support in areas such as children's services, neighbourhood renewal, and SEND (special educational needs and disabilities) provision.

Capacity's core technology surface is the Branch digital platform, launched in November 2024, which layers a screening/matching algorithm onto the firm's in-person consulting and venture-design practice. Beyond Branch, Capacity operates a portfolio of ventures and joint programmes: Juno (a residential-care venture for children, scaling from three homes toward a planned ten), 3ni (a joint venture with Local Trust extending the firm's neighbourhood-improvement methodology UK-wide), Family Toolbox, Social Climbers, and Fundamentals. Underpinning this is the Civic Data Cooperative, a data-governance framework for handling public-sector data responsibly. The firm has built senior leadership depth through the 2025 hires of Gian Durán (Head of Public Sector Innovation) and Tom Gilbert.

Capacity's business model combines fee-for-service public-sector consulting, grant and social-investment funding (National Lottery, multiple UK foundations), and emerging recurring-revenue mechanics through Branch and Juno residential fees. As a CIC, profits are reinvested into mission rather than distributed. The company completed 55 projects for 31 clients in the prior year and deployed 12,941 staff hours across 47 projects in 2025, with key commissioning relationships spanning Wirral Council, the LCR Combined Authority, and the Cheshire & Merseyside ICB. Its July 2024 NatWest SE100 Social Investment Pioneer Award signals external recognition of its social-investment readiness and pipeline quality.

Name

Capacity

Legal name

Capacity CIC

Website

https://thisiscapacity.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Service Design & Transformation

NAICS

Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182), Other Support Services (5619), Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support (921)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Business Services, Nec (7389)

akta.pro primary industry

Institutional Capacity Building & Training (Workforce/Systems Strengthening) (BPADAEAC)

Keywords

• Public service design
• Service transformation consulting
• Co-production services
• Children's social care
• Community interest services

Headquarters

HQ city

Liverpool

HQ country

United Kingdom

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. Public and third sector commissioning: Capacity is commissioned by local authorities, combined authorities, NHS/ICB bodies, and third sector organisations to deliver public service design, transformation, and implementation support projects. Revenue comes through project-based contracts, typically funded by public sector budgets or charitable grants. The organisation is structured as a Community Interest Company (CIC).
2. Social investment and venture funding (Juno): Capacity's venture Juno is funded through a blended model including local authority funding, regional authority funding, and private and social investment from charitable foundations. Juno secured development grants from The National Lottery Community Fund and further investment from KPMG Foundation, Segelman Trust, Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, Fredericks Foundation, and Blue Blanc Rouge Foundation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Capacity is a public service design agency that works with public and third sector organisations to design, transform, and implement public services through co-production with communities. It delivers this through commissioned programmes, digital platforms (Branch, Family Toolbox), a children's residential care venture (Juno), and a joint-venture neighbourhood improvement network (3ni). Its core is acting as a backbone organisation that bridges the gap between good ideas and delivery in public service reform across the Liverpool City Region and Cheshire.

Product overview

Capacity is a public service design agency working at the intersection of designing and doing in public services. The organisation operates through multiple ventures and programmes, including Branch (a digital mental health platform for young people in Wirral), Family Toolbox (a family support platform and alliance), and Juno (residential care homes for children in care). Capacity also runs 3ni (a national network for neighbourhood improvement in partnership with Local Trust), Fundamental Voices (co-production focused SEND project), and convening programmes like Fundamentally Different events and Fundamentally Speaking podcast. The portfolio spans digital platforms, care services, community development, and public service innovation initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Juno: Capacity's venture focused on creating residential homes where children feel safe, loved and supported. Co-designed with care-experienced young people and local authorities.
• Branch
• Fundamentals
• Social Climbers
• Family Toolbox

