Institute for the Future of Work

What Institute for the Future of Work does

The Institute for the Future of Work (IFOW) is an independent socio-technical research and development institute examining how new technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, are transforming work and society. Headquartered in London and operating as a registered UK charity (charity number 1180718), the institute serves a diverse stakeholder base spanning national and regional government, employers, trade unions, academia, and civil society. It does not develop or sell proprietary technology products; its work centres on research methodology, policy analysis, and frameworks for understanding AI's impact on work.

The institute's portfolio comprises research publications, frameworks, toolkits, and programs. Flagship outputs include the Pissarides Review into the Future of Work and Wellbeing (a three-year Nuffield Foundation-funded initiative led by Nobel Laureate Sir Christopher Pissarides), the annual Good Work Monitor tracking productivity and six dimensions of good work across all 203 local authorities in England, Scotland, and Wales, the Good Work Charter, the Algorithmic Impact Assessment toolkit, and the Responsible AI Sandbox program. It also runs action-research projects — including Good Work Design and AI Adoption case studies with CIPD, the CREAATIF project on creative industries with Queen Mary University of London and the Alan Turing Institute, and the Motivating Futures project with the EY Foundation — and serves as the Secretariat for the All-Party Parliamentary Group on the Future of Work.

IFOW operates a non-commercial revenue model. Funding flows primarily through charitable grants and research awards from foundations (Nuffield Foundation, Ufi VocTech Trust, EY Foundation), UK government programmes (Innovate UK BridgeAI, AHRC/BRAID, ESRC), and institutional partners. Outputs (publications, toolkits, briefings, datasets) are made freely available; only occasional fee-based speaking or consulting engagements generate transactional revenue. Distribution is driven by thought leadership, parliamentary engagement, event convening (e.g., Making the Future Work, Pissarides Review closing conference at The Shard), and partner-network dissemination, with no traditional sales motion.

Name

Institute for the Future of Work

Legal name

Institute for the Future of Work

Website

https://ifow.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Independent UK socio-technical research and development institute examining how new technologies, particularly AI, are transforming work and society. Funded by charitable grants and institutional partnerships, it produces research publications, policy frameworks, and toolkits for government, employers, unions, and civil society.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable Grants and Research Funding: IFOW operates as a registered UK charity (number 1180718) funded primarily through grants from foundations, government programmes, and institutional funders. Major funding sources include the Nuffield Foundation (funding the Pissarides Review), Innovate UK BridgeAI programme, AHRC and BRAID programme (CREAATIF project), Ufi VocTech Trust (Flourish project), and the Economic and Social Research Council.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

IFOW is an independent socio-technical research and development institute that examines how new technologies, particularly AI, are changing work and society. It produces research publications, policy briefings, frameworks and toolkits (including the Good Work Monitor, Good Work Charter, and Algorithmic Impact Assessment), and convenes cross-sector stakeholders to shape responsible AI adoption and improve the future of work across the UK.

