NESTA

Charity overview
Activities - how the charity spends its money
The UK's innovation agency for social good. We design, test and scale new solutions to society's biggest problems, changing millions of lives for the better. We will focus our energy and resources on three innovation missions: a fairer start for every child; a healthy life for all, and a sustainable future where the economy works better for people and the planet.
Income and expenditure
Data for financial year ending 31 March 2024
Total income:
£52,412,000
Donations and legacies | £0 | |
Charitable activities | £13.28m | |
Other trading activities | £24.76m | |
Investments | £14.21m | |
Other | £159.00k |
Total expenditure:
£65,727,000
Raising funds | £23.66m | |
Charitable activities | £42.07m | |
Other | £0 |
£20,058,000 investments gains (losses)
Total income includes £15,516,061 from 227 government contract(s) and £5,237,678 from 14 government grant(s)
Charitable expenditure
Charitable expenditure with investment gains
Charitable expenditure
Some charities generate all, or a substantial part, of their income from investments which may have been donated to the charity as endowment or set aside by the charity from its own resources in the past. Such investments usually take the form of stocks and shares but may include other assets, such as property, that are capable of generating income and/or capital growth.
In managing their spending and investments charities need to strike a balance between the needs of future and current beneficiaries. They also need to take account of spending commitments that may stretch over a number of future years. To do this, charities will normally adopt an investment strategy designed to generate both income and capital growth. To maximise returns trustees may commit to investment strategies for several years.
Investments can experience large swings in value so trustees may, in a particular year, decide to realise and spend part of their charity’s capital or to invest part of its income.
By clicking the investment gains checkbox the charitable spending bar is adjusted to take account of capital growth as well as income. This shows the balance the charity is striking, between spending on current beneficiaries and retaining resources for future beneficiaries.
Raising funds and other expenditure | £23.66m | |
Charitable expenditure | £42.07m |
Raising funds and other expenditure | £23.66m | |
Charitable expenditure | £42.07m | |
Retained for future use | £6.74m |
People

494 Employee(s)
10 Trustee(s)
Employees with total benefits over £60,000
Number of employees | |
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£60k to £70k | 29 |
£70k to £80k | 35 |
£80k to £90k | 23 |
£90k to £100k | 7 |
£100k to £110k | 7 |
£110k to £120k | 6 |
£120k to £130k | 3 |
£130k to £140k | 2 |
£140k to £150k | 3 |
£150k to £200k | 3 |
£250k to £300k | 1 |
Fundraising
Trading
Trustee payments
What, who, how, where
- General Charitable Purposes
- Education/training
- The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives
- The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty
- Arts/culture/heritage/science
- Environment/conservation/heritage
- Economic/community Development/employment
- Other Charitable Purposes
- Children/young People
- Elderly/old People
- Other Charities Or Voluntary Bodies
- The General Public/mankind
- Makes Grants To Organisations
- Provides Other Finance
- Provides Services
- Provides Advocacy/advice/information
- Sponsors Or Undertakes Research
- Other Charitable Activities
- Scotland
Governance
- 30 September 2011: Standard registration
- NESTA OPERATING COMPANY (Previous name)
- Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
- Campaigns and political activity policy and procedures
- Complaints handling
- Complaints policy and procedures
- Conflicting interests
- Engaging external speakers at charity events policy and procedures
- Financial reserves policy and procedures
- Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
- Internal risk management policy and procedures
- Investing charity funds policy and procedures
- Investment
- Paying staff
- Risk management
- Safeguarding policy and procedures
- Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
- Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
- Social media policy and procedures
- Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
- Trustee expenses policy and procedures
Trustees
Trustees are the people responsible for controlling the work, management and administration of the charity on behalf of its beneficiaries. Generally trustees are treasurer, chair, board member etc. The trustees are responsible for keeping this list up to date and can do this by updating their details as they happen through the online service
10 Trustee(s)
Name | Role | Date of appointment | Other trusteeships | Reporting status of other trusteeships | ||||
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Helena Vinnicombe | Trustee | 09 November 2024 |
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Jane Alexandra Thompson | Trustee | 01 October 2024 |
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Richard Anthony Lloyd-Owen | Trustee | 20 May 2024 |
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Lord Richard Harrington | Trustee | 24 January 2024 |
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Elizabeth Jean Ditchburn | Trustee | 01 October 2022 |
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Seun Akindele | Trustee | 01 October 2022 |
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Catherine Mary Brien | Trustee | 01 October 2022 |
