New Economics Foundation

What New Economics Foundation does

The New Economics Foundation (NEF) is an independent UK think tank and registered charity (charity number 1055254) founded in 1986 and headquartered at 10 Salamanca Place, London. NEF conducts policy research, publishes reports, produces the weekly New Economics Podcast, and runs public campaigns aimed at building what it describes as a fairer, greener economy. Its work spans economic security, climate and green transition, housing, public services, inequality, regional economies, and democratic ownership, and it operates across three stated missions: Economic Security For All, A Fast And Fair Transition, and Power To Communities.

NEF's core products and platforms are research publications, the New Economics Podcast, the Change The Rules mapping initiative, the five-year Reclaiming Our Regional Economies (RORE) programme co-developed with CLES, Co-operatives UK, and Centre for Thriving Places, and the Social Guarantee initiative. It has a wholly-owned consultancy arm, NEF Consulting, which monetises its research IP through advisory work. There is no proprietary software platform; the underlying technology stack is standard content publishing, email, RSS, and social media distribution across X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and YouTube, plus an active press office.

NEF is funded almost entirely by grants and donations from trusts, foundations, and individuals; it does not sell subscriptions or licenses. The largest disclosed funders are Oak Foundation (£1,698,299), The National Lottery Community Fund (£1,033,554), European Climate Foundation (£114,656), Lloyds Bank Foundation (£94,495), Friends Provident Foundation (£90,910), and Open Society Foundations (£88,662). It is led by Chief Executive Danny Sriskandarajah with a Deputy Chief Executive, a Head of Economy/Environment/Green Transition, a Senior Economist, an EU-focused Senior Policy Officer, and a Head of Communications. NEF employs 51-100 staff, holds the top A-rating from the Who Funds You? transparency campaign, and is accredited as a Living Wage employer, a Good Business Charter organisation, a Disability Confident employer, and a Fairwork Partner.

Name

New Economics Foundation

Legal name

New Economics Foundation

Website

https://neweconomics.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The New Economics Foundation (NEF) is an independent UK charity and progressive economic policy think tank, founded 1986 in London, producing research, campaigns, and a podcast on economic security, climate, and democratic ownership for policymakers, media, and the public.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Policy Research and Think Tank Services

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Policy Research Institutes & Think Tanks (EDADADAA)

Keywords

• Economic policy research
• Think tank consulting
• Social policy advocacy
• Climate policy analysis
• Progressive economics

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, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Charitable donations and grants: NEF operates as an independent charity funded through grants and donations from trusts, foundations, organizations, and individuals who support their mission and align with their values.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The New Economics Foundation (NEF) is an independent UK think tank that conducts economic and social policy research, publishes reports and podcasts, and runs advocacy campaigns on progressive economic reform, climate action, social justice, and inclusive economies. NEF also operates a consultancy subsidiary (NEF Consulting) that helps organizations apply its research findings.

Product overview

The New Economics Foundation is a think tank organization that does not operate as a traditional software product company. Its core offerings consist of research publications, policy analysis reports, podcasts, and consulting services. The main products include NEF Consulting (their consultancy arm helping organisations move towards a sustainable economy), the New Economics Podcast (audio discussions on economic policy), the Reclaiming Our Regional Economies (RORE) programme (a five-year collaborative initiative with partner organizations), the Change The Rules initiative (mapping local projects for a democratic economy), and the Social Guarantee initiative (showcasing innovative local service providers). NEF also produces periodic research reports such as 'Forecasting a Better Future' on fiscal policy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NEF Consulting: NEF's consultancy arm helping organisations move towards a new sustainable economy.
• Change The Rules

Products and services

• NEF Consulting Consultancy subsidiary of the New Economics Foundation that helps organizations apply NEF's research findings on economic and social policy. Targets businesses, public bodies, and third-sector organizations seeking evidence-based advisory support.
• New Economics Podcast Regular podcast covering economic policy, climate, inequality, and progressive ideas. Produced for a broad public audience interested in alternative economic thinking.
• Reclaiming Our Regional Economies (RORE) Programme focused on devolving economic power to UK regions and building inclusive local economies. Aimed at local government, regional bodies, and community organizations.
• Change The Rules Public-facing advocacy campaign calling for systemic reform of economic rules to deliver better outcomes for people and planet. Targets the general public and policymakers.
• Social Guarantee NEF policy initiative proposing a guaranteed minimum income/social guarantee framework to address economic insecurity. Designed to inform policy debate and government reform.

