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Tony Blair Institute for Global Change

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Tony Blair Institute
AbbreviationTBI
Formation2016; 10 years ago (2016)
FounderTony Blair
TypePublic policy think tank, consulting, and advisory
Legal statusPrivate company limited by guarantee, nonprofit organization
HeadquartersOne Bartholomew Close, London[1]
Region served
Worldwide
Staff1,000 (2026)
Websiteinstitute.global
Instagram information
Page
YouTube information
Channel
GenreThought Leadership

The Tony Blair Institute (TBI), known by its trade name the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change and the abbreviation TBI, is a British think tank and consultancy that advises governments and political leaders on strategy, policy and technology.[2] It was founded in 2016 by former British prime minister Tony Blair and, by 2024, worked with governments in more than 45 countries.[3]

During its early years, the institute expanded its advisory work across Africa, the Middle East, Asia Pacific, and Latin America while developing programmes on governance, public-sector reform and economic development.[3] In the 2020s, it placed increasing emphasis on the use of digital technology in government, particularly artificial intelligence, digital public infrastructure and digital identity.[2]

By 2024, the institute reported working with governments in more than 45 countries and had grown into one of the largest organisations of its kind.[3] Its expansion, funding model and relationships with governments and technology companies have attracted both praise and criticism from commentators and political observers.[2]

Organization and services

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Structure

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The Tony Blair Institute is a private company limited by guarantee, incorporated in the United Kingdom on 1 December 2016.[4] It is wholly owned by Blair and operates on a not-for-profit basis.[5] Its registered office is at One Bartholomew Close, London, and it operates internationally with teams across Africa, the Middle East, Asia-Pacific, Europe and the Americas.[4][2] Its work has been organised into a government advisory practice, which places teams inside governments, and a policy research arm.[6]

Leadership

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Blair, former prime minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007, is the institute's founder, owner and executive chairman.[5] Catherine Rimmer, previously Blair's chief of staff, has been chief executive officer since 2016.[7] Former prime minister of Finland Sanna Marin and former prime minister of Italy Matteo Renzi joined as strategic counsellors in September 2023 and June 2024, respectively.[8][9]

Services

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The institute advises governments on strategy, policy and delivery, with a stated emphasis on technology.[7] Reported areas of work include governance, investment, infrastructure, energy and public-sector digitisation.[10] By 2023 the institute reported that it was advising more than 45 governments.[11]

Programmes and delivery

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The institute was formed in 2016 through the merger of several bodies Blair had established after leaving office, including the Africa Governance Initiative (AGI).[5] Through AGI, its teams had worked with the governments of Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea during the 2014–2016 Ebola epidemic.[12]

The institute's advisory work is built around the "delivery unit" method developed in Blair's own government under Michael Barber, which uses a small team at the centre of government to track progress against a leader's priorities.[13] When AGI began working in Africa in 2008, no African presidential or prime-ministerial office operated such a unit; by 2021, according to the institute, around half of African governments had established one, with at least 25 delivery mechanisms at national level in countries including Togo, Burkina Faso and Angola.[13]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the institute partnered with Oracle to provide African governments with a cloud-based system for managing vaccination programmes, first adopted by Ghana, Rwanda and Sierra Leone.[14] It later ran an Africa Vaccines Programme, embedding advisers in African governments, with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.[15] It also published a report, A COVID-19 Vaccination Plan for Africa.[16]

The institute has increasingly framed its work around the use of technology in government. It brokered partnerships to extend satellite internet access—including with Starlink—to support education, health care and crisis response; it reported that connectivity deployed through a "Reimagined State Accelerator" in Rwanda restored links for around 600,000 people displaced by Cyclone Freddy and brought 22 schools and health facilities online within two months.[17] In 2023 it launched the TBI Digital Academy, developed with Panoply Digital, to train public servants in digital skills.[18]

Growth and expansion

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The institute grew from a small policy unit at its 2016 launch into an organisation operating in more than 45 countries.[3] Alongside its London base it opened offices in Accra, San Francisco and Singapore in 2021 and a regional office in Washington, D.C. in 2024.[19][3]

Africa

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The institute's Africa work originated with the Africa Governance Initiative, founded by Blair in 2008 and absorbed in 2016.[5] It has advised the governments of Ghana, Rwanda, Kenya, Sierra Leone and Ethiopia, among others, and has published work on digital identity and the use of artificial intelligence in the public sector.[20]

