CARE CITY INNOVATION C.I.C.

What CARE CITY INNOVATION C.I.C. does

Care City Innovation C.I.C. is a not-for-profit Community Interest Company that functions as an innovation partner to the North East London health and care system and, increasingly, to national health and care bodies. Founded in 2013 by the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham and North East London Foundation Trust and transitioned to an independent CIC in 2019, the organisation is headquartered in Barking, UK, with a primary operational footprint across the seven NEL boroughs and a national reach through programmes such as the Digitising Social Care falls prevention technology framework and white paper dissemination. Care City co-designs, tests, and evaluates practical solutions spanning research, innovation implementation, and workforce development, serving NHS trusts (notably NELFT and Barts Health), local authority adult social care commissioners (LBBD, Newham, Redbridge, Havering), care homes, hospices (Saint Francis Hospice), and voluntary sector organisations.

Its core service portfolio includes: (i) Digital Opportunities Assessments and four-year transformation roadmaps for care providers; (ii) the Falls Prevention Technology minimum capabilities framework developed with the national Digitising Social Care programme and London Borough of Redbridge, including pass/fail criteria and supplier self-assessment toolkits; (iii) the Care City Cohort, a linked dataset connecting council data with health and social care service use across hospital, primary, community, mental health, and community care settings, used for research into care pathways including hospital admissions as a route into domiciliary care; (iv) workforce development programmes including Nursing Associate apprenticeships, Enablement Champions, and AHP Assistant Practitioner roles delivered with BHR CEPN, Skills for Care, and the Rayne Foundation; (v) independent evaluations of programmes such as the Carer Support Worker pilot across NEL acute hospitals and the Community Chest model; and (vi) remote monitoring qualification development for care staff. Care City does not own proprietary technology platforms; it integrates and evaluates AI-enabled and digital tools from partners including Feebris (AI-powered vital sign monitoring), Dorothy (AR wayfinding for dementia), and Living With (digital rehabilitation for Long Covid).

Care City's business model is exclusively grant-funded and commissioned by the public sector. Revenue streams comprise public sector grants and commissioning contracts (NHS England, Local Authorities, DHSC's Accelerating Reform Fund), innovation programme grants (NHSX/PUBLIC/AHSN TechForce19, NIHR, Health Foundation Tech for Better Care, Digitising Social Care), and foundation grants (Rayne Foundation, Cadent Foundation). No commercial product pricing is publicly disclosed. GTM is community-led and partnership-driven: Care City operates as an embedded innovation partner to North East London's Integrated Care System, secures national programme work through trusted relationships with NHS England, DiSC, and national foundations, and disseminates learning via white papers (e.g. with Candesic, Feebris, Kent County Council), peer-reviewed publications (BMJ), the annual Digital Care Summit co-hosted with NHS England London and ADASS, and active social channels. Documented grants include approximately £780,000 (NIHR, 2022), £250,000 (Mayor of London, 2022), and £102,714 (Cadent Foundation, 2023).

Name

CARE CITY INNOVATION C.I.C.

Legal name

Care City Innovation C.I.C.

Website

https://carecity.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Care City Innovation C.I.C. is a UK not-for-profit Community Interest Company that operates as an innovation partner to the North East London health and care system, co-designing, testing, and evaluating practical research, technology, and workforce solutions for NHS, local government, and care providers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Health and Social Care Innovation Services

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Health Access & Social Care Innovations (Community Health, Telehealth for Underserved) (BPAGALAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Care Navigation & Service Coordination (Medical, Social, Community) (HSABAIAB), Health Informatics & Digital Health Programs (EDAHAGAJ)

Keywords

• Health innovation partnership
• Social care research
• Workforce development programmes
• Digital care implementation
• Care technology evaluation