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Jeremy Bennett Biddle King | Trustee | 01 October 2022 |
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Edward Richards | Trustee | 01 April 2022 |
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Sarah Hunter | Trustee | 01 April 2020 |
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Financial history
Financial period end date
Income / Expenditure | 31/03/2020 | 31/03/2021 | 31/03/2022 | 31/03/2023 | 31/03/2024 | ||
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Total gross income | £43.35m | £29.59m | £21.61m | £46.11m | £52.41m | |
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Total expenditure | £47.19m | £37.09m | £41.61m | £60.93m | £65.73m | |
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Income from government contracts | N/A | N/A | N/A | £716.81k | £15.52m | |
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Income from government grants | £14.14m | £11.18m | £607.00k | £1.92m | £5.24m | |
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Income - Donations and legacies | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | |
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Income - Other trading activities | £7.44m | £4.50m | £9.69m | £26.64m | £24.76m | |
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Income - Charitable activities | £25.27m | £16.89m | £4.28m | £9.43m | £13.28m | |
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Income - Endowments | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | |
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Income - Investment | £10.12m | £7.88m | £7.34m | £9.50m | £14.21m | |
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Income - Other | £514.00k | £324.00k | £312.00k | £545.00k | £159.00k | |
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Income - Legacies | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | |
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Expenditure - Charitable activities | £42.15m | £34.30m | £33.21m | £34.93m | £42.07m | |
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Expenditure - Raising funds | £5.04m | £2.78m | £8.40m | £25.99m | £23.66m | |
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Expenditure - Governance | £489.00k | £463.00k | £461.00k | £737.00k | £606.00k | |
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Expenditure - Grants institution | £7.72m | £8.73m | £4.49m | £5.44m | £5.17m | |
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Expenditure - Investment management | £1.15m | £842.00k | £859.00k | £865.00k | £468.00k | |
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Expenditure - Other | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 |
Assets and liabilities
Definitions for assets and liabilities
These are assets, other than investments, which are held for more than 12 months and used to run and administer the charity such as buildings, offices, exhibits and fixtures and fittings.
Long term InvestmentsInvestments are assets held by the charity with the sole aim of generating income which will be used for their charitable purposes such as deposit accounts, shares, rental property and unit trusts.
Investment assets are re-valued every year and included in the balance sheet at their current market value.
Long term investments are held for more than 12 months.
These are assets held generally for less than 12 months such as cash and bank balances, debtors, investments to be sold within the coming year and trading stock.
Defined benefit pension scheme asset or liabilityThis is a surplus or deficit in any defined benefit pension scheme operated and represents a potential long-term asset or liability.
Total liabilitiesThese are all the amounts owed by the charity at the balance sheet date to third parties such as bills due but not yet paid, bank overdrafts and loans and mortgages.
Asset / Liability | 31/03/2020 | 31/03/2021 | 31/03/2022 | 31/03/2023 | 31/03/2024 | ||
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Own use assets | £25.73m | £25.20m | £35.99m | £34.61m | £31.34m | |
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Long-term investments | £377.53m | £449.62m | £452.31m | £418.29m | £431.81m | |
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Other assets | £38.96m | £46.01m | £44.87m | £40.35m | £38.60m | |
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Defined benefit pension scheme asset or liability | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | |
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Total liabilities | £18.49m | £15.69m | £22.16m | £21.53m | £23.90m |
Accounts and annual returns
Title | Reporting year | Date received | Received | Download |
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Annual return | 31 March 2024 | 31 January 2025 | On time | |
Accounts and TAR | 31 March 2024 | 31 January 2025 | On time | Download Open in new window |
Annual return | 31 March 2023 | 30 January 2024 | On time | |
Accounts and TAR | 31 March 2023 | 30 January 2024 | On time | Download Open in new window |
Annual return | 31 March 2022 | 10 January 2023 | On time | |
Accounts and TAR | 31 March 2022 | 10 January 2023 | On time | Download Open in new window |
Annual return | 31 March 2021 | 16 December 2021 | On time | |
Accounts and TAR | 31 March 2021 | 17 December 2021 | On time | Download Open in new window |
Annual return | 31 March 2020 | 29 October 2020 | On time | |
Accounts and TAR | 31 March 2020 | 29 October 2020 | On time | Download Open in new window |
Governing document
It is not the full text of the charity's governing document.
