Association of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Specialists

What Association of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Specialists does

The Association of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Specialists (AGS) is a UK-based non-profit trade association founded in 1991, headquartered in Faversham, with a small staff of 1-10 employees. It serves the geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering industry by developing guidance, safety publications, and data standards, representing the sector, and providing member services such as a legal helpline, events, and a bimonthly magazine. AGS serves engineering geologists, geotechnical engineers, geoenvironmental specialists, contractors, environmental consultants, and clients commissioning ground investigations, primarily in the UK but with its standards adopted internationally in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Brazil, and Hong Kong.

AGS's core technology is the AGS Data Format, an industry-standard digital data transfer format for ground investigation data (current version AGS 4.2 in 2025), produced in collaboration with the industry it serves. The ecosystem includes the AGS Validator for file compliance checking and the AGSi Ground Model tool for visualizing and managing geotechnical and geoenvironmental data. AGS also maintains a multi-decade publishing library covering safety, loss prevention, client guides, Bitesize guides, sustainability documents, and the bimonthly AGS Magazine. Working groups spanning Business Practice, Contaminated Land, Data Management, Geotechnical, Safety, Sustainability, and other topics drive ongoing standards development.

AGS operates a membership-based business model with annual subscriptions for both individual and corporate/company members, supplemented by publication sales (some free to members, others paid for non-members), a free bimonthly magazine that carries advertising, and CPD-accredited events and webinars. Distribution is primarily through the ags.org.uk website, with additional reach via LinkedIn, Vimeo, email newsletters, and industry events including the AGS Annual Conference. Strategic partnerships include Beale & Co (legal helpline), the British Drilling Association (safety collaboration), the British Geological Survey (Common Ground Project), and CL:AIRE and CIRIA (sustainability and contaminated land guidance).

Name

Association of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Specialists

Legal name

Association of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Specialists

Website

https://ags.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

AGS is a UK-based non-profit trade association founded in 1991 that serves the geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering industry by developing the AGS Data Format standard, publishing guidance and safety documents, and providing member services including a legal helpline and events. It is headquartered in Faversham with 1-10 employees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Faversham

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. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees for geotechnical and geoenvironmental professionals and organizations, providing access to publications, legal helpline, and member directory listings
2. Publication Sales: Sale of publications including guidance documents, safety shares, loss prevention alerts, and other technical resources. Some publications available as free downloads for members
3. Events and Webinars: Revenue from CPD events, webinars, and annual conference participation
4. Magazine: AGS Magazine publication, available free to members with advertising opportunities

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

AGS is a UK trade association that develops and maintains industry data-format standards (AGS Data Format, AGSi Ground Model) and publishes technical guidance, safety publications, and loss-prevention resources for the geotechnical and geoenvironmental sector. It also operates member services including a Legal Helpline, the AGS Magazine, the AGS Sustainability Charter, training events, and a Member Directory.

Product overview

The Association of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Specialists (AGS) is a UK-based trade association offering a portfolio of publications, data standards, tools, and member services for the geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering industry. The core offerings include AGS Magazine (free bimonthly publication), technical guidance documents across Safety, Loss Prevention, and Sustainability categories, and the AGS Data Format standard for digital ground investigation data. Supporting services include the AGS Legal Helpline, Development Fund grants, Events & Webinars, Member Directory, and various Working Groups. The AGS Validator and AGSi Ground Model tools support the data format standard.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AGS Data Format A standardised data exchange format for the transfer of site-investigation data (e.g., boreholes, in-situ tests, laboratory tests, geoenvironmental data) between consultants, contractors, and clients. Used across the UK ground-investigation value chain.
• AGSi Ground Model A data standard for the electronic transfer of ground models, enabling interoperability between ground-modelling software and downstream users in the geotechnical sector.
• AGS Validator A validation tool used to verify that AGS-format data files conform to the AGS Data Format specification. Used by firms submitting or receiving site-investigation data.
• AGS Magazine The association's flagship publication, providing technical articles, case studies, and industry news for AGS members and the wider geotechnical and geoenvironmental community.
• AGS Legal Helpline A member-only Legal Helpline providing advice to AGS member firms and individual members on legal, contractual, and professional issues arising in ground-engineering and geoenvironmental work.

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and minor.

• Beale & CocoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAGS member benefit: free specialist legal helpline provided by Beale & Co, an internationally recognized construction and insurance law firm. Members receive 30 minutes of free specialist guidance per issue. Areas include appointments, payment disputes, health & safety, regulatory matters, and commercial queries.
• British Drilling Association (BDA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration between AGS Safety Working Group and BDA Health & Safety Sub-Committee. Regular sharing of industry safety guidance and developments. AGS platform used to share BDA safety developments to the wider site investigation industry.
• British Geological Survey (BGS)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerBGS Common Ground Project aims to unlock greater value from existing ground investigation data. AGS encouraging members to participate in surveys and research. Project secured second-phase funding from Government Office for Technology Transfer.
• Difference EngineminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerResearch agency conducting BGS Common Ground Project survey on behalf of BGS, seeking input from users, producers, and specifiers of ground investigation data.
• CL:AIREminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on contaminated land guidance. CL:AIRE guidance referenced alongside AGS guidance for asbestos awareness.
• CIRIAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on soil management and sustainability. AGS articles reference CIRIA Soil Community of Practice and shared guidance on sustainable land management.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• CL:AIRE: UK organization focused on contaminated land and regeneration, with overlapping expertise in geoenvironmental subjects. AGS collaborates with CL:AIRE on asbestos awareness and contaminated land guidance.
• CIRIA: UK construction industry research and information association that, like AGS, develops guidance, publications, and standards for the built environment. Both serve overlapping professional communities and collaborate on soil management and sustainability guidance.
• British Drilling Association (BDA): UK trade association for the drilling industry with overlapping membership and shared safety working group collaboration with AGS. Both serve the site investigation and ground investigation sectors.
• Ground Forum: UK industry body for ground engineering professionals with comparable membership, standards, and advocacy activities to AGS in the ground investigation sector.
• European Federation of Foundation Contractors (EFFC): European federation representing foundation contractors with overlapping membership in geotechnical and foundation engineering. Comparable to AGS as an industry body promoting best practices and technical standards.
• Deep Foundations Institute (DFI): International professional association for the deep foundations industry, comparable to AGS in promoting technical standards, publications, and events for geotechnical professionals globally.

Broad incumbents

• The Geological Society: UK professional body for geoscientists with overlapping interests in engineering geology and geoenvironmental matters, comparable to AGS in promoting professional standards and publications for earth science specialists.
• International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE): Global professional body for geotechnical engineering with broader international scope than AGS but overlapping technical interests in ground investigation, soil mechanics, and geotechnical engineering standards.
• Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE): UK professional body for civil engineers with much broader scope than AGS but overlapping interests in geotechnical engineering, infrastructure standards, and professional development.

Others

• British Geological Survey (BGS): UK government body that partners with AGS on the Common Ground Project. While BGS is a government research organization rather than a trade association, it shares AGS's interest in ground investigation data standards and accessibility.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/user118384058
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ags---association-of-geotechnical-&-geoenvironmental-specialists?trk=company_logo

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Association of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Specialists