1.8.2.1Vertical

CI Program Development

Consultancies building competitive intelligence research capabilities.

Market snapshot

These figures describe Competitive Intelligence (1.8.2), the segment that CI Program Development sits within. They are not figures for CI Program Development on its own.

FragmentationFragmentedEstimate

Competitive intelligence has no discrete Census NAICS code; it sits inside market research (541910) and consulting classifications, so it is not separately sized by the Census Bureau.

Business model & economics

Revenue model

Project research plus ongoing monitoring subscriptions

Key economics

Recurring revenue
Low–Moderate

monitoring programs recur; much is project-based

EBITDA margin
15–28%
Capex intensity
Low

Characteristics

  • Blends primary research, expert networks, and analysis.
  • Monitoring programs add a recurring layer to project work.
  • Overlaps market research, strategy, and expert networks.

M&A deal context

Deal activityEmerging

Who’s acquiring

  • Market-research & insights platforms
  • Strategy-consulting acquirers
  • Expert-network providers

What’s driving deals

  • Absorption into broader market-research and insights platforms.
  • Demand from strategic planning and competitive pressure.
  • Overlap with expert-network and strategy services.

Find CI Program Development acquisition targets

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