NESTA
Nesta is a global innovation foundation. We back new ideas to tackle the big challenges of our time.
Our vision
We see a future full of potential, where new ideas solve the big challenges that matter to everyone.
Our mission
We seek out, spark and shape powerful new ideas, joining with others to take on the big challenges of our time and shift how the world works for everyone.
Why?
New ideas are the key to human progress, prosperity and happiness. In a rapidly changing world, we need new ideas to tackle the big challenges we all face and empower people to shape the future.
The kinds of big challenges Nesta tackle include the pressures of an ageing population; stretched public services; and a fast changing jobs market.
We are a UK charity but work globally, and always in partnership
We know we can’t make change happen by ourselves. We work with all kinds of partners all over the world, who have in common the drive to improve how the world works. We bring together the very big, such as national governments and global technology firms, with the grassroots, such as community groups and local activists, to make change happen. Find out about some of our success stories here.
Our work
Using our knowledge, networks, funding and skills, we grow new ideas that can change the world for the better:
- We see – making sense of opportunities and challenges Our research into emerging trends and technologies helps us answer big questions: such as what could health services look like in 2030? Which skills will matter most in an automated workplace? How can public policy harness entrepreneurial energy?
- We spark – generating new ideas from many sources Our programmes discover and nurture new ideas – championing creativity, generating and testing radical new ideas in the real world, and offering early-stage support to innovators across different fields.
- We shape – helping to test, grow and adapt promising solutions Our funding programmes help brilliant ideas benefit more people – growing innovations with evidence of success so they can work at scale, for example through impact investing.
- We shift – changing whole systems Sometimes it’s not enough to grow individual technologies or ventures – instead we have to transform the way whole systems work – for example, by bringing together organisations and individuals from across a field, by advocating for change, by changing policies, or by helping other organisations get better at innovating.
At Nesta we are experts in methods for innovation
We apply these methods in priority fields where there are big challenges and our capacities are suited to the action that’s needed: health; education; government innovation; the creative economy, arts and culture; and innovation policy.
Find out more about our areas of work here.
We want to hear from you
If you’d like to find out more about our work, if you’d like to become a partner, enlist our help, or if you’re interested in finding out more about what we can offer your organisation, please email information@nesta.org.uk. If this sounds like the kind of place you’d like to work, browse our jobs.