Toy windmills being sold on a street | By munkt0n  By munkt0n

Local Economies

nef works with communities to support practical action for a just and sustainable future.

nef is working with communities in the UK and internationally to support practical action for a more sustainable and just future.

We believe that local businesses should be at the heart of all regeneration projects, and produce research, policies, programmes and training which help communities protect the diversity of their high streets and the growth of independent enterprise. We also help communities to reinvent their local economy in response to climate change, seeking a new low carbon, high well-being model of local economic development.

Whatever your role is in a community - whether a business leader, a government official, or a concerned resident - you have a vital role in shaping the local economy. Have a look at our tools which are well established and being used by communities across the UK and internationally.

Key facts

  1. 1
    Small and medium-sized businesses employ 58% of the private sector workforce
  2. 2
    Small shops are closing at a rate of 2,000 a year
  3. 3
    Queen's Road Market, in Newham, London, supports twice as many jobs per square metre than the average superstore

Projects

  • Supermarket trolleys, stacked together

    Clone Town Britain

    Chain stores have dominated our high-streets.

  • A green bucket | by Eric M Martin

    Plugging the Leaks

    By keeping money circulating in local economies, we can create more jobs, support community cohesion and have a smaller ecological footprint.

  • BizFizz entrepreneur and vegetable trader Mike in his van

    BizFizz

    BizFizz is a radically different business support service that turns the passion and enthusiasm of individuals into a driving force for local economic renewal.

  • A sign which reads 'high street' | by davepatten

    Reimagine Your High Street

    Fight clone towns with Reimagine Your High Street: a new project helping communities protect, enhance and benefit from the places that matter to them.

  • The High Line in New York City

    The Great Transition

    Finding ways to survive and thrive through financial crises, climate change and the peak and decline of global oil production.

Publications