Popular searches

About Nesta

Nesta is a research and innovation foundation. We apply our deep expertise in applied methods to design, test and scale solutions to some of the biggest challenges of our time, working across the innovation lifecycle.

More about us

2025 in review: policy ideas to tackle the UK’s biggest challenges

How to make good things happen: global lessons for UK policymakers
9 Dec 2025

Across health, education, economic growth, and net zero, the implementation of joined-up and preventative models has been a major focus of the UK’s policy environment. But what are the most compelling and innovative policy ideas and delivery models to emerge from the UK and beyond this year?

On Tuesday 9 December we hosted a lively, interactive discussion where our policy experts including Anita Boateng, Senior Partner at Portland Communications, Helen Brown, UK Managing Director at BIT, Polly Curtis, Chief Executive at Demos and Tim Leunig, Chief Economist at Nesta shared their ‘policy ideas of the year’. Each speaker provided sharp analysis on what works, what doesn't, and how these policies will impact everyday lives for the better. Ravi Gurumurthy, Chief Executive at Nesta chaired the event.

This hybrid event was for policymakers, academia, NGOs, and anyone invested in shaping, designing, and delivering effective public policy. The event was followed by a networking drinks reception.

Speakers

Tim-Leunig profile pic

Tim Leunig

He/Him

Tim is Chief Economist at Nesta. Tim Leunig served as a senior UK government adviser for a decade, including as an Economic Adviser to two Chancellors, Senior Policy Adviser to six other cabinet ministers, and Chief Analyst and Chief Scientific Adviser to the Department for Education. He invented the UK’s furlough scheme, the National Funding Formula for England’s schools, and Progress 8, the method for evaluating secondary schools. In the Autumn of 2023, he was the Prime Minister’s Education Adviser. He has taught at the London School of Economics for 25 years and is a multiple international prize-winning economist. He is also a Director of Economics at Public First.

Anita-Boateng

Anita Boateng

She/Her

Anita Boateng is a government affairs, policy and communications specialist with extensive experience working at the highest levels of government and media. She specialises in delivering ambitious, integrated public affairs and corporate communications campaigns for clients facing regulatory, reputational and commercial challenges. Anita served three Cabinet Ministers as a government special adviser from 2016-2019, including the defacto Deputy Prime Minister in the Cabinet Office, the Lord Chancellor and the Work and Pensions Secretary. Anita is a former political producer of BBC Question Time and a regular political commentator. She has a degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from the University of Oxford.

Ravi

Ravi Gurumurthy

He/Him

Ravi Gurumurthy is Group Chief Executive Officer, joining Nesta as Chief Executive in December 2019. Ravi was previously responsible for the International Rescue Committee’s work in designing, testing and scaling products and services for people affected by crisis in over 40 countries - from reducing acute malnutrition and intimate partner violence, to expanding employment for Syrian refugees. Prior to joining the International Rescue Committee in 2013, Ravi held a number of roles in the UK Government, including Director of Strategy at the UK’s Department of Energy and Climate Change and as a strategic advisor to the Foreign Secretary. Across many departments, Ravi led a number of major social and environmental reforms including the development of the world’s first legally-binding carbon emissions targets and the integration of children’s services. Ravi has also worked as a researcher at the think-tank Demos and in local government in London. Ravi writes a fortnightly substack on policy innovation.

Helen-Brown-IMG_8106

Dr Helen Brown

She/Her

Leading the charge in applying behavioural science to improve health and education outcomes, Helen is passionate about designing and evaluating evidence-based interventions that make a real difference. Her team works across domestic social policy; from boosting vaccination rates to enhancing learning environments, she leverages deep expertise in human behaviour to create smarter policies and empower better choices. Prior to joining BIT, she accrued more than five years of postdoctoral research experience at the University of Cambridge, specialising in Behavioural Epidemiology. Helen holds a PhD in Public Health from the University of Queensland.

polly curtis

Polly Curtis

She/Her

Polly is Chief Executive of Demos Polly spent much of her career at the Guardian where she reported on health, social affairs and education, before joining the lobby team as Whitehall Editor, writing about government and policy. She went on to be digital editor of the Guardian, then led newsrooms as Editor-in-Chief at HuffPost UK, a Partner at Tortoise Media and Managing Director at PA Media. Her book, Behind Closed Doors, an investigation into social services in England, was published by Virago in February 2022 and was a finalist in the Orwell Prize for political writing. In it, she sets a vision for a different way that the state and communities can work together to solve problems. She serves as a trustee of the Public Interest News Foundation, as well as a Non-Executive Director of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman. Polly lives in North West London and has two children.

Event information

9 Dec 2025

A powerful ecosystem for innovation

We extend our impact through two specialised units that help people and organisations to solve complex problems and achieve their goals.

BIT

BIT helps clients from government, nonprofits and the private sector to improve people’s lives through our empirical problem solving and deep understanding of human behaviour.

Challenge Works

Challenge Works designs and runs challenge prizes to spark innovation in science, technology and society.