Headquarters

HQ city

Barking

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Sector Grants and Commissioning: Care City operates as a not-for-profit social enterprise funded primarily through public sector grants, commissioning contracts, and project-based funding from government bodies including NHS England, local authorities, the Department of Health and Social Care, and foundations. Revenue is generated through delivering innovation projects, research, evaluation services, and workforce development programmes on behalf of health and care system partners.
2. Innovation Programme Grants: Care City receives grant funding from innovation programmes such as NHS England Test Bed Programme, TechForce19, Accelerating Reform Fund, Health Foundation's Tech for Better Care programme, NIHR, and the CARE Adult Social Care Technology Fund to develop, test, and scale digital health and care innovations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Care City Innovation C.I.C. is a not-for-profit social enterprise functioning as an innovation partner to North East London's health and care system. It delivers commissioned research and evaluation services, co-designs and implements care technologies, and develops workforce programmes (e.g. Nursing Associate apprenticeships, Enablement Champions) for the NHS, local authorities, hospices and care providers.

Product overview

Care City Innovation C.I.C. is a not-for-profit social enterprise that functions as an innovation partner to health and care systems, offering a portfolio of services rather than a single software product. Their core offerings span research and evaluation, workforce development programmes (including Nursing Associate apprenticeships and Enablement Champion training), and care technology implementation services. They provide Digital Opportunities Assessments and transformation roadmaps for care providers, and lead national initiatives such as the Falls Prevention Technology Framework development. Their work is delivered through collaborative partnerships with NHS trusts, local authorities, academic institutions, and technology providers across North East London and beyond.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Care City Innovation Partnership Services A not-for-profit social enterprise offering health and care innovation partnership services — including research, service design, workforce development and digital transformation support — for NHS bodies, local authorities and care providers across North East London and beyond.
• Care Technology Evaluation & Implementation Services Expertise in co-designing, evaluating and implementing care technologies — including remote monitoring, falls prevention technology and digital health platforms — within adult social care settings.
• Workforce Development Programmes Programmes developing new integrated care roles including Nursing Associate apprenticeships, AHP Assistant Practitioner roles and Enablement Champion training for social care staff across North East London.
• Digital Opportunities Assessment An assessment and four-year digital transformation roadmap service for care providers, combining research, co-design and practical experimentation to align digital innovation with organisational strategy.
• Falls Prevention Technology Framework Development of a national framework defining minimum functional capabilities — including pass/fail criteria and a supplier self-assessment toolkit — for sensor-based falls prevention and detection technology in adult social care.
• Health Foundation Tech for Better Care Programme Partnership Partnership with the Health Foundation and In Control exploring how technology can enable self-directed support, reduce administrative burden and connect individuals to self-directed care communities.
• Community Chest Evaluation Independent evaluation of the Community Chest model that brings together the NHS, local authorities and the VCSE sector to co-create funding initiatives for unmet community needs across North East London.
• Carer Support Worker Programme Evaluation Independent evaluation of the Carer Support Worker pilot that embeds support workers in acute hospitals to identify and support unpaid carers during hospital discharge across North East London.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20% reduction in hospital admissions across 24 care homes using Feebris digital health platform (Kent and Medway pilot, 12 months)
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability7 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

25 partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and founding.

