GovConnex vs DeHavilland
DeHavilland, now part of Helio Intelligence, pairs political monitoring with a team of in-house policy analysts. GovConnex is software your team runs itself: real-time alerts across all four UK parliaments, committee transcripts, a stakeholder CRM and an AI analyst that cites its sources. Here’s how they compare, and which suits which team.
The short answer
Choose DeHavilland if you want analysts to read Parliament for you and write it up, or you need the EU covered from Brussels. Choose GovConnex if your team wants to see developments as they happen across Westminster and the devolved parliaments, and to keep monitoring, stakeholders and reporting in one place it runs itself.
GovConnex suits teams that
- want alerts in real time, each saying why it matters to them
- follow Holyrood, the Senedd and Stormont as well as Westminster
- manage stakeholders, meetings and positions where they monitor
- want AI answers they can check against the source, in GovConnex or in Claude, ChatGPT and Copilot
DeHavilland suits teams that
- want in-house analysts to write reports and answer questions
- need EU institutions covered, from DeHavilland’s Brussels team
- want civil servants, SpAds and council leaders in their stakeholder database
GovConnex and DeHavilland, side by side
What each offers, as its own website describes it on 19 October 2026. Where DeHavilland’s website doesn’t say, the table says so rather than guess.
| GovConnex | DeHavilland (Helio) | |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | ||
| Service model | Software your team runs itself, with onboarding and account support | Monitoring and AI tools, with a team of in-house UK policy analysts |
| Free trial | On request | Yes, two weeks |
| Prices | Not published: quoted by team size and coverage | Not published: quoted |
| Coverage | ||
| UK Parliament, Commons and Lords | Yes | Yes |
| Scottish Parliament, Senedd and NI Assembly | Yes, with their committees, inquiries and bills | Yes |
| Committee transcripts | Selected committee sessions, transcribed and searchable, with your organisation flagged | Not listed on its website |
| Beyond the UK | Australia and New Zealand | The EU, from Brussels |
| Monitoring | ||
| Alerts | In real time, the moment there’s a match, and in briefings on your schedule | Political monitoring and reports, with analysis from its policy team |
| Why it matters | Each item says why it matters to your organisation and links to its source | Analysts add context in reports and meetings |
| Sentiment | Share of voice and sentiment, by person and party | Sentiment analysis |
| Stakeholders | ||
| Directory | Every MP and peer, MSP, Member of the Senedd and MLA, with roles, committees and offices | PeoplePoint: over 50,000 policymakers, including civil servants, SpAds and council leaders |
| Engagement and CRM | Stakeholders, meetings, positions and follow-ups, with a report for your board | Engagement tracking across your team, and an API to your own CRM |
| AI | ||
| AI assistant | Analyst researches and drafts from GovConnex’s sources and cites each one | AI summaries, and AI tools for finding stakeholders |
| In Claude, ChatGPT or Copilot | Yes, through GovConnex’s MCP server | Not listed on its website |
Sources
- DeHavilland, home page
- DeHavilland, stakeholder management
- DeHavilland, “Introducing Helio in the UK”, 24 March 2026
- ECI Partners, investment in Helio Intelligence, 2026
- Contracts Finder: General Dental Council, parliamentary monitoring (DeHavilland)
GovConnex wrote this comparison from each provider’s own website and public contract notices, on the date at the top. Products change: if something here is out of date, tell us and we’ll correct it. DeHavilland, Helio Intelligence and Dods are trade marks of their owners, and GovConnex isn’t affiliated with them. Tell us about a change.
Why teams move to GovConnex
Teams moving from consultant-led monitoring most often ask us for these.
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Alerts with the reason attached
Alerts are filtered to your issues and each says why it matters to your organisation, with a link to the source, so you can brief someone without rereading the debate.
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As it happens
An alert the moment GovConnex picks up a match, and your organisation flagged in transcripts of selected committee sessions, so you can act on a mention while it still matters.
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All four parliaments in one search
The Scottish Parliament, the Senedd and the Northern Ireland Assembly sit alongside Westminster and UK Government departments, in the same search, alerts and briefings.
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Monitoring and stakeholders together
Your stakeholders, meetings, positions and follow-ups live next to what Parliament is doing, and turn into a report for your board.
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AI you can check
Analyst answers from GovConnex’s sources and cites each one. Our MCP server gives Claude, ChatGPT or Copilot the same sources, inside the tools your team already uses.
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Your team sets it up
Add an issue, change an alert or move a briefing yourself, whenever your priorities change.
Where DeHavilland may suit you better
We’d rather you chose the right service. DeHavilland is likely the better fit if any of these matter most.
- You want analysts to do the reading
- DeHavilland’s in-house policy analysts write reports and are there for questions. GovConnex gives your team the tools, support and Analyst for research, but doesn’t assign you an analyst.
- You need the EU
- DeHavilland monitors EU institutions from Brussels. GovConnex covers the UK, Australia and New Zealand, not the EU.
- You need officials and councils in your database
- PeoplePoint lists over 50,000 policymakers, including civil servants, SpAds and council leaders. GovConnex’s directory covers members of the four UK legislatures.
- You track secondary legislation or APPGs
- GovConnex doesn’t yet track statutory instruments, APPG schedules or the London Assembly.
Switching from DeHavilland
Most of the work is timing. Here’s how teams move without a gap.
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Find your notice date
Monitoring contracts often renew automatically and ask for notice weeks or months ahead. Check yours and put the date in the diary.
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Run a trial on your own issues
We set GovConnex up on your issues and parliaments, so you can compare it with what you receive now, on the same days’ news.
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Bring your stakeholders
We set up your issues, stakeholders and briefings with you and bring across your existing contacts.
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Start before you stop
Plan to start before your current contract ends, so nothing falls between the two. Ask us about timing.
Questions about switching from DeHavilland
Ask us something elseIs DeHavilland now called Helio?
DeHavilland launched its Helio platform in the UK in March 2026, and its group now trades as Helio Intelligence. In 2026 ECI Partners announced an investment in Helio Intelligence (previously DeHavilland), subject to regulatory approval. DeHavilland’s UK services still use the DeHavilland name.
How much does DeHavilland cost?
DeHavilland doesn’t publish prices; it quotes each client. Public contracts give a guide: the General Dental Council’s parliamentary monitoring contract with DeHavilland is £30,000 over three years, from September 2024 to August 2027. GovConnex also quotes, by team size and coverage.
Does GovConnex have analysts like DeHavilland?
GovConnex doesn’t assign a policy analyst. Your team gets onboarding and support, and Analyst, which researches and drafts from GovConnex’s sources and cites each one. If you want someone to write your reports for you, a consultant-led service may suit you better.
Does GovConnex cover the devolved parliaments?
Yes. The Scottish Parliament, the Senedd and the Northern Ireland Assembly, with their committees and inquiries, alongside the UK Parliament, UK Government departments and consultations, and the devolved governments.
Can we try GovConnex before our DeHavilland contract ends?
Yes. We set up a trial on your own issues and parliaments, so you can compare GovConnex with your current service before you give notice.
Can we bring our stakeholder contacts?
Yes. We bring across your existing contacts when we set up your workspace, along with your issues and briefings.
Know first. Prove the impact. Book a time with our team. Request a demo