Products and services

• Branch digital platform A co-designed digital platform for children, young people, families, and professionals to access mental health and wellbeing resources, help and support in Wirral. Combines an algorithm-based matching system with a phone-based triage team delivered by the Branch alliance (Kooth, Open Door Charity, Action for Children, Koala North West, Utopia). Commissioned by Wirral Council and Cheshire & Merseyside ICB.
• Family Toolbox Alliance and Family Toolbox website A single point of access digital platform and support network enabling families in Wirral to find tips, tools, and appropriate local support for Early Help services. The Family Toolbox Alliance comprises seven local third sector organisations delivering community-based family support.
• Juno children's residential care homes Capacity's first venture, providing residential care homes where children in care feel safe, loved, and supported. Co-designed with care-experienced young people and local authorities across the Liverpool City Region, with formalised Experts by Experience (paid staff with lived experience) informing recruitment, service design, and staff training.
• 3ni (The National Network for Neighbourhood Improvement) A joint venture between Capacity and Local Trust supporting evidence-led, people-first neighbourhood improvement across the UK. Focused on regeneration and community building in 'left behind' neighbourhoods, with research, data analysis, and learning network activities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of clients/partners report ability to increase impact on people's lives
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Local TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCapacity partnered with Local Trust to deliver 3ni: The National Network for Neighbourhood Improvement. This is a joint venture between Capacity and Local Trust, focused on neighbourhood regeneration and improvement across the UK. Dan Crowe serves as Director of 3ni.
• Civic Data Cooperative (CDC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCapacity worked in partnership with CDC in 2024 on a data governance project funded by Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and hosted by Civic Health Innovation Labs (CHIL) at the University of Liverpool. CDC works to unlock the power of data for better public service decision-making.
• Office for Public Service Innovation (OPSI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOPSI is co-designed with partners across health, local government, policing, fire and rescue, and the voluntary sector. It is a key initiative of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. Capacity works alongside OPSI on OPSI Lab, which tests what is needed to get change to stick and grow in public services.
• KindredcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKindred is a backbone organisation in Liverpool City Region alongside Capacity. Both organisations work together as part of the wider ecosystem driving public service reform. Capacity and Kindred collaborated on the 'Ignite Your Fringe' event at Labour Party Conference 2025.
• Right to SucceedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRight to Succeed is identified as a backbone organisation in Liverpool City Region alongside Capacity, working together to help strengthen conditions for change across the public service system.
• University of Liverpool (Civic Health Innovation Labs / CHIL)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Civic Data Cooperative is hosted by CHIL at the University of Liverpool. Capacity partnered with CDC on data governance work for the Liverpool City Region.
• Catch22supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCatch22 is a member organisation of Capacity's Social Climbers Learning Community. Aggie Collet joined Capacity on secondment from Catch22 in June 2025. Catch22 is also a partner in Juno's expansion plans.
• Open Door CharitysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerOpen Door Charity is part of the Branch alliance delivering children's mental health support in Wirral. They achieve a 40% reduction in anxiety and depression symptoms (measured clinically) working with young people in a non-clinical setting.
• Kaleidoscope (Digital Agency)supportingTechnology or IntegrationLiverpool-based digital communications agency that helped build the Branch digital platform. Worked with Capacity and the alliance to embed feedback and develop the site's algorithm and functionality.
• Cabinet Office (Test, Learn, Grow Programme)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCapacity partnered with Cabinet Office's Test, Learn, Grow programme and OPSI to host the 'Fundamentally Different' event in July 2026. TLG is a partnership between Cabinet Office, Public Digital, New Local, and the Blavatnik School of Government at Oxford.
• Public DigitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Test, Learn, Grow (TLG) programme alongside Cabinet Office, New Local, and Oxford's Blavatnik School. Public Digital supported Nottinghamshire Safeguarding Children Partnership's needs-led care transformation.
• New LocalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Test, Learn, Grow (TLG) programme. New Local focuses on community power and public service reform. Capacity collaborates with New Local on events and knowledge sharing around public service transformation.
• Mind (National Charity)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCapacity conducted a service evaluation and redesign project for Mind's Infoline remote mental health support service, gathering insights from 350+ people and making recommendations for the service's redevelopment.
• Plus DanesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerHousing association partner in the Juno Runcorn development alongside Halton Council. Plus Dane is also the anchor partner for the Jobs Plus employment support hub in Toxteth.
• Regenda HomessupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Juno's expansion plans across the Liverpool City Region, working with Capacity to develop more homes for care-experienced young people.
• Options for Supported LivingsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerOptions is highlighted as a community organisation that quietly and effectively holds many public services together. Mentioned in the 'The capacity for change' article as an exemplar of the third sector's role in public services.
• Branch Alliance Partners (Kooth, Open Door Charity, Action for Children, Koala North West, Utopia)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Branch alliance was commissioned by Wirral Council and ICB. The alliance — Kooth, Open Door Charity, Action for Children, Koala North West and Utopia — is responsible for keeping the Branch platform running, coordinating referrals, developing services, and raising awareness. Capacity designed and launched Branch, then handed day-to-day running to the alliance.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Snook: UK-based service design agency focused on public and social impact, working with government and third sector on co-designed services. Closest direct comparable to Capacity's service design + co-production offering across the same UK public-sector client base.
• Mutual Ventures: UK consultancy supporting social enterprises, VCSEs, and public sector commissioners with strategy, evaluation, and commissioning support. Direct peer in the LCR/UK public-and-third-sector transformation space.
• TPXimpact (formerly FutureGov): UK digital transformation consultancy for public sector and healthcare; FutureGov (now TPXimpact) is the firm Capacity's new Head of Public Sector Innovation came from. Highly comparable in methodology, client base, and public-sector design focus.
• Public Digital: Digital transformation specialist for the public sector; co-partner with Capacity on the Cabinet Office Test, Learn, Grow programme. Strong peer given shared mission, methodology, and UK public-sector client footprint.

Emerging players

• New Local: UK think tank and network focused on community power and public service reform. Comparable as a thought-leadership and convening peer alongside Capacity's Fundamentally Different series and OPSI Lab work.
• Catch22: UK social business delivering justice, employment, education, and social care services; partner of Capacity (3ni membership and Juno's expansion plans). Comparable as a fellow mission-led organisation working alongside LCR local authorities.
• IVAR (Institute for Voluntary Action Research): UK charity researching and supporting voluntary and community sector practice. Comparable peer because Capacity's Social Climbers learning community and co-production methodology overlap with IVAR's capacity-building work.
• Locality: UK-wide membership body supporting community organisations and neighbourhood-level public service delivery. Comparable because Capacity's backbone-organisation role and the Family Toolbox / Poetry Streets work sit in this community-sector ecosystem.

Others

• Kaleidoscope: Liverpool-based digital communications agency that built the Branch platform for Capacity. Adjacent ecosystem enabler rather than direct competitor, but useful peer given shared regional cluster and digital-public-sector client base.

Broad incumbents

• Rocket Science UK: UK evaluation and consultancy supporting public, VCSE, and social-investment clients. Comparable as an incumbent consulting peer operating across the same public and third-sector buyer base with overlapping evaluation and impact methodology.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@thisiscapacity
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/capacityuk1

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Capacity