Top 7 public consultation platforms for renewables in 2026

The best public consultation platform for a renewable energy project is one that holds up when the examining authority asks for evidence. For NSIP-scale wind, solar and grid projects under the Planning Act 2008, you need to prove who you consulted, when, how and what you did with their feedback. That evidence test, not the prettiness of the feedback map, is what separates the options below.

This guide ranks seven platforms used on UK renewable energy developments, from full stakeholder relationship management (SRM) systems to consultation-only portals. Tractivity is listed first because it's the one we know best and build, so we've kept its entry spec-level and honest, and described every alternative fairly so you can judge the fit yourself.

At a glance: the seven platforms compared

1. Tractivity

Tractivity is the UK stakeholder relationship management (SRM) platform built for organisations running engagement at scale, and it leads this list on the one thing renewable projects are judged on: a defensible record. Every email, meeting, call, survey response, event and feedback comment is logged against the stakeholder it relates to, date-stamped and exportable, ready for an examining authority, an FOI request or an Ofgem RIIO submission.

That matters because renewable consultation isn't a communications exercise; it's a legal one. Under the Planning Act 2008 and the Gunning Principles, you have to show consultation was genuine and that responses were conscientiously taken into account. Tractivity captures the whole lifecycle, before, during and after consultation, in one place, with surveys, events and consultations run through its public engagement portal so responses link straight to the stakeholder record.

The renewables track record is specific. EDF Energy used Tractivity across the Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C consultation programmes, logging and tagging around 30,000 stakeholder issues at a 100% response rate, with 130,000+ engagements and 650+ events evidenced. SSEN has run on Tractivity since 2018, scaling from 15 to over 200 users. National Grid has 430+ users in a phased deployment, with around 90% remaining after a year. The platform is also used by Scottish Power Renewables, SSE Renewables, RWE and Flotation Energy.

On compliance, Tractivity holds ISO 27001:2022 and Cyber Essentials Plus, NHS DSPT and is a G-Cloud supplier, with UK data residency on Microsoft Azure UK South. Its published, all-inclusive pricing is £9,495 base plus £500 per additional user, with no paid modules, no record caps and no onboarding fee. Implementation runs four to six weeks.

Strengths: audit-ready record across the full lifecycle, deep UK renewables references, transparent pricing, UK hosting and accreditations.

Worth knowing: it's purpose-built for organisations that have outgrown spreadsheets, so very small teams running a single light-touch consultation may not need its full depth.

Best for:  developers, DNOs and consultancies looking for stakeholder management software for energy projects that evidences consultation on NSIP and grid schemes.

2. Borealis

Borealis is an enterprise SRM platform from Quebec, Canada, with genuine analytical depth in stakeholder mapping, sentiment and grievance handling. It has a strong reputation in North American oil, gas and mining, where land access and grievance modules matter most.

For UK renewables, two things are worth checking. Pricing is modular, so communications, issue management and data segregation can each be separate cost lines, and its G-Cloud listing shows a £14,550 one-time onboarding fee with implementations running up to six months. Client services sit in North American time zones, which UK teams feel during live consultations, and there are no named UK clients on its site.

Best for: multinational programmes with heavy land-access and grievance workflows centred in North America.

3. Citizen Space (Delib)

Citizen Space is a UK consultation portal, well established across central government, regulators and councils. It does one job well: publishing formal consultations, capturing responses and reporting on them, with strong UK government references.

The distinction for renewables is scope. Citizen Space ends at the consultation response. It isn't built to hold the wider stakeholder relationship, the landowner negotiations, the political engagement, the events and the sentiment that surround a major energy scheme. Many teams run it for the formal consultation window and a separate system for everything else.

Best for: teams whose core need is publishing statutory consultations and capturing structured responses.

4. Commonplace

Commonplace is a UK digital community engagement tool built around map-based, inbound feedback. The interface is modern and it's designed to gather community sentiment visually, which works well for the public-facing phase of a planning or energy consultation.

Like Citizen Space, it focuses on inbound community feedback collection, rather than the end-to-end stakeholder relationship. For a renewable project also engaging regulators, MPs, statutory consultees and landowners, it tends to sit alongside a fuller record rather than replace it.

Best for: the visual, community-facing layer of a consultation, particularly planning and local engagement.

5. Granicus EngagementHQ

EngagementHQ, part of US-based Granicus, is a broad civic engagement suite with a wide channel mix and an established global brand. Some UK councils use it, and it has a visible presence across North America.

For UK renewables specifically, it's worth weighing that it's US-centric and broader-but-shallower than an SRM platform purpose-built for the UK regulatory context, and it can become more expensive at scale. Data residency is US-centric rather than UK-centric by default.

Best for: organisations wanting a wide civic-engagement toolkit across many channels.

6. Simply Stakeholders

Simply Stakeholders, based in Sydney, Australia, is a modern, easy-to-use platform that demos well and positions on a low entry price. It has a handful of named UK clients, including Vattenfall, so it does operate in UK renewables, just at a smaller scale.

Two points matter for UK public-sector and regulated renewables work. It does not currently meet WCAG accessibility standards, which are mandatory for most UK public-sector procurement, and there's no G-Cloud listing, no visible ISO 27001:2022 and no Cyber Essentials Plus. The low entry pricing also rises as records and tiers grow, and several features Tractivity includes as standard sit in higher tiers. Support runs on Australian hours.

Best for: smaller, contact-led teams without UK accessibility or G-Cloud requirements.

7. Jambo

Jambo, from Edmonton, Canada, is an entry-level stakeholder information management tool with a clean interface for small teams, focused on contact records, interaction logging and commitments tracking. It markets itself on engagement expertise and is a cultural fit for North American natural resources and indigenous relations work.

For UK renewables, the gaps are practical. Stakeholder mapping, consultation surveys and structured engagement planning aren't in the core offering; communication campaigns are a paid add-on, and single sign-on isn't included in the Professional tier. There's one identifiable UK client publicly referenced, no G-Cloud listing and North American support hours. The low entry price climbs once modules and onboarding fees are added.

Best for: small North American teams moving off spreadsheets with basic engagement needs.

How to choose for a renewable energy project

Start from the evidence test, not the feature list. Ask three questions: 

• Can the platform produce a defensible, exportable record of who you engaged, when, how and what you did with their feedback?

• Does it hold the whole relationship, regulators, landowners, communities and politicians, or just one channel?

• Does it meet UK procurement requirements, G-Cloud, ISO 27001:2022, Cyber Essentials Plus and WCAG, which your buyers will check?

For a single, time-boxed community consultation, a portal like Citizen Space or Commonplace may be enough. For an NSIP or grid project that has to stand up to an examining authority over years, a full SRM record is the lower-risk choice. To weigh the SRM platforms here side by side, you can also compare your options for energy stakeholder management.

Whichever platform makes your shortlist, the deciding question is the same: can it evidence your engagement when it counts?

If you'd like to see how Tractivity holds that record for renewable projects, get in touch and the team would be happy to set up a short demo around your scheme.