Launching our inquiry
What does it mean to sustain place-based systems change?
Over 2025-2026, Renaisi is leading a new inquiry into how to sustain place-based systems change
Working with places across the UK, we’ve noticed a pattern is emerging: As funding cycles come to an end, systems have increasingly limited capacity to sustain place-based systems change initiatives.
Why now?
We all know that systems change rarely happens within the two to five years of a funding programme. There’s an assumption that place-based systems change initiatives will develop new ways of working that, over time, bring systems change.
But with extreme financial challenges for local authorities VCSE sector, systems currently lack the resources to absorb and embed this change beyond the initial injection of funding.
At a time when investing in place-based change has a lot of traction in national policy – we need to ensure we don’t lose focus on building the sustainability and resilience of the increadible place-based work that is happening already. Without this, there is a risk that this will be lost before it can make systemic impact.
This is a critical time to explore how to sustain place-based systemic change.
What’s important?
Our inquiry will explore:
- Long-term resourcing – How can we look beyond traditional funding models to ensure long-term resourcing for place-based systems change?
- Transitioning well – When a funding period comes to an end, how can an external organisation providing funding transition out of a place in a way that strengthens sustainability and maintains local momentum?
- Accountability and ownership – How does the ownership of a place-based systems change initiative effect its sustainability?
- Designing for sustainability – How can place-based systems change initiatives be designed to sustain impact while the system(s) they are working in rapidly change?
- Evidence as a tool– What role does learning and evidence play in sustaining place-based systems change?
What are we doing?
We are carrying out research with a huge range of funders, place-based organisations, think tanks and public sector partners, alongside reviewing the literature to understand models for sustaining place-based systems change.
The inquiry will shape:
- A typology of models for sustaining place-based systems change
- Recommendations for organisation looking to support this place-based systems change work, including funders and delivery partners
How can I get involved?
Our partnership group is dynamic and expanding. Partners contributions range depending on the expertise and capacity of the partner, ranging from insights, time, resource and funding.
We know that this is a pressing question for a huge range of place-based practitioners, funders, facilitators and convenors that we work with – and so have built lots of ways for people to be involved. You could participate in an interview, engage with our survey or be actively involved in shaping research and outputs.
Want to join us? Please contact Kezia Jackson-Harman at k.jackson-harman@renaisi.com to discuss how to join the inquiry.
