The Science and Technology Facilities Council is behind some of the UK’s most extraordinary science. Across its national laboratories, facilities and partnerships, STFC gives scientists and engineers access to capabilities that would be almost impossible for individual universities or businesses to build alone.

STFC asked us to help develop a transformation narrative. Financial pressure and shifting expectations meant they were reviewing how funding was allocated across the organisation, as well as refreshing their ways of working. Fundamentally, STFC wanted to ensure it could continue delivering on its mission.

They needed a narrative that everyone across the 3,000+ person organisation could unite around, explaining why things were changing and showing people where STFC was heading.

We started by listening. We interviewed the Executive Board and Council members and joined internal sessions to understand the organisation from different perspectives. The conversations were unusually candid: about financial pressure, duplicated capability, silos, commercial opportunity, leadership alignment and the fear of losing what makes STFC special.

What became clear was that STFC’s unique strength lies in the way it enables curiosity-led research to create wider scientific, societal and economic impact.

We helped STFC sharpen its purpose, vision and mission, then define its transformation ambition: to become a unified, strategically focused organisation that leverages its unique capabilities to deliver greater value and build stronger partnerships. This became the backdrop for a transformation narrative that could take people on the journey.

Finally, we needed to empower a leadership team of 80+ people to tell that story consistently across the organisation. We developed a simple framework leaders could use in any situation, adapting it to different audiences and moments, from workforce conversations to prioritisation decisions. Rather than giving them a script, we created a shared logic they could use in their own words.

Everything was pulled together into a practical playbook, filled with examples and guidance. When we handed it over, the Business Change Lead said: “This is a powerful tool. Actually, it’s more than just a tool. I think following that framework is great and we can use it straight away.”

The team is now using our work as the basis for how they communicate change across the organisation.