What The Lines Between does

The Lines Between is an Edinburgh-based social research agency founded in 2012 by Managing Director Lorraine Simpson. The firm delivers research, evaluation, and consultation analysis services primarily to public sector bodies (Scottish Government, local authorities, NHS Scotland) and third sector organisations (charities, voluntary organisations, trusts and foundations) across Scotland, with occasional private sector work. Service offerings span surveys, scoping exercises, needs assessments, evaluations, case studies, literature reviews, focus groups, workshops, and specialist research with seldom-heard groups, plus supplementary outputs such as animations and accessible communications.

The company operates a professional services model using a 12-person team and a toolkit anchored by Snap Surveys alongside other research software; full transcription of interviews and focus groups, shared coding and analysis frameworks, and trauma-informed facilitation underpin the methodology. Distribution is direct: clients commission work by phone or email, with the firm often participating in joint bids alongside partners such as Jacobs, Alma Economics, Design Science, LUC, and 56 Degrees Insight. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is set per commission, with project sizes ranging from short-deadline small commissions to big-budget longitudinal studies.

The Lines Between is a privately held, founder-owned Scottish limited company (SC493413) with no external institutional investment disclosed. Its competitive positioning centres on communication skills, accessibility, and inclusive engagement with marginalised groups, supported by credentials such as Cyber Essentials Plus, Disability Confident, Living Wage/Living Pension employer status, and Snap Surveys Research Partner recognition. Strategic partnerships with Edinburgh Napier University and several research consultancies extend its delivery capacity on larger bids.

Name

The Lines Between

Legal name

The Lines Between Ltd.

Website

https://thelinesbetween.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Lines Between is an Edinburgh-based social research agency founded in 2012 that delivers research, evaluation, and consultation analysis services to public sector bodies, third sector organisations, and private clients across Scotland, using a 12-person team and direct commissioning model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Research Services

NAICS

Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (54191), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720), Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (541910)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Policy, Regulatory & Public Affairs Research (BPAHALAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Survey, Panel & Fieldwork Services (BPAHALAJ), Industry & Sector Research (Syndicated/Custom) (BPAHALAE)

Keywords

• Social research services
• Consultation analysis
• Qualitative research
• Public sector research
• Evaluation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Edinburgh

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. Social Research and Evaluation Services: Professional services revenue from delivering research and evaluation projects including surveys, scoping exercises, needs assessments, consultations, evaluations, case studies and reviews. Projects range from big-budget longitudinal studies to small commissions with short deadlines.
2. Consultation Analysis: Specialised consultation analysis services for Scottish Government and other public bodies, analysing consultation responses and reporting findings.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Lines Between is a social research agency that designs and delivers research, evaluation, and consultation analysis projects for public, private, and third sector clients. Its work spans surveys, focus groups, in-depth interviews, literature reviews, and consultation analysis, with additional emphasis on creative, accessible outputs such as animations, films, infographics, and case studies. Established in 2012 and headquartered in Edinburgh, the firm is structured around a team of 12 with a particular specialism in engaging seldom heard groups and applying trauma-informed, people-centred research approaches.

Product overview

The Lines Between is a social research agency offering a unified portfolio of professional services rather than a software product platform. The core service offerings consist of Research & Evaluation (including surveys, scoping exercises, needs assessments, evaluations, case studies, literature reviews, and research with seldom-heard groups) and Consultation Analysis (a dedicated specialist workstream that has analyzed over 50 consultations since 2019). These services are delivered using a range of research software including Snap Surveys, and the company also produces supplementary outputs such as animations, case studies, and facilitated workshops to communicate findings effectively. The company serves public, private, and third sector clients across Scotland and the wider UK.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Research & Evaluation A core service line covering the design, delivery, and analysis of social research projects, including service and policy evaluations for public, private, and third sector clients.
• Consultation Analysis Analysis of public, stakeholder, or staff consultations, including coding, thematic analysis, and reporting on large volumes of qualitative feedback for public and third sector clients.
• Surveys Design and deployment of surveys as part of mixed-method research projects, used to gather quantitative and qualitative data from defined populations.
• Focus Groups Facilitation of focus groups to gather in-depth qualitative insights from participants as part of broader research and evaluation projects.
• Research with Seldom Heard Groups Specialist research engagement with marginalised, excluded, or seldom heard populations, using trauma-informed and people-centred methods.
• Animations, Films and Infographics Creative dissemination outputs, including animations, films, and infographics, that translate research findings into accessible formats for non-technical audiences.
• Workshops and Training Facilitated workshops and training sessions for client teams on research methods, evaluation practice, and engaging seldom heard groups.
• Literature Reviews Desk-based literature reviews synthesising existing evidence to inform research design, policy, or evaluation projects.
• Case Studies Production of case studies as part of project work, documenting research approach, findings, and impact for clients.