In Rwanda, it supported the establishment of a Strategy and Policy Unit and a Government Action Coordination Unit, and advised on education, health and digital infrastructure.[17] In Kenya it supported a Presidential Delivery Unit, while in Rwanda it worked with the government's Imihigo performance-contract system.[13] From 2025 the institute published a series of reports on AI in government, including Governing in the Age of AI: A New Model to Transform the State and Governing in the Age of AI: Unlocking a New Era of Transformation in Africa.[21] In July 2026 Blair visited the Ethiopian Artificial Intelligence Institute in Addis Ababa, where the two bodies agreed to expand cooperation on AI in public services.[22]

Asia-Pacific

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The institute opened an office in Singapore in 2021.[19] In February 2023 it signed a memorandum of understanding with an Indonesian state infrastructure-financing company to support Indonesia's energy transition,[23] and in July 2023 agreed to advise the government of the Indian state of Odisha, signing a memorandum of understanding to provide policy support for the state's economic strategy and deploying a project team over a 24-month period.[10][24] In June 2025 the institute signed a tripartite letter of intent with the Odisha government and Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur on energy-sector reform.[25]

Middle East

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From 2017 the institute worked with Saudi Arabia on its Vision 2030 programme and continued after the 2018 murder of Jamal Khashoggi.[26] It has also advised the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. Reporting on this work has noted the human-rights records of some of the governments involved.[27]

Americas

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The institute opened an office in San Francisco in 2021 and, in 2024, established a regional office in Washington, D.C. and began operations in Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala and Guyana.[3]

United Kingdom

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In the United Kingdom, the institute's Future of Britain programme produces policy papers on economic growth, technology and public services, organised around a concept it calls the "Reimagined State" that emphasises the use of AI to deliver public services more cheaply.[2][28] Under this banner it has published reports including The Economic Case for Reimagining the State (2024), Governing in the Age of AI: Building Britain's National Data Library (February 2025) and Disruptive Delivery: Reversing Decline, Transforming Britain (September 2025), and has argued that AI could reduce costs in departments such as the Department for Work and Pensions.[29][30] The institute has been a long-standing advocate of a national digital identity scheme.[2][31]

Funding

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Blair provided the institute's initial funding from the reserves of his former commercial advisory business.[32][5] The institute is funded through government advisory contracts and private philanthropy.[3]

In July 2018, The Daily Telegraph reported that Blair had agreed a deal worth £9 million with the government of Saudi Arabia.[33] A spokesperson said the institute had received a donation from Media Investment Ltd, a subsidiary of the Saudi Research and Marketing Group registered in Guernsey, to fund work on modernisation and reform.[33] The institute confirmed that it had received donations from the United States Department of State and from Saudi Arabia.[34]

In 2024 the institute carried out paid advisory work for the government of Azerbaijan in connection with its hosting of the COP29 conference.[35] The Guardian reported in April 2025 that one of the institute's largest donors is the foundation of Larry Ellison, which gave more than £52 million in 2023 and pledged a further £163 million.[36]

Ideology and political outlook

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The institute reflects the political approach Blair developed as leader of the Labour Party and prime minister, associated with New Labour and the "Third Way".[37] Theorised by the sociologist Anthony Giddens, the Third Way combined centre-left social aims with market-based economics and was presented by Giddens as distinct from both neoliberalism and traditional social democracy.[38]

TBI describes itself as a non-partisan organisation, stating that this positioning allows it to advise leaders across the political spectrum rather than align with any single party.[39] Consistent with this, it has worked with governments of differing political orientations in more than 45 countries.[39] Commentators nonetheless place the institute's own outlook on the centre-left, describing it as promoting a technocratic, pro-technology and market-oriented globalist agenda in line with Blair's Third Way politics; critics argue this constitutes a distinct ideological programme rather than political neutrality.[40] Its close advisory relationships with certain governments—including in the United Kingdom, where it has been seen as influential with the Labour government, and in states such as the United Arab Emirates—have led some observers to question the practical scope of its self-described non-partisanship.[citation needed]

Reception and criticism

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The institute has been criticised over the possible influence of its private donors and its advisory work for governments with poor human-rights records, including Saudi Arabia and Rwanda.[41] Figures on the left of the Labour Party have raised concerns about the institute's access to former party leader Keir Starmer and Blair's influence on him; The Guardian described Blair in 2023 as more influential than during his premiership.[citation needed]

