Best Innovation Consulting Services in the UK

United Kingdom Innovation Consultants

Innovation consulting is a vital driver for organizations in the UK looking to stay ahead in a rapidly changing business environment. This curated list highlights trusted, research-driven, and client-reviewed innovation consulting agencies firmly rooted in the UK market. These firms bring proven methodologies, real client successes, and local insights to help companies innovate smarter and faster.

Methodology: How We Chose These UK-based Innovation Consulting Services

We carefully selected each featured consultancy based on:

🔍 Research-driven: Verified case studies, published frameworks, and tangible public results.

🗣️ Client-reviewed: Authentic feedback from clients demonstrating measurable ROI and impact.

📍 Location-based: Agencies and founders with deep UK presence and understanding of local markets.

🌟 UK Innovation Consultants - Provider Spotlights

Cambridge Innovation Consulting (CamIn)

What they do:

‍CamIn specializes in innovation strategy, market research, and technology scouting to accelerate product development cycles. Their approach integrates behavioral insights with emerging tech trends.

Who they work with:‍

SaaS, industrial tech, and consumer electronics sectors.

Operating model:

‍Combines immersive research methods with hands-on strategic consulting to build actionable innovation roadmaps.

💡 Why they stand out:

🔬 Deep expertise in behavioral research and technology trends

🔄 Seamless integration of research insights into innovation processes

🤝 Strong client collaboration and knowledge transfer

Dishant Mahendru, CEO of EMEA of CamIn

Dishant combines global innovation strategy expertise with a strong background in behavioral science. His leadership style is collaborative and client-focused, fostering innovation capabilities across diverse industries.

Smallfry

What they do:

‍Smallfry delivers design-driven innovation consulting focused on product, service, and brand experiences. Their creative process combines ethnographic research with user-centered design.

Who they work with:‍

Consumer goods, digital platforms, and retail brands.

Operating model:‍

Studio-based approach with multidisciplinary teams delivering end-to-end design innovation.

💡 Why they stand out:

🎨 Strong design heritage blending creativity and strategy

🕵️ Ethnographic and user insight-driven methods

📦 Proven success in product-to-service innovation transitions

Steve May-Russell, Founder &  Managing Director of Smallfry

Steve has over 20 years of experience in innovation and design leadership. Known for his hands-on and inclusive management style, he has helped numerous brands launch breakthrough products with clear market impact.

Cowry Consulting

What they do:

‍Cowry Consulting offers innovation advisory services focused on digital transformation and organizational culture change. They emphasize leadership alignment and employee engagement.

Who they work with:‍

Financial services, telecoms, and energy sectors.

Operating model:‍

Facilitates workshops, coaching, and strategy sessions to embed innovation mindsets.

💡 Why they stand out:

🔄 Focus on cultural change as a foundation for innovation

👥 Strong facilitation and leadership coaching skills

🏦 Experience in heavily regulated industries

Jez Groom, Founder & International CEO of Cowry Consulting

Jez is an innovation strategist and culture change expert with a background in tech and finance. He’s known for practical leadership approaches that drive measurable cultural shifts.

Inpurpose

What they do:‍

Inpurpose specializes in innovation facilitation, scenario planning, and futures thinking to help organizations anticipate change and design resilient strategies.

Who they work with:

‍Public sector, utilities, and large corporate clients.

Operating model:

‍Uses workshops, storytelling, and scenario frameworks to create shared strategic visions.

💡 Why they stand out:

🔮 Expertise in futures and scenario planning

📚 Deep public sector experience

🧩 Collaborative and inclusive facilitation style

Jill McAlpine, Founder of Inpurpose

Jill has a background in strategic foresight and innovation facilitation with over 20 years of experience. She’s recognized for guiding clients through complex change processes with clarity.

Sense Worldwide

What they do:‍

Sense Worldwide offers innovation consulting focused on consumer insight, trend forecasting, and creative collaboration. Their approach merges ethnography with crowdsourcing.

Who they work with:‍

FMCG, retail, and entertainment sectors.

Operating model:

‍Uses global consumer communities to drive fresh idea generation and validation.

💡 Why they stand out:

🌐 Strong global consumer insight networks

💡 Trend foresight integrated with practical innovation

🤲 Co-creation with diverse stakeholder groups

Jeremy Brown, Founder & CEO of Sense Worldwide

Jeremy is a leading authority on consumer insight and innovation with a focus on blending cultural trends with business strategy. He’s known for creating powerful collaborative innovation ecosystems.

