School of System Change

What School of System Change does

The School of System Change is a not-for-profit educational initiative, founded in 2015-2016 and operated under Forum for the Future (a UK registered charity, Charity No. 1040519). It delivers cohort-based systems change learning to leaders, changemakers, organisations, and networks seeking to address complex social and ecological challenges. Its core pedagogy is a Multi-Method Approach that convenes practitioners from systems dynamics, futures, complexity practice, regenerative development, deep equity, systemic action inquiry, systems-oriented design, and processwork, structured around a Seven Capabilities Framework.

The product portfolio spans a 6-month foundational course (Basecamp), 5-week introductory courses (Delta and Spark), sector-specialised programmes (Health, Finance, Climate, Youth in a Digital Age), short-format Seedling Series workshops, in-person studios, and writing retreats. Supporting resources include the Systems Change Learning Handbook, Case Studies library, Stepping Into Systems film series, Action Inquiry Publication, and the Learning Commons interactive platform. Delivery is primarily online via Zoom with cohort-specific communication spaces, complemented by learning and practice partnerships that co-design tailored programmes with organisations.

The revenue model combines tiered individual course fees (£3,750-£7,500 GBP for Basecamp, with discounts to support financial accessibility), bespoke Learning and Practice Partnerships for organisations, and foundation/corporate funding from J&J Foundation, Aviva Investors, and Cisco Foundation supporting thematic verticals. Initial seed funding came from Lankelly Chase and Garfield Foundation (2015-2020). The enabling team is small and distributed across the UK, France, Germany, the US, and occasionally New Zealand.

Name

School of System Change

Legal name

Forum for the Future

Website

https://schoolofsystemchange.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The School of System Change is a not-for-profit educational initiative that delivers cohort-based, multi-method systems change learning courses and tailored learning partnerships to leaders, organisations, and networks across multiple sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Course Fees - Full Rate: Full rate pricing at £7500 GBP for people in countries with strong economies, larger organisations and well-paid professionals. Helps support others to participate at discounted rates.
2. Course Fees - Middle Rate: Middle rate pricing at £5250 GBP for people in countries with moderate economies, small organisations (fewer than 10 employees) and individuals.
3. Course Fees - Discounted Rate: Discounted rate pricing at £3750 GBP for people in need of financial assistance. Limited discounted rate slots per cohort.
4. Learning and Practice Partnerships: Organisations pay for tailored learning partnerships, accompaniment, and bespoke course design services
5. Foundation and Corporate Funding: Core partnerships and funding from J&J Foundation, Aviva Investors, and Cisco Foundation supporting specific thematic areas (Health, Finance, Climate)

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The School of System Change delivers cohort-based online courses on systems change, sustainability, and transformation for individual learners, alongside bespoke Learning and Practice Partnerships commissioned by organizations. Programs are facilitated live online, combine theory with applied practice, and span introductory through advanced and sector-specific tracks (e.g., Health, Finance).

Product overview

The School of System Change is an educational platform offering a multi-method approach to systems change learning through a portfolio of courses and resources. The core offerings include foundational courses (Basecamp - 6 months, Delta - 5 weeks, Spark - 5 weeks), specialized thematic courses (Health, Finance, Climate, Youth in Digital Age), the Seedling Series of short workshops, writing retreats, and the Systems Change Studio workshop. These are complemented by free resources including the Systems Change Learning Handbook, Stepping Into Systems film series, Case Studies library, Action Inquiry Publication, and the Learning Commons interactive platform. The School also offers organizational partnerships for tailored capacity building. The portfolio ranges from introductory fundamentals to advanced practice, delivered primarily online with some in-person components.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Basecamp: A 6-month foundational deep dive into systems change practice
• Delta
• Spark
• Seedling Series

Products and services

• Basecamp

Quantifiable outcome

• 97%+ would recommend the programme to others (based on testimonial evidence)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Forum for the FuturecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Founding partner of the School of System Change. The School has been seeded, nurtured and grown within Forum for the Future since 2015. Forum for the Future is a registered charity and company limited by guarantee.
• IlluminateflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative network co-initiated by the School designed to connect people committed to cultivating the field and practice of systems change towards a just, equitable and regenerative future.
• Bosch Alumni NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnering network where the School brings systems change learning to alumni of the Bosch Foundation fellowship programmes.
• GliderminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner for the Learning Commons visualisation, designed to help navigate the multitude of methods across systems change fields.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Institute of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability (ICRS): UK-based professional body offering sustainability and responsibility training and accreditation for practitioners. Comparable via shared UK base and adjacent sustainability leadership training audience.

Direct peers

• Society for Organizational Learning (SoL): A global learning community inspired by MIT's Peter Senge focused on systems thinking, leadership, and organizational learning. Overlaps with the School's five capabilities around systems practice and learning community of practitioners.
• Presencing Institute: Founded by Otto Scharmer at MIT, the Presensing Institute delivers Theory U-based systems transformation programs (u.lab, u.school) for leaders and change makers. Most direct comparable given shared focus on systems change capacity building through cohort-based learning.
• Sustainability Institute: South Africa-based learning organization founded by Fred Knoester offering systems change and sustainable futures programs. Direct peer in the niche of regenerative development and systems-based practitioner education.
• Academy for Systems Change: A nonprofit learning community teaching systems change foundations (Donella Meadows' leverage points framework) through cohort-based courses and a shared practitioner network. Closest mission-aligned peer focused explicitly on 'systems change' education.

Broad incumbents

• Ashoka: Global nonprofit supporting social entrepreneurs with fellowship, learning, and network offerings. Comparable as a large-scale changemaker ecosystem organization with cohorts of fellows and a learning community.
• Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership: University-affiliated executive education provider offering sustainability and leadership programs to senior practitioners across sectors. Comparable through executive education format applied to systems-level sustainability topics.
• MIT Sloan Executive Education - Sustainability & Systems Programs: Top-tier executive education arm offering systems thinking, sustainability, and leadership courses targeting senior managers. Overlaps with the School's enterprise audience for systems change capacity building.

Emerging players

• IDEO U: Online learning platform from design firm IDEO offering courses in design thinking, leadership, and innovation. Adjacent as a design-and-innovation professional development provider serving similar cohort-based executive learners.
• Santa Fe Institute - Complexity Programs: Research institute offering complexity science short courses and workshops, including for practitioners. Overlaps with the School's emphasis on complexity, systems dynamics, and pattern recognition in leadership practice.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/schoolofsystemchange
• Xx.com/SystemChangeSch
• Facebookfacebook.com/schoolofsystemchange

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 School of System Change