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Design SciencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLondon-based design agency partnered with on NHS Glasgow and Clyde contract to co-design sexual health home testing kits. TLB led recruitment, fieldwork and analysis in Scotland, with Design Science using findings to inform their designs.
• 56 Degrees InsightminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with SEStran on transport behaviours research during pandemic. 56 Degrees Insight provided large scale tracking surveys while TLB delivered qualitative research.
• Mental Health FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorked with Mental Health Foundation, See Me, Glasgow Caledonian University, and University of Melbourne on national survey exploring stigma and discrimination experienced by those living with severe, complex and enduring mental illness - the first study of its kind in Scotland.
• Edinburgh Napier UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to support Napier's new master's degree in social research. Managing Director has role on programme advisory board, TLB team delivers guest lectures, offers paid internships to high-performing students, and contributes to student learning and development.
• Alma EconomicsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDeveloped joint bid to develop case studies demonstrating socio-economic impacts of new policy across Scotland.
• JacobsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnered with Jacobs on bid to deliver multi-million pound strategic housing plan.
• JumpResearchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with JumpResearch who were commissioned to perform analysis of experiences with Citizen Space, the portal used by the Scottish Government for consultations.
• LUCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with LUC on Climate X Change project exploring use of route maps and score cards to share climate change information with the public. LUC undertook evidence review, TLB led stakeholder engagement.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Blake Stevenson: Edinburgh-based social research consultancy serving Scottish public and third sector clients with evaluation and qualitative research. Closest comparable to TLB, and notably a former employer of several TLB senior researchers including the MD and Senior Consultant staff.
• Scottish Centre for Social Research (ScotCen): Charitable social research organisation delivering surveys, evaluations and policy research for Scottish and UK governments. Direct peer given overlapping public-sector clientele and methodological mix (surveys, qualitative, evaluation).
• Diffley Partnership: Scottish social research and evaluation consultancy supporting public, third and community sectors. Direct peer given shared Scottish public/third sector specialism and evaluation methodology.
• JumpResearch: UK research consultancy working on consultation analysis, evaluation and stakeholder engagement, including Citizen Space projects for Scottish Government. Listed TLB partner and direct competitor in consultation analysis.
• Progressive Partnership: UK social research consultancy focused on public sector, charity and health clients, with capabilities in evaluation, consultation analysis and stakeholder engagement. Direct competitor for the same evaluation and consultation work TLB targets.
• EKOS Research: Glasgow-based economic and social research consultancy working with Scottish Government, local authorities and the third sector on evaluation and impact studies. Overlapping client base and service portfolio with TLB.
• 56 Degrees Insight: Scotland-based market and social research firm specialising in tracking surveys, transport behaviour research and public engagement. Listed TLB partner and overlapping consultancy footprint in Scotland.

Broad incumbents

• Ipsos UK: Global research group with a sizeable UK public-sector practice covering evaluation, consultation and policy research. A large incumbent whose framework contracts and Scottish presence set the competitive ceiling.
• Kantar: Global market research and insights firm with a longstanding Edinburgh operation and strong public-sector and policy research practice. A former employer of TLB's Research Manager; functions as a broad incumbent against which TLB competes on specialist social research.

Others

• Snap Surveys: UK-headquartered survey software provider of which TLB is a Research Partner. Adjacent ecosystem player rather than a competitor; relevant because it indicates platform/vendor ties that shape TLB's survey tooling choices.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-lines-between

Compliance2 records

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 The Lines Between