MEMORANDUM AND ARTICLES INCORPORATED 15/07/2011 AS AMENDED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION(S) DATED 26/07/2011 AS AMENDED BY CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION ON CHANGE OF NAME DATED 22/07/2013 NOW ARTICLES ADOPTED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION DATED 23/01/2014 NOW ARTICLES ADOPTED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION DATED 30/11/2015
Charitable objects
THE OBJECTS OF THE CHARITY ARE FOR THE PUBLIC BENEFIT: 2.1 TO ADVANCE EDUCATION, AND IN PARTICULAR THE STUDY OF INNOVATION, BY THE PROMOTION OF RESEARCH AND THE PUBLICATION OF THE USEFUL RESULTS THEREOF, IN: 2.1.1 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY; 2.1.2 THE ARTS; 2.1.3 THE EFFICIENCY OF PUBLIC SERVICES; 2.1.4 THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR AND SOCIAL ENTERPRISE; AND 2.1.5 INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE. 2.2 TO ADVANCE: 2.2.1 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 2.2.2 THE ARTS 2.2.3 THE EFFICIENCY OF PUBLIC SERVICES 2.2.4 THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR 2.2.5 INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE AND SOCIAL ENTERPRISE WHICH (A) RELIEVES POVERTY (B) RELIEVES UNEMPLOYMENT (C) ADVANCES HEALTH (D) ADVANCES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION OR IMPROVEMENT AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (E) ADVANCES CITIZENSHIP OR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT THROUGH OR BY ENCOURAGING AND SUPPORTING INNOVATION. THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR MEANS CHARITIES AND VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS. CHARITIES ARE ORGANISATIONS, WHICH ARE ESTABLISHED FOR EXCLUSIVELY CHARITABLE PURPOSES IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAW OF ENGLAND AND WALES.VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS ARE INDEPENDENT ORGANISATIONS, WHICH ARE ESTABLISHED FOR PURPOSES THAT ADD VALUE TO THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE, OR A SIGNIFICANT SECTION OF THE COMMUNITY, AND WHICH ARE NOT PERMITTED BY THEIR CONSTITUTION TO MAKE A PROFIT FOR PRIVATE DISTRIBUTION. VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS DO NOT INCLUDE LOCAL GOVERNMENT OR OTHER STATUTORY AUTHORITIES. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT MEANS DEVELOPMENT THAT MEETS THE NEEDS OF THE PRESENT WITHOUT COMPROMISING THE ABILITY OF FUTURE GENERATIONS TO MEET THEIR OWN NEEDS. 2.3 TO ADVANCE ANY OTHER PURPOSE WHICH IS RECOGNISED AS EXCLUSIVELY CHARITABLE UNDER THE LAWS OF ENGLAND AND WALES AND SCOTLAND. 2.4 THROUGHOUT THESE ARTICLES A CHARITABLE PURPOSE IS A PURPOSE THAT IS REGARDED AS CHARITABLE ACCORDING TO THE LAW OF ENGLAND AND WALES PROVIDED THAT IT WILL NOT INCLUDE ANY PURPOSE WHICH IS NOT CHARITABLE IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 7 OF THE CHARITIES AND TRUSTEE INVESTMENT (SCOTLAND) ACT 2005. FOR THE AVOIDANCE OF DOUBT, THE SYSTEM OF LAW GOVERNING THE CONSTITUTION OF THE CHARITY IS THE LAW OF ENGLAND AND WALES.
Area of benefit
NOT DEFINED
Contact information
- Address:
-
58
Victoria Embankment
London
London
EC4Y ODS
- Phone:
- 02074382500
- Email:
- information@nesta.org.uk
- Website:
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