The Good Economy’s cover photo
The Good Economy

The Good Economy

Business Consulting and Services

London, England 8,693 followers

UK’s Leading, Independent Impact Advisory Firm

About us

From consultancy to collaborative field-building, The Good Economy (TGE) is a recognised thought leader and the ‘go to’ firm for organisations looking to deliver and report on their impact. Grounded in theoretical rigour, our team have worked at the frontiers of impact investing, impact measurement and management and sustainable development. The industry-shaping services we offer are designed to help clients meet the growing demand for greater confidence and credibility in strategies that create positive impact or pursue sustainability outcomes. TGE’s diverse clients include large-scale institutional asset managers, private equity investors, specialist social impact investors, pension funds, development finance institutions, businesses, social enterprises, charities and government bodies. Our clients operate in the UK, Europe, Africa and Asia. TGE has extensive knowledge and experience and plays an active role in building the ‘ecosystem’ for impact investing, sustainable finance and inclusive business. Known for our convening power, we believe that partnerships are critical to building a Good Economy and every organisation has a role to play. We partner across sectors and disciplines in various research and other collaboration projects such as our Place-Based Impact Investing (PBII) work and serve as the Secretariat for Sustainability for Housing.

Website
https://www.thegoodeconomy.co.uk
Industry
Business Consulting and Services
Company size
11-50 employees
Headquarters
London, England
Type
Privately Held
Founded
2015
Specialties
Social Impact, Investment Advisory, Economic Development, Social Performance Assessment, Fund Design, Impact Verification, Impact Reports, IMM Frameworks, Impact Advisory, Place Based Impact Investing, Housing, Real Estate, SME, Private Equity, Debt, Pension Funds, Private Capital, and Foundations

Locations

Employees at The Good Economy

Updates

  • 🆕 Too many households in the UK are locked out of homeownership, contributing to widening wealth inequality 🏘️ Rising house prices are only part of the problem. Outdated financial models, inflexible mortgage systems and limited policy support all contribute to the barriers people face. Our new report, commissioned by Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF), explores how alternative homeownership models can offer more inclusive and affordable routes into ownership. 🔑 Key findings: 🔹Traditional homeownership is increasingly out of reach, particularly for younger, lower-income and racially minoritised households. 🔹Alternative models are growing, but remain niche due to challenges such as limited access to capital, complex legal structures and a lack of public funding or recognition. 🔹International examples show that these models can scale successfully with the right mix of financial, legal and policy support. 🔹Social investment has a key role in supporting innovation and early-stage delivery. However, investment must be matched with better policy, flexible funding frameworks and institutional engagement. We must reimagine how homeownership is supported in the UK and unlock the potential of alternative models that meet people where they are. 📘 Download the market study 'Expanding Routes to Homeownership' through the link in the comments.

  • Congratulations to Amy Ingham on her promotion to Real Estate and Residential Lead at The Good Economy. Since joining us three years ago, Amy has brought deep expertise in impact strategy and assessment, housing, and regeneration, drawing on her background at Homes England and across NGOs and international organisations. In her new role, Amy will lead our work with clients across the housing and real estate sectors to build robust impact frameworks and deliver better outcomes for communities. Amy is currently focused on: 🔹Supporting investors in Build to Rent (BTR) and affordable housing, LGPS, local authorities, and SME lenders to embed impact into decision-making and maximise positive outcomes, as well as leading impact reporting on progress 🔹Refining our approach to scheme-level impact strategies and assessments to align with new government social value policy and place-based best practice 🔹Enhancing our best-practice impact strategy and assessment approaches to meet the needs of clients developing housing for people in later life This promotion recognises Amy’s leadership and valuable contributions to our mission. 📊 Learn more about how we support clients across real estate and housing: https://buff.ly/eGyAn5y

