Software for public and non-profit organisations
Public and third-sector organisations have the hardest version of the problem: the users cannot be turned away, the budget is fixed and visible, and the scrutiny is real. That calls for software that is unglamorous, durable, and genuinely inexpensive to run.
The grant-funded system with no maintenance budget
It was built with project funding, launched, and then left — because the grant covered building and nothing else. Three years on it is running on unsupported dependencies, the agency that built it has moved on, and replacing it needs a bid nobody has time to write. This is the single most common pattern in the sector.
You’ll recognise this if
- Critical systems were grant-funded with no ongoing budget
- Caseworkers spend more time on recording than on cases
- Reporting to funders is assembled by hand each cycle
- You need to demonstrate outcomes and the data is scattered
What we actually deliver
Case management shaped to your service
Recording, tracking, and reporting built around how your caseworkers actually work — including the referral routes and partner handoffs that generic products never quite accommodate.
Service delivery people can complete
Forms and applications built for users who may be under stress, on a phone, on a poor connection, or using assistive technology. In this sector accessibility is both a legal duty and the core of the mission.
Reporting that satisfies funders automatically
Outcome and impact reporting produced from the operational data you already record, rather than reassembled by hand each cycle from spreadsheets.
Deliberately low running costs
Architecture chosen so the monthly bill is small and predictable, because a system your organisation cannot afford to run is not a system you own.
The way we approach it
Design for after the funding ends
We build with maintenance realities in mind — mainstream technology, minimal moving parts, and honest documentation — so the software is still viable when the project budget has gone.
Accessibility as a duty, not a checkbox
WCAG 2.2 AA as the working standard, tested with keyboard and screen reader during development. Where a service must reach everyone, this is the requirement rather than an enhancement.
Be straight about what the budget buys
Where a budget will not cover what is being asked for, we say so at the start and propose what it will genuinely cover. Public money deserves that more than most.
What changes
- Caseworker time returned from recording to casework
- Funder reporting generated rather than assembled
- A service users can complete without assistance
- Running costs an organisation of your size can actually sustain
Asked often enough to answer here
Can you work within public procurement rules?
Yes. We are used to structured procurement, defined deliverables, and the documentation these processes require — including being clear in writing about what is and is not in scope.
We have a very limited budget. Is it worth talking?
Yes, and we will be honest quickly. Sometimes the right answer is a much smaller piece of work than you imagined, or an existing product plus configuration. Telling you that costs us a conversation and saves you a great deal.
What happens when the project funding ends?
It is designed for that from the start — mainstream technology, low running costs, and a documented handover so your own team or a volunteer can keep it alive. Where a small maintenance retainer is affordable we offer one, but the software should not depend on it.
Related
Wherever you’re starting from, let’s figure out the next step.
Tell us what you’re building — we’ll tell you honestly whether we’re the right team for it.