National Bereavement Service Limited

Name

National Bereavement Service Limited

Legal name

National Bereavement Service Limited

Website

https://thenbs.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

National Bereavement Service Limited is a UK not-for-profit (now owned by Octopus Legacy) that runs a free bereavement helpline, email and webchat support, and CPD-accredited training for employers, healthcare, financial services, and government clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Bereavement Support Services

NAICS

Emergency and Other Relief Services (62423)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Bereavement & Grief Support Services (Family Aftercare) (HSABAFAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Bereavement & Grief Support Services (Hospice-Affiliated/Independent) (HLADAHAL)

Keywords

• Bereavement support services
• Grief counselling helpline
• Probate guidance services
• Bereavement training programmes
• Workplace bereavement support

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Helpline Services: Free helpline providing practical and emotional bereavement support to the general public, funded through donations and organisational partnerships.
2. Organisational Training Services: Bespoke bereavement training programmes for employers, HR teams, customer-facing staff, and professionals. Delivered online or in-person with flexible pricing based on team size and session length.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

National Bereavement Service (NBS) is a UK not-for-profit that delivers free, multi-channel bereavement support to the general public through a dedicated helpline, email, and live webchat, providing practical guidance on death registration, probate, funeral planning, estate management, and emotional support. It also sells CPD-accredited bereavement training programmes and dedicated employee helplines to employers across healthcare, financial services, government, and education sectors.

Product overview

The National Bereavement Service (NBS) is a not-for-profit organisation providing free, impartial bereavement support through a multi-channel service. The core offering consists of a public-facing free helpline, dedicated employee helplines for organisations, and live chat support. These are supported by a comprehensive suite of CPD-accredited bereavement training programmes for organisations (including sector-specific modules for financial services and healthcare) and individual training courses. NBS also provides practical guidance on estate planning, probate, funeral planning, and inheritance tax, with connections to a legal panel for professional legal services. In March 2025, NBS joined Octopus Legacy, expanding its reach within the estate planning and end-of-life sector. The service is accessible via phone (0800 0246 121), email, and webchat, with offices in Consett, County Durham.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Public-facing Free Bereavement Helpline Free telephone helpline (UK 0800 0246 121; international 0191 656 3201) available Monday-Friday 9am-6pm and Saturday 10am-2pm, delivering practical and emotional bereavement guidance to the general public on death registration, probate, funeral arrangements, estate management and grief support.
• Dedicated Employee Helplines

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 500 advisers trained in single webinar session with overwhelmingly positive feedback
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Octopus LegacycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 March 2025Octopus Legacy, an estate planning and end of life provider, acquired both Adroit Legal Services and the not-for-profit National Bereavement Service in March 2025, creating a joined-up approach to bereavement care.
• Adroit Legal ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister company providing quality-assured, affordable legal services including probate, Will writing, and estate planning. Established in 2015, Adroit connects clients to specialist professionals with discounted rates.
• University of SheffieldcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership conducted by Professor Kate Reed and Dr. Anna Balazs from the University's Sheffield Methods Institute, exploring death administration experiences post-COVID. Research was supported by Research England Quality Related Policy Support funding.
• Victim Support Homicide ServiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration supporting families bereaved by homicide. Victim Support refers clients to NBS for probate and practical guidance while NBS connects clients to specialist homicide legal teams.
• National Bereavement AllianceminorOthersSector body membership organisation for bereavement service providers in the UK.
• Support After Suicide PartnershipminorOthersNetwork of over 80 members and supporters, hosted by Samaritans, working to ensure everyone bereaved by suicide receives timely and appropriate support.
• Cadent (National Gas Network)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerUK's biggest gas distribution network partnered with NBS to launch a national bereavement training programme during National Grief Awareness Week 2024.
• St Giles HospiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecialist partnership providing counselling and emotional support services for NBS clients requiring more intensive mental health intervention beyond general bereavement support.
• The Good Grief TrustminorOthersCharity running National Grief Awareness Week; NBS participates in annual awareness campaigns to promote bereavement support and open conversations about grief.
• PayPlanminorGTM or Marketing PartnerExpert debt advisers partner with Adroit and NBS to provide guidance on debt and financial wellbeing, particularly relevant for clients managing estate finances.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Hospice UK: National umbrella charity for the UK's hospice movement, providing bereavement support through member hospices and resources. Comparable in bereavement-support space but operates as a sector body rather than direct service provider.
• Sue Ryder: Major UK charity providing palliative care, neurological care, and bereavement support including a bereavement helpline. Overlaps with NBS in bereavement support but operates at much greater scale across broader end-of-life services.
• Marie Curie: Large UK end-of-life charity providing hospice care, information, and bereavement support. Overlaps with NBS in bereavement services but as part of a much broader palliative-care portfolio.

Direct peers

• AtaLoss: UK bereavement signposting service providing a directory of local and national bereavement support. Closely comparable online resource-and-signposting model to NBS's website and practical-support functions.
• The Good Grief Trust: UK bereavement charity that runs National Grief Awareness Week and signposts bereaved people to support services. Directly comparable mission, and an existing NBS partner via awareness campaigns.
• Cruse Bereavement Support: The UK's largest bereavement charity, offering a national helpline, one-to-one support, and workplace training. Directly comparable to NBS in mission, free-helpline delivery model, and B2B training focus.
• Winston's Wish: UK charity专门 supporting bereaved children and young people. Comparable bereavement-support mission with similar helpline/training model, focused on a narrower child-grief segment.
• Childhood Bereavement UK: UK charity supporting bereaved children and the professionals who work with them, offering training and resources. Comparable training-led bereavement model, focused on a child-bereavement sub-segment.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-bereavement-service

Compliance3 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 National Bereavement Service Limited