100%Open

What they do:‍

100%Open specializes in open innovation and collaboration consulting, helping organizations unlock external partnerships to drive growth and creativity. Their services include innovation strategy, ecosystem development, and co-creation workshops.

Who they work with:‍

They serve a diverse range of clients including SaaS companies, consumer brands, and industrial manufacturers.

Operating model:‍

They emphasize transparency and openness, facilitating collaboration between internal teams and external innovators to accelerate breakthrough solutions.

💡 Why they stand out:

🤝 Pioneers in open innovation methodologies

🌐 Strong network connecting corporates with startups and academia

🚀 Proven success in accelerating client innovation pipelines through partnerships

David Simoes-Brown, CEO of 100%Open

David is an innovation strategist with a passion for open innovation ecosystems. His leadership has helped many global brands rethink collaboration to unlock new growth opportunities.

The Innovation Beehive

What they do:‍

The Innovation Beehive offers innovation consulting focused on digital transformation, strategy, and cultural change to foster long-term innovation success. They blend strategy with pragmatic implementation support.

Who they work with:

‍Their clients span technology firms, public sector, and manufacturing industries.

Operating model:

‍They deliver hands-on support, embedding with client teams to ensure innovation initiatives translate into tangible business results.

💡 Why they stand out:

🐝 Unique focus on culture and organizational innovation readiness

💡 Blends strategy with real-world, executable plans

📈 Track record of measurable innovation impact across sectors

Mok O’Keeffe, Founder of The Innovation Beehive

Mok is known for her pragmatic approach to innovation culture and strategy. She has led multiple transformational projects helping clients embed innovation as a core capability.

Cognosis

What they do:‍

Cognosis is a strategy and innovation consultancy focusing on customer insight, growth strategy, and innovation portfolio management. They apply rigorous data analysis to guide client innovation decisions.

Who they work with:

‍Their clients include financial services, tech startups, and retail businesses.

Operating model:‍

Cognosis combines quantitative insights with qualitative research, enabling data-driven yet creative innovation outcomes.

💡 Why they stand out:

📊 Strong emphasis on data-driven innovation strategy

🔍 Expertise in combining market research with strategic foresight

🎯 Focused on delivering measurable ROI for innovation investments

John Hosking, Managing Partner of Cognosis

John brings over 20 years of experience in market research and innovation strategy. Known for his analytical rigor, he helps clients turn complex data into clear, actionable innovation strategies.

Treehouse Innovation

What they do:‍

Treehouse Innovation specializes in product innovation, user experience design, and technology scouting to help clients bring new products to market faster. They integrate lean startup principles with design thinking.

Who they work with:

‍Their clientele includes SaaS providers, hardware manufacturers, and creative agencies.

Operating model:‍

Treehouse focuses on iterative development and customer validation to reduce innovation risk and speed time to market.

💡 Why they stand out:

🌱 Expertise in lean innovation and iterative product development

🎨 Strong focus on user-centered design and customer validation

⏱ Proven success accelerating innovation cycles

Adam Billing, Founder,  Innovation Leader & Speaker of Treehouse Innovation

Adam is an innovation practitioner with a passion for lean methodologies and customer-centric design. His work is characterized by a hands-on, practical approach to solving complex innovation challenges.

Igniting UK Innovation: Consulting Expertise That Shapes What's Next

Innovation consulting in the UK is marked by a vibrant mix of behavioral science, strategic foresight, and IP-driven approaches. Firms specialize in helping organizations unlock creative potential, accelerate go-to-market strategies, and leverage both internal and external talent ecosystems. From behavioral design and IP commercialization to collaborative innovation sprints, the expertise ranges across disciplines and sectors. The consultants bring deep domain knowledge and actionable insight that foster measurable change, with each entity offering distinct methodologies rooted in experimentation and user-centricity. This diverse landscape plays a crucial role in equipping businesses to thrive through purposeful innovation and future-focused decisions.

At Digital Reference, radical authenticity isn't an angle, it’s a strategic necessity. In an era shaped by discernment, it's the foundation that builds trust and drives meaningful traction across every decision.

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Innovation thrives when clarity aligns with action and insight becomes direction. Leaders navigating change don’t just need advice, they need grounded reference points that evolve with them. What sets transformative strategies apart is the courage to root progress in what’s real. That’s the perspective you’ll find at Digital Reference.