Product overview

The Institute for the Future of Work is an independent socio-technical research and development institute, not a traditional technology product company. It operates a portfolio of research publications, programs, and toolkits focused on exploring the impacts of new technologies on work and society. Key offerings include the Pissarides Review (a major three-year research initiative on AI and work), the annual Good Work Monitor tracking workplace quality across UK local authorities, the Responsible AI Sandbox program for testing responsible AI approaches, and a curated Knowledge Hub organizing research by theme. The organization also produces policy briefings, case studies, and frameworks including the Good Work Charter and Algorithmic Impact Assessment toolkit. Its work is organized around three core challenges: Adoption, Transitions, and Accountability. The institute functions primarily as a research and policy organization rather than a software product company, producing publications, reports, and practical frameworks rather than software products with technical integrations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced document review time from approximately one hour to 15 minutes
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Greater London Authority - Mayor of London's AI and Jobs TaskforceflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 April 2025IFOW Founding Director Anna Thomas MBE serves as Deputy Chair of the Mayor's new AI and Jobs Taskforce, chaired by Baroness Martha Lane-Fox. The Taskforce examines how AI is reshaping jobs and skills, targets responsible innovation and good governance, and will report in July 2026 with pilots and prototypes designed for practical value for individuals, firms, mayors, and governments worldwide.
• EY FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025IFOW partnered with EY Foundation on the Motivating Futures project exploring how young people from low-income backgrounds can better thrive in a changing world of work. Research findings are informing the design of an intervention to guide young people towards intrinsic motivation, with potential for national dissemination.
• CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024IFOW partnered with CIPD on practical approaches to people-centred AI adoption, conducting action research across eight cross-sector case studies exploring how HR, organisation strategy, and people development practices can lead to successful AI implementation. The research addresses the human element and organisational dynamics essential for responsible innovation.
• Innovate UK BridgeAI ProgrammecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024IFOW's action research projects with organisations including NHS trusts and construction companies were supported by the Innovate UK BridgeAI programme. BridgeAI supports UK businesses in adopting AI technologies in a responsible and ethical manner, with IFOW providing the people-centred perspective on AI adoption.
• Queen Mary University of LondoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024IFOW partnered with Queen Mary University of London on the CREAATIF project (Crafting Responsive Assessments of AI & Tech-Impacted Futures), working with arts and culture unions to research how GenAI impacts creative industries and develop policy recommendations.
• The Alan Turing InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership with The Alan Turing Institute on the CREAATIF project exploring GenAI's impact on creative industries. The Alan Turing Institute is the UK's national institute for data science and artificial intelligence, providing technical expertise to complement IFOW's socio-technical research approach.
• Arts and Culture Unions (Equity, Bectu, Society of Authors, Musicians' Union)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024IFOW worked with four major arts and culture unions representing creative professionals on the CREAATIF project. Workshops and surveys were conducted among freelancers across these sectors to understand AI's impact on livelihoods and creative practice, informing policy recommendations for regulators.
• NHS TrustscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024IFOW conducted action research with NHS Foundation Trusts in England on responsible AI adoption for HR functions. Case study 'HealthTrust' explored staff engagement on plans to deploy an AI-enabled HR chatbot, identifying priorities for people-centred AI integration including training, job security concerns, and data governance.
• OECDcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024IFOW collaborates with OECD on AI and work research. An OECD seminar on AI in the workplace featured Angelica Salvi Del Pero and Peter Wyckoff presenting policy responses. IFOW's work aligns with OECD principles for responsible AI stewardship and contributes to international policy dialogue.
• All-Party Parliamentary Group on the Future of WorkflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021IFOW serves as the strategic research partner and Secretariat for the All-Party Parliamentary Group on the Future of Work. This role provides direct access to parliamentary processes, enabling IFOW to influence cross-party policy on AI and work issues and convene dialogues between parliamentarians, industry, and civil society.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• RAND Corporation: Global policy research organization producing research on AI, labor markets, and societal change. Comparable as a research-driven policy organization, though much larger and more diversified than IFOW's UK focus.
• Brookings Institution: US public policy research organization with significant work on AI, work, and economic policy. Comparable as a mission-driven research institute producing policy frameworks and convening government and industry stakeholders.
• Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD): UK professional body for HR and people management that produces extensive research on work, AI adoption, and workforce policy. A broader incumbent that partners with IFOW on action research and shares the employer-facing research agenda.

Emerging players

• Nuffield Foundation: UK charitable foundation funding research on AI, work, and social policy. While primarily a funder (and IFOW's backer of the Pissarides Review), Nuffield also produces in-house research, making it a partial peer in the same research ecosystem.

Direct peers

• New Economics Foundation: UK independent think tank focused on economic policy, work, and social justice. Comparable as a UK policy research institute producing frameworks and government-facing recommendations on labor and economic transformation.
• Nesta: UK innovation foundation that conducts research and runs programs on AI, the future of work, and economic change. Comparable as a research-driven, mission-aligned organization producing practical frameworks and convening stakeholders.
• Tony Blair Institute for Global Change: UK-based policy advisory and research institute that influences government policy on technology, work, and economic transformation. Highly comparable to IFOW as a purpose-driven, government-adjacent think tank producing frameworks and policy recommendations.
• Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR): UK's leading progressive think tank producing research on work, technology, and the economy. Comparable as a UK policy research institute with parliamentary engagement and a focus on AI and labor market impacts.
• Work Foundation (Lancaster University): UK research and policy organization focused on the future of work, job quality, and inclusive growth. Closely comparable mission to IFOW with similar outputs on good work, AI adoption, and workforce policy.
• Resolution Foundation: UK economic and social policy think tank focused on living standards, work, and labor markets. Direct peer in the UK future-of-work research space, producing similar policy briefings and convening cross-sector stakeholders.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FutureWorkInst
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/institute-future-work

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Institute for the Future of Work