Thriving Places
A story a town believes in, and a groundswell of support behind its plans: place narratives, community engagement and funding bids.
Crewe: 1,900 voices behind a winning bid
Lancaster by night. Look up: our mark is in the stars.
Good Ideas Need a Groundswell.
We’re a Lancashire innovation consultancy. Since 2008 we’ve helped businesses, universities and towns turn new ideas into cash in the bank and real social value.
- Since 2008
- Northern Powerhouse Partner
- Two Winning Towns Fund Bids
Trusted by Councils, Universities and Global Brands
Including Visa Europe, Openreach and Finlays
Ideas Are Easy. Value Is the Hard Part.
Sometimes value means revenue. Sometimes it means social value and community impact. We work in three areas.
Sustainable Products
Value propositions built on what customers really need, so a launch keeps selling and pays its way.
Stephenson’s Dairy: a national launch
Better Services
Fix the moments that matter in a customer journey, shift behaviour and build a team that keeps improving.
Visa Europe: 24% more debit card spend
Doing different things, and doing things differently
Innovation Runs Smoother on ICE.
Every project gets all three. Leave one out and good ideas stall.
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Intelligently
The facts, figures and formats: a process that fits you, so evidence decides which ideas go ahead and which go in the freezer.
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Creatively
The quality of ideas, not the quantity. Lenses from other sectors and lived experience, so you lead your market, not copy it.
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Empathetically
Bringing boards, teams, customers and communities with you, because the best idea dies if it was “not invented here”.
Ideas That Paid Their Way.
Challenges that councils, universities and brands have set us, and what happened next.
Crewe Town Board
1,900 Voices Behind a £22.9m Bid
Lockdown made genuine consultation almost impossible. We ran interviews, focus groups and a survey in six languages, reaching people the usual process misses. The bid won Crewe up to £22.9m.
Read the Crewe Story“There was a real genuine desire by the Groundswell team to ensure that authentic conversations happened.”
Visa Europe
One Simple Idea, 24% More Debit Card Spend
Relative to cash at UK petrol stations, because we found out what would change people’s behaviour.
Read the Story
Preston Partnership
A City’s Story, in a Winning £20m Bid
Six months of listening shaped Preston’s narrative, the galvanising vision in its successful Towns Fund bid.
Read the Story
Lancaster University
A Clear Brand, and a Fairer Way In
A brand narrative and its first tone of voice, then student-led research into university access for Black British students.
Read the StoryMore Challenges, Solved
- Elavon EuropeA Europe-wide vision, ratified by its US parent
- EY FoundationResearch for its work experience revolution
- Connected Places CatapultWhy inclusive innovators struggle to raise funds
- FinlaysWhite space in a crowded coffee market
Innovation Isn’t a Place. It’s a Capability.
New buildings matter. But prosperous places are built by people and businesses who can spot an opportunity and turn ideas into value.
From Challenge to Change, in Four Steps.
Small, senior teams and short timeframes, so you always know what happens next.
Set Us a Challenge
Tell us what you want to change. The first conversation costs nothing.
Listen Widely
Interviews, focus groups and surveys with customers, staff and residents.
Reframe It
We look through different lenses for answers that are practical, not just new.
Bring People With You
Propositions, plans and messages your board, team and community can act on.
Ways to Start
Not ready for a project? Start with coaching or a plan, or take the free Innovation Health Check.
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Innovation Coaching
£1,000 + VAT a year
Eight one-hour sessions a year for you. Teams of up to five: quarterly sessions, £5,000 + VAT.
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Sustainable Innovation Planning
£4,000 + VAT
A plan to grow while cutting your carbon footprint, plus three months of coaching.
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A Project, Shaped to You
Scoped after one call
Research, propositions, engagement or a launch plan, priced once we understand the challenge.
“We were all impressed with how many practical new ideas we came up with – in just one hour.”
A Deliberately Small Team.
Every project is run by people with real depth of experience: different fields and different lenses make stronger answers.
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Jane Dalton
Creative Catalyst
Founded Groundswell in 2008. A first-class Cambridge MBA and 20 years of brand strategy for global brands.
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Kate Vogelsang
Behaviour Hacker
25 years in communications and behaviour change, including Head of Communications for a London council.
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Claire Ebrey
Conscious Collaborator
Ethical business strategy and sustainability for the Co-op Group, the Institute of Directors and the Institute of Physics.
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Nigel Beevers
Manufacturing Magician
As Operations Director at Ultraframe, he turned a £30m operation into £100m in three years.
“Groundswell helped us clarify our route to market… They bridged the gap and equipped us to make the most of the opportunity from day one.”
Questions, Answered.
Still wondering? Call Jane on 07809 436072 or set us a challenge.
What does an innovation consultancy actually do?
We help you decide which new ideas to back and how to make them pay, whether that’s a product, a service or a plan for a town.
We're a small business. Is this for us?
Yes. We work with founders and small teams as well as councils, universities and global brands. Innovation Coaching starts at £1,000 + VAT a year.
Do you only work in Lancashire?
We’re based in Lancaster and focus on the North West, but our work has reached from Crewe and Preston to the Netherlands and Poland.
What does ICE mean?
Intelligently, Creatively, Empathetically: a sound process, better ideas and the people to carry them through.
How much does a project cost?
Projects are scoped and priced after a first conversation, which costs nothing. Coaching starts at £1,000 + VAT a year, and Sustainable Innovation Planning is £4,000 + VAT.
What is the Innovation Health Check?
A short questionnaire on how well your organisation innovates, with a free report of practical tips. Take the Health Check.
Set Us a Challenge.
Ask a question or tell us what you want to change. Jane will reply personally, usually within two working days.
“Any work that they do will be fully backed up and fully researched.”