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  • Our PBII Network continues to bring together local authority leaders and investors to shape how institutional capital can support truly place-based growth. In June, we focused on the Midlands - showcasing how regional strengths in innovation, housing, and advanced manufacturing can align with long-term investment. We also previewed our forthcoming white paper on local investing - a practical framework designed to support LGPS funds and pools in delivering local impact at scale. 🔗https://buff.ly/xgoYFAM Earlier in the year, we focused on the theme: “Local investing for Inclusive Growth”. 🔗https://buff.ly/aX4vnUY We also took a look at SME Finance from A Place-Based Impact Investing Perspective. 🔗https://buff.ly/YoTRwSU 📅 Next up: Bradford, 24 September Join us as we explore the role of culture in regeneration and continue building the foundations for a more inclusive investment ecosystem. 💡 Through shared learning and collaboration, the network is helping to turn local priorities into investable propositions. Interested in joining the PBII Network? Connect with Sam Monger, Head of PBII and Strategic Advisory.

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  • The Good Economy reposted this

    Everyone should have access to a decent, affordable, and secure home 📢   Our social investment programme has backed innovative housing models that offer safer and more stable alternatives to poor-quality temporary accommodation and supported accommodation.   Now, we’re turning our attention to another point of the wider housing crisis: the rise of long-term renting and deepening wealth inequality.   As homeownership becomes increasingly out of reach for many, particularly younger generations and racially minoritised communities, we’re asking:   Can social investment open up new, more inclusive routes to owning a home? 🤔   Read our blog to learn more about our work and the new research we’ve commissioned with The Good Economy to explore the emerging landscape of housing models designed to support ownership in a fairer and more affordable way 🔽 https://lnkd.in/ep_73mbD

  • 🗨️ Our CEO, Sarah Forster, welcomes the commitment to local collaboration and place-based thinking in the new Civil Society Covenant.

    View profile for Sarah Forster

    CEO and co-Founder at The Good Economy

    A good economy requires a robust civil society – one that is trusted, engaged and empowered to shape the future of its communities. We welcome the newly announced Civil Society Covenant, the government’s framework for a partnership with charities, community groups, social enterprises and impact investors. It recognises the need to reset the relationship between civil society and the state, and acknowledges the vital role that community-led solutions can play in creating a fairer and more resilient society. It is encouraging to see an emphasis on local collaboration, trust and place-based thinking. These principles are central to Place-Based Impact Investing (PBII), an approach we champion at The Good Economy. PBII focuses on directing investment into the priorities of local people, using capital as a tool for long-term, positive impact alongside appropriate risk-adjusted financial returns. At its most effective, PBII brings together civil society, local authorities, private capital and other stakeholders to strengthen the social infrastructure that underpins thriving communities – from affordable housing and health to regeneration and enterprise. Strong and sustainable social enterprises are a vital part of this ecosystem, particularly in delivering community services. For these organisations to grow and thrive, local authorities need to actively consider them in procurement decisions. We see real potential for new and more collaborative business models that bring together social enterprises, private sector providers and socially responsible investors. These kinds of partnerships can help deliver community service rooted in social value. For the Covenant to deliver meaningful results, it must support this kind of joined-up, locally driven approach and enable a shift in how services are commissioned and delivered. The ambition is clear. The challenge now lies in turning this vision into action. That means building genuine partnerships, valuing lived experience, and supporting the organisations rooted in place that already hold deep knowledge of their communities. At The Good Economy, we remain committed to working with others to build an economy that works for people and places across the UK. A strong civil society is not a nice-to-have – it is essential. 👉 More about the Civil Society Covenant: https://buff.ly/7YNI8cv 👉 More about Place-Based Impact Investing and our latest work: https://buff.ly/ToDcsIi Image: TGE's conceptual model of PBII 2022

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  • 💡 Insights from our co-Founder, Mark Hepworth, on AI and the other engines of innovation-led economic development - with big implications for local growth plans and Place-Based Impact Investing across the UK. 💡 Mark has written extensively about the Kondratieff wave cycles, including his award winning blog first published during Covid: Build Back Better: in the Winter of the 5th Kondratieff wave. A couple weeks ago he posted about the importance of making places the health innovation milieux in response to the government's announcement on neighbourhood health services. And now we have an announcement on AI. It seems as though we have moved to the spring of the 6th wave and it's encouraging to see the drivers of this new growth cycle being activated. We will continue our work to ensure that they are indeed used as a force for good in the creation of a new Good Economy, one that works for everyone.

