North Star Transition
North Star Transition is a UK not-for-profit that runs Transition Labs—facilitated, cross-sector forums applying systems-thinking and dialogue to accelerate environmental, economic, and social change for governments, utilities, farmers, and financiers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersRichmond, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What North Star Transition does
North Star Transition is a UK not-for-profit founded in 2020 and headquartered in Richmond, with a 14-person team. Its stated mission is to accelerate systems change by helping organisations and communities recognise the interdependence of environment, economy, and society. The organisation operates a portfolio of regional Transition Labs (Wales, Wye-Usk, Fens, Scotland) alongside thematic Labs (Regenerative Investment, Finance), using a facilitation methodology built on listening, dialogue, and systems-thinking frameworks including the Two Loops model and the Cynefin framework. Programmes engage cross-sector stakeholders to identify root causes and co-create solutions; reported outcomes include engagement of 200+ stakeholders in the Wye-Usk catchment, over 50 Welsh leaders across seven sectors, and identification of £900m in potential Fens agricultural investments.
The organisation's revenue model combines grant funding from governmental bodies, environmental agencies, and foundations with project-based consulting for public-sector and utility clients. Named commissions include work for the Welsh Government (Wales Net Zero 2035 Challenge Group), Anglian Water (Future Fens: Integrated Adaptation), United Utilities (OFWAT-funded Mainstreaming Nature-based Solutions), and NHS Wales (Cwm Taf Morgannwg and Velindre University NHS Trust food-sourcing studies). Strategic partnerships with UCL Climate Action Unit, Mott MacDonald, Apella Advisors, Fera Science, the Royal Agricultural Society of England, and the University of Glasgow extend its scientific, infrastructure, finance, and agricultural expertise. Distribution relies on Transition Lab events, content marketing (insights articles, video), and The Wider Lens podcast; programmes are free for participants and the organisation is funded through grants and commissioned work rather than fees for participation.
North Star Transition firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- North Star Transition
- Legal name
- North Star Transition
- Website
- https://northstartransition.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- North Star Transition is a UK not-for-profit that runs Transition Labs—facilitated, cross-sector forums applying systems-thinking and dialogue to accelerate environmental, economic, and social change for governments, utilities, farmers, and financiers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
North Star Transition industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sustainability and Systems Change Advisory Services
- NAICS
- Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Transition Plan Development & Implementation Roadmapping (EUABAKAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Transition Finance (Hard-to-Abate Transition Strategies, SL Loans/Bonds) (FSAAALAI)
Keywords
Where North Star Transition is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Richmond
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
North Star Transition business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Grant Funding: As a not-for-profit organisation, North Star Transition operates primarily through grant funding from governmental bodies, environmental agencies, and foundations to support their Transition Lab programmes and systemic change initiatives.
- Project-Based Consulting: Delivers commissioned studies and reports for public sector clients including NHS Wales, Welsh Government, and water companies. Examples include the Localising NHS Hospital Food Sourcing study (£22m NHS food procurement analysis) and landscape finance assessments.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
North Star Transition product offering
Product offeringCore offering
North Star Transition runs Transition Labs — structured facilitation programmes that bring together diverse stakeholders from businesses, communities, government, and NGOs to identify systemic problems, understand root causes, and co-create solutions. The organisation operates regional programmes in Wales, Wye-Usk, Fens, and Scotland, and delivers commissioned studies such as the Localising NHS Hospital Food Sourcing feasibility study and landscape finance assessments. All engagement is delivered free of charge to participants, funded through grants, partnerships, and commissioned project work.
Product overview
North Star Transition is a not-for-profit organization that offers its core Transition Lab methodology - a process based on listening and dialogue for systems change. The organization operates several regional Transition Lab programs (Wales, Wye-Usk, Fens, Scotland) and produces The Wider Lens podcast. These programs help participants from businesses, communities, governmental and non-governmental organisations regain agency, build flexibility and resilience, and create healthier, more profitable, and more sustainable futures through collaborative dialogue and co-creation.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- The Wider Lens: A podcast series hosted by Jyoti Banerjee and Jenny Scott exploring what 'transition' really means and what it takes to move from degenerative systems to regenerative ones. Episodes cover transitioning corporations, nations, landscapes, and financing transition.