• Digitising Social Care (DiSC) ProgrammecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 February 2026Care City is delivering the falls prevention technology minimum capabilities project in partnership with the national Digitising Social Care (DiSC) programme. The DiSC programme is overseen by the London Borough of Redbridge and aims to create national standards for sensor-based falls prevention technology in adult social care.
• London Borough of RedbridgecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 February 2026The London Borough of Redbridge oversees the falls prevention technology industry engagement programme led by Care City in partnership with the Digitising Social Care programme. Redbridge is also a key partner on digital care technology demonstrator sites and the Enhanced Homecare pilot.
• FeebriscoreTechnology or Integration · 31 March 2025Feebris is an AI-powered health monitoring platform company. Care City partnered with Feebris to implement the platform across care homes in East London (TechForce19), achieving a 20% reduction in hospital admissions and 5.2x ROI. Care City co-authored a landmark white paper with Feebris, Kent County Council, and Candesic demonstrating the platform's impact.
• Kent County CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 March 2025Kent County Council partnered with Care City, Feebris, and Candesic on a landmark 12-month pilot across 24 care homes in Kent and Medway. Care City co-authored a white paper with Kent CC demonstrating £360 million projected national NHS savings from the digitally enabled care model.
• CandesicsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 March 2025Candesic partnered with Care City, Kent County Council, and Feebris on a white paper demonstrating the impact of digitally enabled care in care homes. Candesic contributed analytical and consulting expertise to the research.
• ADASS (Association of Directors of Adult Social Services)supportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 May 2024ADASS co-hosted the Digital Care Summit with Care City, NHS England – London, and Digital Care Hub, bringing together London's health and care system to explore digital technology for keeping people well.
• Digital Care HubsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 May 2024Digital Care Hub co-hosted the Digital Care Summit alongside Care City, NHS England – London, and ADASS, focusing on digital implementation support for health and care organisations.
• London Borough of Barking & DagenhamfoundingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013One of two founding organisations (alongside NELFT) that created Care City in 2013. Care City was originally funded and governed by the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham and North East London Foundation Trust before transitioning to an independent Community Interest Company. Barking & Dagenham remains a core partner for social care technology and community health initiatives.
• North East London Foundation Trust (NELFT)foundingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013One of two founding organisations (alongside LBBD) that created Care City in 2013. NELFT continues to partner with Care City on workforce development (including James Sinclair's former role as Research Delivery Manager), research projects, and board representation through Sarah Khan as Director of Strategic Development.
• NHS EnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCare City has partnered with NHS England across multiple programmes including the Test Bed Programme (Wave 2), the Long COVID rehabilitation app roll-out, and co-hosts the Digital Care Summit with NHS England – London. The NHS 10 Year Plan is referenced as context for Care City's falls prevention and neighbourhood health work.
• Saint Francis HospicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCare City partnered with Saint Francis Hospice to deliver a Digital Opportunities Assessment and four-year transformation roadmap, including co-designing and testing a Digital Volunteer Platform and Virtual Ward concept. The partnership supported SFH's strategic move toward a Neighbourhood Model of Care.
• UCLPartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCare City works with UCLPartners on multiple programmes including the Long COVID rehabilitation app roll-out, frailty and communication research (commissioned by the London Clinical Frailty Network), and research into hospital admissions and home care packages using the Care City Cohort dataset.
• Living WithsupportingTechnology or IntegrationLiving With developed the Living With Covid Recovery digital rehabilitation app. Care City, with UCLPartners, supported adoption of this tool across NHS hospitals. The app provides tailored advice, treatment plans, and exercises for long COVID patients, with a clinician dashboard for progress monitoring.
• Barking, Havering and Redbridge Community Education Provider Network (BHR CEPN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBHR CEPN is a long-term workforce development partner with Care City, collaborating on Nursing Associate apprenticeships, Enablement Champion programmes, AHP Assistant Practitioner roles, and career pathway initiatives across North East London.
• Skills for CarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSkills for Care collaborated with Care City and BHR CEPN on the Enablement Champion programme, contributing workforce development expertise and supporting the development of career pathways for care workers in North East London.
• Dorothy (wayfinding app)coreTechnology or IntegrationDorothy is an augmented reality wayfinding technology for people with dementia. Care City partnered with Dorothy and TPXimpact to develop 'The Dorothy Community', extending the app to community spaces beyond care homes. The partnership won a Longitude Prize on Dementia Discovery Award semi-finalist.
• TPXimpactsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerTPXimpact partnered with Care City and Dorothy on The Dorothy Community, contributing service design expertise to the Longitude Prize on Dementia semi-finalist project. Care City's CEO Matthew Skinner previously worked at TPXimpact as Managing Director.
• In ControlcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn Control partnered with Care City as part of the Health Foundation's Tech for Better Care programme to co-produce a digital platform helping people direct their own care and support, progressing to Phase 2 of the programme.
• BD GivingsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerBD Giving partnered with Care City, BD Collective, and ELBA on the Fuel Up campaign, enabling Barking & Dagenham residents to donate energy rebates to support vulnerable community members facing fuel poverty.
• BD CollectivesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerBD Collective (local social sector infrastructure entity for Barking & Dagenham) partnered with Care City on the Fuel Up campaign and co-leads the community steering group for fuel poverty work. Avril McIntyre, Care City Board member, is former Chair of BD Collective.
• Transformation Partners in Health and Care (TPHC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTPHC commissioned Care City to independently evaluate the Community Chest model in Tower Hamlets and Barking & Dagenham, a programme bringing together NHS, local authorities, and VCSE sector to co-create funding initiatives for unmet community needs across North East London.
• AlcovesupportingTechnology or IntegrationAlcove is a care technology provider partnered with Care City and LBBD as part of the CARE Adult Social Care Technology Fund, providing a range of digital care technologies to benefit older people in Barking & Dagenham.
• Rethink PartnerssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerRethink Partners worked alongside Care City and LBBD as part of the CARE Adult Social Care Technology Fund to evaluate the effectiveness of digital care technologies across 600 older people in Barking & Dagenham.
• Havering Health (Federation of 41 GP Practices)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerHavering Health federation partnered with Care City and Feebris to implement virtual care technology across 30 care homes supporting approximately 1,000 residents, shortlisted for the Social Enterprise UK Tech for Good award.
• Neighbourhood Networks / VCSE SectorsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCare City works with Neighbourhood Networks and the wider VCSE sector across Barking & Dagenham on community-led health initiatives, including the Connect programme and community co-design groups.

