Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council

What Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council does

Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council is a statutory local government authority serving approximately 29,000 households within the Merthyr Tydfil County Borough in South Wales, United Kingdom. The council delivers comprehensive public services including waste management and recycling, housing and homelessness services, social services and well-being support, education and learning, planning and building control, benefits administration, parking and roads, leisure and cultural activities, birth/death registration, and electoral services. It operates bilingually in Welsh (Cymraeg) and English, with full language parity across its digital platforms as required by Welsh language legislation.

The council's core technology platform is a bilingual website (merthyr.gov.uk) providing 24/7 self-service access through an Online Services Portal ('Do It Online') covering over 50 transactional forms for payments, applications, reporting, and service requests. The platform integrates Google Analytics for visitor tracking, Facebook advertising pixels, and YouTube video embeds. Specialized digital services include the Veterans Advice Service and Lifeline Alarm Service for vulnerable individuals. The council also distributes the CYSWLLT community newspaper twice yearly to all households and maintains active social media presence across Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Certifications include ISO 27001 (BSI), Cyber Essentials (NCSC), and GDPR compliance.

Revenue is generated through a combination of Council Tax (primary local taxation), Business Rates (NDR), transactional service fees (e.g., death certificates at £12.50-£38.50, bulky waste collection, planning applications, licensing), advertising revenue from CYSWLLT newspaper placements (£250-£500 per ad) and roundabout sponsorship (£1,500-£3,500 annually, 3-year contracts), and Welsh Government grants and capital funding (including a £20 million UK Government Pride in Place allocation). The council employs 5,001-10,000 staff and operates from the Civic Centre headquarters, a printing unit, and a waste services depot, all within Merthyr Tydfil.

Name

Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council

Legal name

Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council

Website

https://merthyr.gov.uk

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council is a statutory local government authority in South Wales providing bilingual (Welsh/English) public services including waste management, housing, social care, education, and planning to approximately 29,000 households within its jurisdiction, funded primarily through council tax, business rates, and Welsh Government grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Government Services

NAICS

Solid Waste Collection (562111), Waste Collection (5621)

SIC

Sanitary Services (4950), Refuse Systems (4953)

akta.pro primary industry

Municipal Tax & Revenue Administration (Local) (BPAIACAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Solid Waste & Recycling Services Administration (BPAIACAH), Housing & Neighborhood Services (Local Housing Programs) (BPAIACAJ), Public Works / In-House Municipal Collection Operations (EUAIAAAF)

Keywords

• Local government services
• Public service delivery
• Council tax administration
• Waste management services
• Social housing provision

Headquarters

HQ city

Merthyr Tydfil

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Council Tax: Primary local taxation revenue collected from residents and property owners within the County Borough. Funds core council services.
2. Business Rates (NDR): Non-domestic rates collected from businesses operating within the council's jurisdiction. These are national rates with local adjustments.
3. Service Fees and Charges: Various fees for council services including bin requests, cemetery services, planning applications, licensing, bulky waste collection, and certificate copies.
4. Advertising Revenue: Revenue from advertising in the CYSWLLT community newspaper (1/4 page: £500 + VAT; 1/8 page: £250 + VAT) and roundabout sponsorship (annual fees ranging from £1,500 to £3,500 per roundabout).
5. Government Grants and Funding: Welsh Government funding for various programs including Flying Start, Superfast Cymru broadband, Decarbonisation initiatives, and capital projects such as the £20 million UK Government Pride in Place funding.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council is the statutory local government authority for the Merthyr Tydfil County Borough in South Wales, UK. It delivers a comprehensive range of public services including council tax administration, waste collection and recycling, social housing, benefits administration, social services, planning, education support, civil registration, and business licensing to residents and businesses within its jurisdiction. The council operates bilingually in English and Welsh (Cymraeg) and provides 24/7 online access to services via its website and online portal.

Product overview

Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council provides a comprehensive range of public sector digital services through its website, organized as multiple discrete service portals rather than a unified product platform. The core offering consists of an Online Services Portal (Do It Online) that serves as the front-door to over 50 transactional forms covering council tax, waste management, housing, benefits, social services, planning, education, and civil registration. The council operates a bilingual (Welsh/English) service delivery model with full language parity. Key integrated services include the CONTACT community newspaper for communications, business support programs, and specialized advice services such as the Veterans Advice Service and Lifeline alarm service. The council also provides business-facing services including grants, licensing, and advertising opportunities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 90% of Year 11 leavers enter further education college (533 students, 90.0% in 2024/25 academic year)
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered supporting, core and regulatory.

