Turn your research into a policy brief
A clear, compelling brief to inform and influence
A policy brief is a short, focused document designed to communicate research findings and recommendations to decision-makers.
We help you turn your insights into action, shaping key messages, writing accessibly and formatting the final product into a persuasive, visually engaging brief between two to six pages long.
Create a policy brief to support evidence-based decision making
Policy briefs are ideal for engaging with policymakers or industry representatives. Make it easy for those who shape policy to see how your research can inform their day-to-day activity. A policy brief is an ideal way to position yourself as an expert in your field.
What makes the policy brief stand out from all the other formats is that as an author you offer a clear indication that you know the policy landscape. The content is deeply anchored in the policy reality of the situation.
Examples of policy briefs
Our process to turn research into a policy brief
Every policy brief follows the same clear process. The level of editorial and design support is tailored to your needs and varies depending on whether you choose light, medium or full support.
1. Briefing
You complete a short briefing document. Together, we review your content, clarify your policy context, goals, target audience, and the key messages your brief needs to convey.
2. Editorial
You provide content in a form that suits you — from a near-final draft to reports, notes or source documents. We edit, structure and shape the material into a clear, engaging policy brief, with the depth of editorial support reflecting the option you select.
3. Design
We design your policy brief into a clean, professional layout. All options include thoughtful design; the level of visual development — such as charts, diagrams, icons or bespoke graphic elements — varies depending on the level of support you choose.
4. Delivery
We finalise your policy brief and deliver a digital PDF ready to share. Optional add-ons are available, including print-ready files, accessibility support and social media assets.
Policy brief packages
Our policy briefs are always bespoke in design and structure. The level of editorial and design support varies depending on how much help you’d like with shaping the content. Not sure which level fits your project? We’re happy to advise based on your materials, audience and goals. Book a discovery call to explore the options available.
Light editorial support and polish
You already have a clear message and draft content. We refine, format and design your brief to ensure it is clear, professional and ready to share.
What’s included:
- 2 or 4-page policy brief
- You provide a near-final draft
- Light editing for clarity and structure
- Professional formatting and layout
- Up to 3 rounds of feedback
- Digital PDF
Best for: Researchers with a strong draft who need design, clarity and polish.
Medium editorial shaping and visual support
You provide content in any form (a draft, report, bullet points, or notes) and we structure, refine and design it into a clear policy brief tailored to your audience. Visual elements are added where helpful to support your key messages.
What’s included:
- 2, 4 or 6-page policy brief
- You provide content in a structured format using our guidance
- Content edited and structured for clarity and engagement
- Visual elements developed
- Up to 5 rounds of feedback
- Digital PDF
Best for: Researchers who want support with structure, writing and visual communication.
Price: £1,500–£2,000 + VAT
Full editorial and visual support
We work with longer materials, interviews or rough notes to identify key messages, shape the narrative, and develop custom visuals that support decision-making.
What’s included:
- 2, 4 or 6-page policy brief
- Content developed from reports, interviews or long-form materials
- Strategic writing support focused on your audience
- Custom visuals and diagrams tailored to your narrative
- Up to 6 rounds of feedback
- Digital PDF
Best for: Researchers who need full editorial and visual support to clarify, strengthen and present their message.
Price: £1,800–£2,500 + VAT
Optional add-ons
Print PDF – £200–£400 + VAT
We can provide a print-ready PDF file of your policy brief for professional printing.
Print liaison & printing – Price varies
We assist with coordinating printing through a trusted supplier and can arrange delivery of printed copies directly to your office.
Social media images – £300–£550 + VAT
We can create a tailored social media images for your platforms of choices.
Accessible PDF – £150–£300 + VAT
We can provide a tagged, screen reader–friendly PDF that meets accessibility standards (e.g. headings, alt text, reading order).
Source files – 10% of collaboration fee
If you’d like access to the original source files (for future edits or updates), we can provide them for an additional fee.
Case studies
GreenPole
Objective: support an interdisciplinary research team from four universities across three Scandinavian countries to cement their project’s identity and develop their outreach and engagement skills.
We designed a tailored training programme and worked together to create their branding guidelines. The GreenPole team is in the research phase and we are running workshops to enable them to communicate their findings in the future.
“My favourite aspects of the “Creating a policy brief workshop” were the interactive parts because we learn with one another.
Also getting tangible outputs such as the template is very valuable and will help our outreach and dissemination as a project.”
Nils Droste, Project Coordinator, GreenPole, Lund University
Queen Mary University of London – SBM Research Insights
Objective: showcase the work of researchers committed to addressing business and societal challenges related to social justice, sustainability and good governance.
The School of Business and Management (SBM) briefs are aimed at policymakers, industry and practitioners who can use these insights to inform their decisions.
We’re designing and co-developing the first twenty briefs and website assets, and a template so researchers can create future dissemination materials.
“The editing and design process was very smooth and Research Retold was always responsive to our comments and requests for changes. I look forward to working with you again!”
Tessa Wright, School of Business and Management, Queen Mary University of London
Research support for universities, NGOs, government and other organisations since 2016:
