Case studies: Real-life examples of government activity

Hounslow tested an interactive map-based tool to help residents explore its 700-page design code more easily.

First published during the 2024 to 2026 Starmer Labour government

Southampton tested interactive maps and early-stage 3D modelling to help residents understand and respond to local plan proposals more easily.

First published during the 2024 to 2026 Starmer Labour government

Plymouth, South Hams and West Devon tested AI tools to tag and summarise consultation responses, improving insight for officers and reducing processing time.

First published during the 2024 to 2026 Starmer Labour government

Stockport tested a visual, map-based consultation tool to make local plan evidence and site information easier for residents to understand.

First published during the 2024 to 2026 Starmer Labour government

Hounslow and Chesterfield tested software to manage consultation responses, cutting processing time by 45% and improving consistency across planning teams.

First published during the 2024 to 2026 Starmer Labour government

Cotswold District Council used a consultation hub to make its local plan easier to understand, increase participation and reduce officer processing time.

Five South West Hertfordshire councils used digital tools to reach thousands of residents and gather detailed feedback for their joint strategic plan.

First published during the 2024 to 2026 Starmer Labour government

Learn how advice from the Government Chief Scientific Adviser helped launch the world’s first financial regulatory sandbox.

Lessons from the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) investigation into 10 construction firms who broke the law by rigging bids for contracts.

Case studies of projects delivered through UK involvement in the European Space Agency's General Space Technology Programme (GSTP) from 2019–2025

A major breakthrough, delivered through Project SIREN, directly supports the UK’s future integrated air sensing capability and provides a clear operational advantage.

Find out how Kent Police used science and technology to cut down wait times.

Train operators in public ownership are demonstrating they are putting passengers first, by delivering customer improvements.

The Fuel Handling Plant is a critical part of the UK’s nuclear infrastructure. It safely receives, stores, and processes nuclear fuel from EDF’s reactor fleet on the Sellafield site.

Find out more about Dstl's central role in the response to the nerve agent attack in 2018 - one of the most serious criminal and international incidents in recent years.

The Futures Toolkit provides a set of tools to help you develop policies and strategies that are robust in the face of an uncertain future. 

Learn how Salts Wood, a woodland creation site in Kent, benefits the local community and wildlife.

Learn about Brook Farm, an England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO) funded woodland creation project in Herefordshire.

Learn how Hilley Farm in Shropshire converted marginal land into woodland and the varied benefits it has provided.

Read how funding from the Woodland Creation Planning Grant and England Woodland Creation Offer helped to create woodland in Cumbria.

Penny provides an insight into her barrister training within the Government Legal Department

Find out how the introduction of the free breakfast club at Saxton Church of England Primary School led to the launch of wider before and after school care.

Find out how Springwater Special School organises its new free breakfast club including staffing and engaging activities for pupils.

Find out how Silver Springs Primary Academy involves pupils from years 5 and 6 with its new free breakfast club by making them 'breakfast club baristas'.

Find out how Court Lane Junior School is working with a private, voluntary or independent (PVI) childcare provider to deliver its new free breakfast club.

Find out how Devonshire Road Primary School organises the school day to accommodate paid and free breakfast club sessions with additional activities.

GAD’s expertise has helped the government develop and implement its circular economy policy on packaging waste.

Scout missions can prove new concepts using small satellites, which can then be scaled up in larger missions.

Case studies relating to Natural England's Strategy: Recovering Nature for Growth, Health and Security.

The breach was in relation to a UK exporter that made goods available to Russia, prohibited under the Russia Sanctions Regulations

The Magnox Swarf Storage Silo at Sellafield is one of 4 legacy pond and silo facilities on the Sellafield site.

Rowena Hill’s UKRI fellowship shaped climate policy, built knowledge networks, and strengthened evidence use at MHCLG through flexible engagement.

Ana Manzano’s UKRI fellowship co-produced evaluation strategy, built partnerships, and delivered real-world impact in Northern Ireland’s government.

Caroline Bond’s DfE seminar sparked dialogue, practical ideas, and new research on school attendance through focused academic-policy engagement.

Mattie Toma’s Policymakers Lab surveys researchers and policymakers, making evidence more usable and driving global collaboration and impact.

Windscale Pile 2 is one of the The Windscale Piles. These were were the UK's first nuclear reactors and are some of the oldest buildings on the Sellafield site.

The Pile Fuel Storage Pond is our oldest pond and one of the most significant clean-up projects on the Sellafield site. We're retrieving historic nuclear fuel, debris and sludges from the 70-year-old pond and placing it …

The Windscale Piles were the UK's first nuclear reactors and are some of the oldest buildings on the Sellafield site. We're cleaning-up and decommissioning these iconic reminders of our pioneering nuclear history and…

The First-Generation Reprocessing Plant is one of the oldest buildings at Sellafield, dating back to the military origins of the site.

Adappt has built a reputation for using AI in novel ways to solve complex data problems, often in environments where failure to deliver is not an option.  

Border Security Command now has a better understanding of how online platforms used in people smuggling can be monitored and potentially disrupted.

ACE developed options for an AI lab that would inspire and enable greater innovation by adding in technical expertise from industry and academia.

ACE developed a portfolio of in-depth reports to increase understanding of how AI products in four key areas could be used by criminals.

ACE devised a method that ensures Police and Crime Commissioners are well briefed on technology investments so they can make informed funding decisions.

An ACE review established that police forces could realise efficiency and productivity savings of 60% through better use of automated redaction tooling.

As drone threats become increasingly sophisticated, Dstl's open standards approach is proving essential for coordinated international defence responses.

Read what our people have to say about working for the National Cyber Force.

A national model collating when technology needs updating or will become obsolete enables the National Police Chiefs’ Council to make crucial funding decisions.

ACE leant on its significant experience to increase innovation in the Home Office, with the aim of improving service delivery as well as increasing efficiency.

As Government Skills launches a new coaching service, developed for civil servants by civil servants, a coach and their coachee share their experiences.