The Company of Biologists

Analysis

The Company of Biologists is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Cambs. It was registered in June 1979, 47 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training, the advancement of health or saving of lives, arts/culture/heritage/science and environment/conservation/heritage, which this site groups under health and saving lives. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 00514735). It says it makes grants to individuals, makes grants to organisations and provides advocacy/advice/information.

In the financial year ending December 2025, The Company of Biologists reported income of £8.4m and spending of £9.8m, spending 116% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2021 to December 2025, income grew from £7.6m to £8.4m (+11%), an average of +2.7% a year. Over the whole period it spent 104% of the income it received.

Among 24,651 England and Wales charities whose main cause is health and saving lives and that reported income, The Company of Biologists sits at the 98th percentile: it is larger than about 98% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 99th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Garden House Hospice Care (£8.4m), St John's Hospice North Lancashire and South Lakes (£8.4m) and Encompass Care Organisation UK (£8.4m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 83% and investments 17%. Charitable activities took 93% of spending and raising funds 6.9%. Grants to other organisations totalled £1000k. Reserves of £31.8m would cover about 39 months of spending at that rate. It employed 68 people.

Data notes from the register: Spending has exceeded income in each of the last three reported years, so the charity has been drawing on reserves or other funds.