- Transition Lab
Products and services
- Transition Lab A facilitation process based on listening and dialogue that helps different players in a system identify their problems, understand root causes, and co-create solutions. Used with governments, utilities, financial institutions, and farming organisations to accelerate systems change.
- Wales Transition Lab A nation-scale programme that reconnects food, health, and nature to address root causes of wellbeing decline, bringing together over 50 Welsh leaders across food, farming, environment, water, business, education, and health sectors.
- Wye-Usk Transition Lab A catchment-scale Transition Lab bringing together system participants across the Wye and Usk catchments to transform the landscape into healthy places for people and nature.
- Fens Transition Lab A landscape-scale Transition Lab across the Fens aiming to realise transformative change towards a regenerative system, identifying £900m in potential agricultural investments yielding £5.7bn in co-benefits alongside two new reservoir developments.
- Scotland Transition Lab A Transition Lab bringing together leaders, researchers, and practitioners to explore possibilities beyond organisational and sectoral boundaries in Scottish agriculture and land use.
- The Wider Lens A podcast series hosted by Jyoti Banerjee and Jenny Scott exploring what transition really means and what it takes to move from degenerative systems to regenerative ones.
- Regenerative Investment Lab A programme supporting business and investment communities to work together on system change, in partnership with Apella Advisors, constructing new ways to finance landscape transformation through blended finance and nature-based solutions investment structures.
- Finance Transition Lab A programme focused on dialogue and co-creation within the finance sector to align capital with systems change, including the Dreel Burn Investment Readiness partnership funded by FIRNS.
- Localising NHS Hospital Food Sourcing Study A commissioned feasibility study analysing £22m of annual NHS food procurement for localisation opportunities, delivered for Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board and Velindre University NHS Trust to support local, healthy, and sustainable hospital food sourcing.
Quantifiable outcome
- Wye-Usk Transition Lab: Over 200 stakeholders engaged, landscape transformation plan developed for Wye and Usk catchments.
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use North Star Transition
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
North Star Transition technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
North Star Transition partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- Fera Science LimitedcoreFera Science Limited and North Star Transition partnership addresses urgent environmental and societal challenges by uniting Fera's deep scientific expertise and evidence-based rigour with North Star Transition's pioneering approach to systems change. Together they aim to co-develop scalable solutions closing the gap between leading-edge science and practical implementation, delivering resilient, regenerative strategies across industries and sectors.
- Apella AdvisorscoreApella Advisors and North Star Transition partnership supports business and investment communities in working together on system change to create a more regenerative world. Initial collaboration centres on constructing new ways to finance landscape transformation. The partnership bridges finance, business, and environment by encouraging previously disconnected stakeholders including farmers, financiers, environmental activists, utilities, and corporates to unite around shared ambitions.
- Mott MacDonaldcoreMott MacDonald and North Star Transition partnership aims to develop collaborative initiatives addressing social inequality and climate and biodiversity crises. The partnership combines North Star Transition's Transition Lab capability with Mott MacDonald's infrastructure, environmental and digital expertise. Joint work includes landscape finance assessments and integrated approaches to systems thinking across water, environment, and infrastructure sectors.
- UCL Climate Action UnitcoreUniversity College London's Climate Action Unit partners with North Star Transition to bring systemic change approaches to climate action. The partnership provides specialised facilitation support for cross-sector collaboration, combining climate science, engagement, communications, neuroscience and psychology expertise. UCL's Chris Rapley and Kris de Meyer have been instrumental in connecting unlikely allies across multiple domains, particularly in Wales Transition Lab.
- Royal Agricultural Society of EnglandcorePartnership with Royal Agricultural Society of England and its sister organisation Innovation for Agriculture to spark development and widespread adoption of resilient and profitable farming systems across the UK. The partnership addresses challenges facing the current farming system including environmental degradation, climate change, volatile markets, and economic pressures on farmers.
- University of Glasgow (Global Soil Health Programme)coreScotland Transition Lab launched in collaboration with the Global Soil Health Programme at the University of Glasgow. This initiative brings together leaders, researchers, and practitioners to explore possibilities beyond organisational and sectoral boundaries in Scottish agriculture and land use.
