It’s been announced that the government’s behavioural insights team is to leave the Treasury and be spun out as a mutual joint venture that will allow it to sell its services globally at a profit. The nudge unit was set up in 2010 with a mission to find innovative ways of enabling people to make better choices for themselves and society. The unit will now team up with the charity Nesta, the UK’s innovation foundation, which will provide £1.9m in the form of services and financing. A third of the shares will be owned by the staff, a third by Nesta and a third by the government.
Gary from PSI: Announcing the change Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude said its insights were now in demand from governments around the world, although its main customers, initially, would be UK government departments and other public sector organisations, such as local authorities.