    View profile for Mark Hepworth

    Innovation Economist & Human Geographer | The Good Economy Co-Founder and Director of Research and Policy

    This is the third engine of the 6th Kondratieff Wave of innovation-led economic development (Ai and the Internet of Things). I have highlighted Holistic Health as the second engine in my various posts. The first engine is Green and Blue economy innovation aimed at reversing climate change. So hold on to your seats we’re in the Spring of the 6th Kondratieff. This should be fully and immediately reflected in every Local Growth Plan and place-based impact investment (PBII) throughout the UK. That’s my firm conviction. Hats off to Schumpeter for rescuing Kondratieff’s legacy. All good things, Mark.

  • 🎧 Friday listen: Investing in the UK If you’re compiling your weekend podcast playlist, we recommend this thoughtful and timely episode from our friends at Pensions for Purpose. In conversation with Judith MacKenzie, Head of Fund Managers at Downing, hosts Laasya S. Shekaran and David Brown explore what UK investing really looks like - from the realities of the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) to questions around mandation, regional impact, and sustainability. At The Good Economy, we’re passionate advocates for UK-focused, place-based investing that delivers meaningful social and economic outcomes. This episode does a great job of breaking down: 🔹The real investable universe in the UK 🔹The potential of AIM-listed companies to support local jobs and innovation 🔹How pension capital can be a force for domestic growth - without compromising returns 🔹And how this aligns with the growing appetite for regional and place-based approaches Listen to the episode here: https://buff.ly/9d3vjke

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  • How can we unlock more institutional and private capital to support SMEs in regional economies and drive sustainable and inclusive growth? At The Good Economy, we believe SME finance is a vital lever for building a fairer, more resilient economy. But investment alone isn’t enough. 📍Place-based investing focuses on aligning financial capital with local economic and social priorities, ensuring that investment strategies address regional disparities, support local businesses and unlock sustainable growth. In this recent blog, Sam Monger shares insights from the Place-Based Impact Investing Network’s SME Finance roundtable. The discussion brought together leading voices across private capital, regional funds, and the creative and green economies to explore how we can better structure, support and scale SME investment strategies that align with local priorities. 🔍 We’re already working with SME funds to: 🔹Develop bespoke frameworks to assess social outcomes 🔹Measure economic contribution, including jobs and geography 🔹Understand and strengthen place-based alignment with local needs Whether you’re building a new fund or looking to sharpen your impact lens, this blog highlights the opportunity – and what’s needed to realise it. 👉 Read it here: https://buff.ly/QW00rbv

  • We're glad to welcome Rose Ryder as a Research and Project Management Assistant. Rose will be researching specific policy and project-related topics, providing day-to-day project management support, and assisting with our business development process. Rose has joined The Good Economy on a year-long placement as part of her BSc in International Development with Economics at the University of Bath. Through her studies, Rose has gained experience in quantitative data analysis and writing detailed reports. She’s now looking forward to building on this foundation during her placement, applying her academic background to real-world social impact projects with our clients. We are proud to support the development of new impact management professionals by offering student placements. We look forward to supporting Rose as she builds valuable work experience during her time with us.

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  • 👏 Congratulations to the signatories of the Employer Pension Pledge, announced today at Mansion House. By committing to prioritising net returns, not just costs, when selecting a DC pension provider, and demanding greater transparency on private market allocations, these leading employers are helping to shift the UK pensions culture from cost-cutting to value creation — a move that will benefit over a million savers across the country. At The Good Economy, we particularly welcome the call for transparency around private markets. It’s a vital step towards aligning capital with real-world outcomes. We’re currently developing a new guide for LGPS funds — equally relevant to the recent Mansion House Accord signatories and now the Employer Pension Pledge signatories — to support the design of robust place-based impact investing (PBII) strategies that deliver both financial returns and positive local impact. 🗺️ Stay tuned for Scaling-Up Local Investing for Positive Impact: A Roadmap for LGPS: 🔗 In the meantime, read more about our work: https://buff.ly/lvogjZD 🔗 Find out more about the #EmployerPensionPledge: https://buff.ly/8GkqIaG Image via: City of London Corporation

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