This year’s FT Special Report on the UK’s Consulting Market was dominated by data and insight from our client Source Global Research, who appeared in four of the features.

First, the overview feature to the FT report included Source data estimating that the UK consulting market contracted by about 3-4% in 2024, compared with the industry’s global average growth rate of 3%.

Then, the sustainability consulting article featured Source data showing a projected 6% rise in UK sustainability consulting spend in 2024, and supporting comments from Joel Bradbury, a senior consultant at Source.

The feature looking at the exporting of UK consulting services then quoted Fiona Czerniawska, founder and CEO of Source, that said in the piece that there is great respect globally for the “traditional management skills” of UK consultancies. As a result, firms have “already been exporting and making connections in other countries and are set to grow more internationally” in the face of flatlining growth or contractions in some sectors at home.

Finally, the public sector consulting feature also quoted Source’s research that found that 88% of public sector consulting clients said they had been given specific guidance about the use of external support since the arrival of the new Labour government. Of these, 64% have been told to reduce the fees being paid on existing projects, while 61% have been told to use external support only when essential, and 59% asked to reduce the fees paid on future projects. 

However, 96% of clients expect to increase their use of consultants, with only 2% expecting to cut their investment in these services. The survey found demand for consulting work is being driven by a need for capacity support.