Scale indicators18 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Centre for Ageing Better: Independent charitable foundation focused on improving later life in the UK through research, innovation and workforce programmes. Highly comparable to Care City's healthy ageing mission, falls prevention interest and workforce development emphasis.
• UCLPartners: Academic health science network covering North East London and beyond, partnering with Care City on long COVID adoption, frailty research and Care City Cohort analysis. Operates in overlapping health innovation, evaluation and workforce development spaces, making it the closest direct peer in the NEL ecosystem.
• Good Things Foundation: UK social enterprise focused on digital inclusion and health-related technology adoption among underserved communities. Comparable as a not-for-profit digital health and inclusion social enterprise delivering place-based programmes with grant funding.
• Health Innovation Kent Surrey Sussex: One of the AHSN Network members operating across Kent, Surrey and Sussex, focused on spreading innovation across the NHS. Directly comparable as a regional health innovation body delivering evaluation, spread programmes and NHS England-aligned innovation mandates — and notably the AHSN region where the Kent and Medway Feebris pilot ran.
• What Works Centre for Wellbeing: Independent UK organisation producing evidence on wellbeing, including community health and care programmes. Comparable to Care City in its evaluation, evidence-generation and impact-measurement remit across health and care initiatives.
• DigitalHealth.London: NHS-backed digital health innovation accelerator focused on London, working with NHS organisations and innovators to adopt digital health technologies. Highly comparable in mission, geography and digital health evaluation remit.
• NHS Innovation Accelerator: National NHS England programme supporting the scaling of proven innovations across the NHS. Directly comparable to Care City's role in evaluating, scaling and spreading health and care innovations across NHS systems.

Emerging players

• Reason Digital: UK digital agency and B Corp focused on health, charity and social impact sectors, with overlapping expertise in digital health, accessibility and impact measurement for social sector clients.

Broad incumbents

• Imperial College Health Partners: Well-established academic health science network covering North West London with deeper funding and larger delivery capacity. Operates in the same health innovation space with overlapping methods (data linkage, evaluation, spread) and represents a scaled-up version of Care City's model.
• TPXimpact: Public sector-focused digital transformation consultancy where Care City's CEO previously worked. Operates across NHS, local government and central government on digital, data and service design mandates — a direct adjacent incumbent in Care City's core market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/CareCityUK
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCKR2_wy0ihSke9fPYme9qNg
• Facebookfacebook.com/carecity.london
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/carecity.london

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 CARE CITY INNOVATION C.I.C.