• Citizens Advice WalessupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCitizens Advice Wales provides free, independent, confidential, and impartial advice to members of the public including on legal matters. The council refers residents to Citizens Advice for legal advice services as the council's Legal Department advises internal departments only and cannot provide legal advice to the public.
• Welsh Government - Superfast CymrucoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSuperfast Cymru is a Welsh Government initiative bringing fibre broadband across Wales. Merthyr Tydfil residents and businesses were among the first in Wales to benefit from this multi-million-pound programme. The council supports the broadband campaign to help businesses and residents access fibre broadband.
• Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)regulatoryOthersThe ICO is responsible for producing guidance related to information requests and data protection. The council operates under GDPR and Data Protection Regulations, with residents having the right to access information held about them through the ICO's oversight.
• Welsh Government Supplier Development ServicesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness support for Small and Medium Enterprises in Wales is available through the Welsh Government Supplier Development Service to encourage local businesses (including voluntary sector organisations, social companies, and assisted factories) to tender for council contracts.
• Welsh GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWelsh Government programmes supported by the council include: Flying Start (early years programme), Multiply Merthyr Tudful (adult numeracy programme), Decarbonisation initiatives, Childcare Provider Grant, and Pride funding. The council operates under Welsh Government legislation including the Housing (Wales) Act 2014.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Caerphilly County Borough Council: Adjacent South Wales County Borough Council providing the same suite of local authority services (council tax, waste collection, housing, schools, social care) under Welsh Government policy. Operates bilingually and shares many of the same regional partnerships and grant programmes.
• Torfaen County Borough Council: Neighbouring South Wales unitary authority running the same council tax, waste, housing, education, and social services functions under Welsh legislation. Similar bilingual operating context and shared economic-region dynamics with Merthyr Tydfil.
• Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council: Neighbouring Welsh County Borough Council of comparable population and deprivation profile, performing identical statutory functions (waste, housing, tax, education, social services) under the same Welsh legislative framework. Most directly comparable peer in terms of scale, scope, and funding model.
• Bridgend County Borough Council: Welsh County Borough Council providing the identical statutory portfolio of local authority services. Operates bilingually and serves a similar mix of urban and rural communities, with comparable per-capita funding pressures and grant dependencies.
• Vale of Glamorgan Council: Welsh unitary authority delivering the full portfolio of council services (tax, waste, housing, planning, education) under the same legislative framework. Comparable operating model with bilingual delivery and shared Welsh Government oversight.
• Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council: Small Welsh Valleys County Borough with similar population, deprivation indicators, and service portfolio as Merthyr Tydfil. Operates within the same Heads of the Valleys regeneration context with comparable funding mix and statutory obligations.
• Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council: South Wales County Borough Council delivering the same statutory services from a similar post-industrial economic base. Operates bilingually under Welsh legislation and shares cross-boundary infrastructure planning with neighbouring authorities including Merthyr Tydfil.

Others

• Welsh Government: Primary strategic funder and policy-setter for all Welsh local authorities, providing the grant programmes (Flying Start, Superfast Cymru, decarbonisation, Pride funding) that materially shape Merthyr Tydfil's budget and service portfolio. Indirect peer via funding and oversight relationship rather than direct service competition.

Broad incumbents

• Biffa plc: Major UK waste-management contractor operating across refuse collection, recycling, and treatment. Relevant as an alternative-delivery comparator for the council's in-house waste operations and as a potential partner if outsourcing or shared-service models expand in the future.
• Cardiff Council: Welsh capital local authority operating the same statutory services at materially larger scale (~370k residents vs. Merthyr's ~60k). Provides a reference point for service-delivery models, digital platforms, and shared-services arrangements that may be adopted by smaller neighbouring councils.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/merthyrcbc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/MerthyrTydfilCBC
• Facebookfacebook.com/merthyrtydfilcbc
• Instagraminstagram.com/merthyrtydfilcbc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/merthyr-tydfil-county-borough-council

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council