Centre for the Understanding of Sustainable Prosperity

What Centre for the Understanding of Sustainable Prosperity does

The Centre for the Understanding of Sustainable Prosperity (CUSP) is a private research organisation founded in 2015 and hosted at the University of Surrey in Guildford, UK. It operates as an international network connecting academic and non-academic partners around a central research question: what prosperity can mean in a world of environmental, social, and economic limits. CUSP does not sell a commercial product or technology platform; its outputs are research publications (policy papers, working papers, journal papers, essays, books, and newsletters), events, a blog, podcasts, and videos. Key research themes include post-growth economics, the care economy, circular economy, food systems transformation, and green finance, with signature outputs such as the Care Economy publication and the Post Growth audiobook.

CUSP's business model is grant-funded rather than commercial. There is no disclosed pricing model, no paying customer base, and no product-led revenue stream. The organisation is funded through the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), and it collaborates with policy, business, and academic stakeholders to disseminate research. CUSP also serves as the secretariat for the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group on Limits to Growth, providing a cross-party policy channel for its work, and maintains a broad social media presence across LinkedIn, X, Bluesky, Instagram, Mastodon, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, and podcast platforms to reach policy makers, the business sector, academic researchers, and the general public.

Operationally, CUSP is small (11-50 employees) and led by Co-Director Tim Jackson, with a broader network of contributing fellows and partner institutions. It has been expanding its applied research into adjacent verticals (green finance, SME nature-positive finance, LMIC circular economy) and has begun extending its footprint internationally, including an Africa-focused summit in 2026 and translations of its core publications into other languages.

Name

Centre for the Understanding of Sustainable Prosperity

Legal name

Centre for the Understanding of Sustainable Prosperity

Website

https://cusp.ac.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CUSP is a UK-based research organisation and international network that investigates what prosperity can mean in a world of environmental, social, and economic limits, serving policy makers, businesses, academics, and the public through publications, events, and media.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Guildford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels13 records

Core offering

CUSP is an academic research organisation and international network that investigates what prosperity can mean in a world of environmental, social, and economic limits. It produces publications (policy papers, working papers, journal papers, essays, books, and newsletters), convenes events and workshops, runs ongoing research projects, and publishes multimedia content (podcasts, videos, and a blog) on themes such as post-growth economics, the care economy, circular economy, food systems, and green finance. It also acts as secretariat for the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group on Limits to Growth.

Product overview

The Centre for the Understanding of Sustainable Prosperity (CUSP) is a cutting-edge research organization and international network focused on the central question of what prosperity can mean in a world of environmental, social, and economic limits. CUSP does not offer a commercial product or technology platform but rather functions as an academic research organization providing publications (policy papers, working papers, journal papers, essays, books, newsletters), events, research projects, a blog, and multimedia content. The organization works with people, policy, and business to develop pragmatic steps towards shared and lasting prosperity. Key research themes include the care economy, post-growth economics, circular economy, food systems transformation, and green finance. CUSP also serves as secretariat for the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group on Limits to Growth.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Publications

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Limits to GrowthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCUSP is acting as the secretariat for the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Limits to Growth. The APPG provides a platform for cross-party dialogue and collaboration on shared and lasting prosperity in a world of environmental, social and economic limits.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Club of Rome: Long-standing global think tank and originator of 'Limits to Growth'. Direct conceptual antecedent and international policy thought-leader relevant to CUSP's APPG on Limits to Growth and broader thesis.
• International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD): International policy research institute producing research and facilitating dialogue on sustainable development. Comparable to CUSP in international scope, policy briefings and research-driven convening.
• Stockholm Resilience Centre: Leading international research centre on resilience and sustainability science. Comparable to CUSP in academic research base, international network, and policy-relevant sustainability work.

Direct peers

• Tellus Institute: US-based research and policy organisation working on Great Transition and sustainable economics. Comparable to CUSP in long-horizon research, policy framing of post-growth, and convening role.
• UCL Institute for Global Prosperity: University-based research institute redefining prosperity beyond GDP. Comparable to CUSP in academic base, research output and policy engagement on alternative prosperity.
• Wellbeing Economy Alliance (WEAll): International collaboration of organisations and activists working on well-being economy policies. Closely comparable to CUSP in international network structure, policy advocacy orientation, and post-growth framing.
• New Economics Foundation (NEF): UK-based think tank focused on economic alternatives, well-being and sustainability. Highly comparable to CUSP in mission (rethinking prosperity beyond GDP), policy-brief output, and UK-based policy engagement.
• Research & Degrowth (R&D) network: European academic network on degrowth/post-growth research. Direct peer to CUSP on post-growth economics, academic publishing and international research collaboration.
• Foundation for the Economics of Sustainability (FEASTA): Irish think tank focused on ecological economics and limits to growth. Highly comparable to CUSP in policy-oriented research on sustainability and post-growth economics.
• Post-Growth Institute: Organisation dedicated to advancing post-growth ideas, research and practice. Direct peer to CUSP on post-growth economics, alternative prosperity frameworks, and international convening.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CUSP_uk
• YouTubeyoutube.com/cusp_uk
• Facebookfacebook.com/cusp.ac.uk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/centre-for-the-understanding-of-sustainable-prosperity
• Instagraminstagram.com/cusp_uk
• TikToktiktok.com/@cusp_uk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Centre for the Understanding of Sustainable Prosperity