Quantifiable outcome

• Published research influencing EU fiscal policy and climate action frameworks
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 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 core and minor.

• Triodos BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint event partner for discussions on overhauling the financial system. Collaboration on events exploring how the UK must 'rewire' its financial system.
• Fairwork FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNEF is a Fairwork Partner working together to help transform the gig economy. The Fairwork project scores platforms on fair work practices and NEF uses these to guide platform choices.
• Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-developer of the Reclaiming Our Regional Economies (RORE) five-year programme, bringing communities together with political and institutional leaders to reform regional economies.
• Co-operatives UKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-developer of the RORE programme alongside NEF, CLES, and Centre for Thriving Places to build inclusive regional economies.
• Centre for Thriving Places (CTP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-developer of the RORE programme to test ideas for reforming regional economies.
• NEF ConsultingcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNEF's consultancy arm that helps organisations move towards a sustainable economy. A separate but related entity that extends NEF's influence into consulting work.
• Good Growth FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConvenor of coalition of think tanks including NEF, Progress, Common Wealth, and Women's Budget Group calling for OBR reform.
• Progress (Labour group)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of coalition with NEF, Common Wealth, and Women's Budget Group calling for OBR reform ahead of spring forecast.
• Common WealthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of coalition with NEF, Progress, and Women's Budget Group calling for OBR reform.
• Women's Budget GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of coalition with NEF, Progress, and Common Wealth calling for OBR reform.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR): The UK's leading progressive think tank. Closely comparable to NEF on mission, audience (policymakers, media), funding model (charity/grant), and core topics (inequality, climate, public services, economy).
• Resolution Foundation: UK think tank focused on living standards, inequality, and economic policy. Directly comparable in audience, output type (economic analysis and reports), and grant-funded charity model.
• Centre for Policy Studies: UK centre-right think tank producing economic and policy research. Comparable as a UK think-tank competitor engaging the same policymaker, media, and advocacy audiences, but on the opposite ideological flank.
• Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES): UK charity focused on local and regional economic policy. Directly comparable as a co-developer of NEF's Reclaiming Our Regional Economies programme, sharing a similar grant-funded, mission-driven model and overlapping topic set.
• NEF Consulting: Wholly-owned consulting subsidiary of NEF providing sustainability advisory. A direct functional peer in mission-aligned economic and sustainability consulting, though structurally part of NEF rather than an independent competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS): Established UK economic research institute with a broader macroeconomic and fiscal mandate. Overlaps with NEF on fiscal rules, tax, and inequality, but operates at larger scale with a more academic posture.
• Tony Blair Institute for Global Change: Global policy advisory with significant economic and climate programming. Broader in scope and global reach than NEF, but overlaps on economic reform, governance, and climate policy advisory.

Emerging players

• Common Wealth: UK progressive think tank focused on democratic ownership, climate, and economic reform. Coalition partner with NEF via the Good Growth Foundation and a partial-overlap competitor for funder dollars and media attention.
• Women's Budget Group: UK feminist economic research charity. Coalition partner with NEF (Good Growth Foundation / OBR reform) and an adjacent, partially overlapping competitor on fiscal and inequality research.

Others

• Policy Network: International progressive think tank network connecting centre-left research institutes. Comparable in ideology and audience but more network-oriented and less focused on UK domestic policy than NEF.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nef
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/theneweconomics
• Facebookfacebook.com/neweconomics
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/new-economics-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/neweconomicsfoundation
• TikToktiktok.com/@neweconomicsfoundation

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about New Economics Foundation