With Q1 now firmly underway, we wanted to share what’s coming next for Innate Needs - and why the months ahead mark a significant step forward for the platform.
Q1 marks the launch of a new version of Innate Needs, rethought from the ground up in how it looks, how it works, and how it supports the people who rely on it. Our belief is simple: access to help should be clear, reliable and immediate - and the platform is being shaped around that principle.
Over the past year, we’ve been building, testing, reworking, and challenging our own assumptions. What’s emerging now is something we believe will meaningfully change how people find and access support, particularly at moments when clarity matters most.
Built for everyone - not just big organisations
Innate Needs isn’t only for large councils or national charities. Many of the services people depend on day to day are run by small teams - sometimes by a single person balancing delivery, admin and funding all at once.
That reality has shaped how we’ve approached Q1. The platform is designed to work as well for a one-person community group as it does for national networks with thousands of locations.
Everyone deserves to be visible. Everyone deserves accurate, reliable information.
A new platform, not an update
It’s important to be clear about what's launching in Q1.
This is not an update of what already exists. It’s a new version of Innate Needs, with a redesigned presentation and a fundamentally different way of keeping information accurate at scale.
The focus throughout has been on clarity - removing friction for people searching for help, and removing unnecessary workload for the organisations providing it.
Shifting the focus to the back end
While much of the earlier work was visible, our attention has now moved firmly to the back end of the platform.
We’ve been building systems that allow organisations to add, manage and update their own listings more easily - without needing to learn new tools or maintain yet another platform. This gives organisations direct control over their information, while reducing the admin burden that often comes with keeping multiple directories up to date.
Once listings are in place, organisations can also choose to enable Innate AI - allowing those listings to be monitored automatically going forward.
AI grounded in real-world use
AI wasn’t part of the original plan. It became necessary because the biggest challenge wasn’t technical - it was organisational. Critical information changes regularly, but those updates don’t always travel far enough or fast enough.
Innate AI monitors information at source. When organisations update their own websites - whether that’s opening hours, eligibility criteria or contact details - those changes can be detected and reflected automatically within Innate Needs. This removes the need for repeated manual updates, while helping ensure information stays accurate between reviews.
We’re already delivering full listings for four major national organisations: Trussell, Citizens Advice, Warm Welcome and Databank.
In total, the Innate Needs platform now supports over 17,500 listings, spanning national networks, local organisations and single-service providers.
Seeing the system operate at that scale has been a turning point. It’s confirmed that this model works - not in theory, but in practice.
What happens by the end of Q1
By the end of Q1 2026, the new version of Innate Needs will be live.
At the same time, we’ll begin the next phase of rollout, starting with councils in the East of England. This region makes sense as a starting point due to existing groundwork and relationships, but also because it allows us to focus on integration - fitting alongside existing systems and workflows rather than disrupting them.
The aim is simple: demonstrate value without asking councils or organisations to change how they already work.
Looking further ahead
We’ve started 2026 with a platform that’s stronger because of the challenges it’s faced.
The system is stable. The AI is embedded. The direction is clear.
Q1 is about bringing all of that together - and finally getting it live.
We’re hugely excited about what’s coming, and we’re looking forward to sharing more as the launch gets closer.