- Environment AgencysupportingThe Environment Agency supported North Star Transition's 2023 work on aggregation and investment in nature, exploring what financial sector participants would need to invest in nature-based solutions at scale across landscapes. North Star Transition is continuing the development process for landscape finance with institutions engaged through this initial work.
- Anglian WatercoreCollaboration with Anglian Water on Future Fens: Integrated Adaptation programme. North Star Transition is working with Anglian Water and the Environment Agency to investigate how a Fens Transition Lab would work across the East of England, with the reservoir development as an anchor for wider landscape transformation.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
North Star Transition competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- World Resources Institute: Global research organisation working at the intersection of environment, economy, and equity through policy, finance, and convening. Comparable as a systems-change intermediary producing research and convening stakeholders, with much greater global reach.
- Carbon Trust: Established UK-based climate and sustainability advisory working with governments, corporates, and investors on decarbonisation and nature. Comparable as a broader incumbent in the same advisory space, with much greater scale and a wider service portfolio.
- The Nature Conservancy: One of the world's largest environmental NGOs working on landscape conservation, nature-based solutions, and policy advocacy. Comparable in landscape-level, multi-stakeholder conservation and NbS work, but at much greater global scale.
Direct peers
- Anthesis Group: Global sustainability consultancy advising corporates and governments on Net Zero, nature, and ESG strategy. Comparable as a service provider to similar enterprise clients (utilities, food and agriculture, public sector) on transition roadmaps.
- SYSTEMIQ: Systems-change advisory firm focused on land use, climate, circular economy, and nature-based solutions across Europe and emerging markets. Directly comparable in approach — multi-stakeholder convening and transition pathways for landscapes and industries.
- Ellen MacArthur Foundation: UK-based charitable foundation driving systemic transition to a circular economy through business, government, and education partnerships. Comparable as a thought-leadership-led, partnership-funded entity catalysing systemic change.
- South Pole Group: Climate solutions provider offering advisory, carbon credit origination, and nature-based solutions financing to corporates and investors. Directly comparable in addressing nature-based solutions, climate strategy, and landscape investment.
- Forum for the Future: International non-profit that works with business, government, and civil society on systems-change programmes addressing climate, nature, and social challenges. Closely comparable to North Star Transition in mission, methodology, and stakeholder-convening model.
Emerging players
- B Lab UK: Non-profit network certifying B Corps and promoting regenerative business models across the UK. Comparable in building a community of businesses moving from degenerative to regenerative practices, with overlapping stakeholders.
Others
- Climate-KIC: EU-backed climate innovation community and knowledge hub funding and convening systemic climate solutions across sectors. Comparable as a funded, partnership-driven ecosystem actor catalysing climate transition programmes.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks1 record
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
North Star Transition social profiles
Digital presenceNorth Star Transition financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
North Star Transition leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
North Star Transition funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
North Star Transition M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about North Star Transition
What does North Star Transition do?
North Star Transition runs Transition Labs — structured facilitation programmes that bring together diverse stakeholders from businesses, communities, government, and NGOs to identify systemic problems, understand root causes, and co-create solutions. The organisation operates regional programmes in Wales, Wye-Usk, Fens, and Scotland, and delivers commissioned studies such as the Localising NHS Hospital Food Sourcing feasibility study and landscape finance assessments. All engagement is delivered free of charge to participants, funded through grants, partnerships, and commissioned project work.
Is North Star Transition a public or private company?
North Star Transition is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was North Star Transition founded?
North Star Transition was founded in 2020. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is North Star Transition based?
North Star Transition is headquartered in Richmond, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does North Star Transition make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Grant Funding is the primary driver. The others are project-Based Consulting.
Who are North Star Transition's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are World Resources Institute, Carbon Trust and The Nature Conservancy. Direct peers are Anthesis Group, SYSTEMIQ, Ellen MacArthur Foundation, South Pole Group and Forum for the Future. B Lab UK is listed as an emerging player. Climate-KIC is listed as an others.
Does North Star Transition have an API?
No public API is recorded for North Star Transition.
What industry is North Star Transition in?
North Star Transition's product category is Sustainability and Systems Change Advisory Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUABAKAB, Transition Plan Development & Implementation Roadmapping, with a secondary code of FSAAALAI, Transition Finance (Hard-to-Abate Transition Strategies, SL Loans/Bonds). Its NAICS code is 54172 and its SIC code is 8742.