Climate policy interventions

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In April 2025 the institute published a report, The Climate Paradox: Why We Need to Reset Action on Climate Change, which argued that international climate institutions had made insufficient progress.[42] Climate scientists and commentators criticised the report, arguing that it downplayed the urgency of climate action and promoted technologies such as carbon capture and storage whose effectiveness at scale they questioned.[43][44] Commentators noted that the report was welcomed by parties opposed to net zero targets, such as Reform UK.[45]

In October 2025 the institute published a further report urging the UK government to drop its 2030 clean-power target in favour of prioritising energy affordability, while maintaining the 2050 net-zero goal.[46] The position was criticised by environmental groups.[47]

Gaza redevelopment proposals

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According to reporting by the Financial Times, staff from the institute took part in early-stage work on a postwar development proposal for the Gaza Strip, known as the Great Trust, which also involved Israeli businesspeople and financial modelling by the Boston Consulting Group.[48] The Financial Times reported that the proposal included offering financial incentives for up to half a million Palestinians to leave Gaza; the plan drew significant criticism, coinciding with statements by UN experts, NGOs and legal scholars describing Israel's conduct in Gaza as genocide.[48][49] The institute said it had taken part in early discussions on postwar planning but did not author or endorse the final proposal.[49]

In 2025 Blair developed proposals for a Gaza International Transitional Authority to govern the Gaza Strip after the war, elements of which were incorporated into US president Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan accepted by Israel and Hamas in October 2025.[50]

Labour Party interventions

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In May 2026 the institute published an essay on behalf of Blair on the future of the Labour Party, which called for closer relations with the Trump administration, changes to welfare spending, and increased use of North Sea oil and gas to support economic and AI-related growth.[51] Climate and energy scientists criticised the proposals on fossil fuels,[52] and Andy Burnham said the essay ignored inequality.[53]

References

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  1. ↑ "Tony Blair Institute Annual report and consolidated financial statements: Year ended 31 December 2020" (PDF). Tony Blair Institute. 31 December 2020. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Inside the Tony Blair Institute". The New Statesman. 24 September 2025. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "TBI Financial Statements for the Year Ending 31 December 2024". Tony Blair Institute. 2 October 2025. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  4. 1 2 "Tony Blair Institute – Company number 10505963". Companies House. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "TBI Financial Statements for the Year Ending 31 December 2016". Tony Blair Institute. 5 September 2018. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  6. ↑ "Tony Blair Institute Report and Financial Statements 2019" (PDF). Tony Blair Institute. 17 December 2020. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  7. 1 2 "Executive Leadership". Tony Blair Institute for Global Change. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  8. ↑ Chiappa, Claudia; Dawson, Bethany (7 September 2023). "Sanna Marin joins Tony Blair Institute". Politico. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  9. ↑ "Matteo Renzi, former Italian prime minister, joins the Tony Blair Institute". Tony Blair Institute for Global Change. 26 June 2024. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  10. 1 2 "Ex-British PM Tony Blair meets Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik in Bhubaneswar". News on AIR. Prasar Bharati. 26 July 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  11. ↑ "Tony Blair Institute rakes in $140 million in revenues during 2023". The National. 23 December 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  12. ↑ "Leaders Praised for Ebola Response". ReliefWeb. Voice of America. 25 June 2015. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  13. 1 2 3 "Deliver Better: How Government Can Facilitate Recovery and Transformation in Africa". Tony Blair Institute. 29 April 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2026.
  14. ↑ "Tony Blair Institute and Oracle combine to launch cloud-based vaccine management in Africa". Computer Weekly. 26 November 2020. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  15. ↑ "Tony Blair Institute for Global Change – committed grant". Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. September 2021. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  16. ↑ "Blair: Africa's challenges to implement Covid-19 vaccine". BBC News. 20 November 2020. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  17. 1 2 "Bridging the Digital Divide in Rwanda and Beyond". Tony Blair Institute. Retrieved 29 July 2026.
  18. ↑ "Fast-Tracking Africa's Future: How the TBI Digital Academy Is Supporting National Transformation". Tony Blair Institute. 6 April 2023. Retrieved 29 July 2026.
  19. 1 2 "TBI Financial Statements for the Year Ending 31 December 2021". Tony Blair Institute. 29 September 2022. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  20. ↑ Njanja, Annie (9 April 2025). "AI, DPI offer Africa new hope for more efficient, impactful public sector: Tony Blair Institute". Biometric Update. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  21. ↑ "Governing in the Age of AI: Unlocking a New Era of Transformation in Africa". Tony Blair Institute. 3 April 2025. Retrieved 29 July 2026.
  22. ↑ "Ethiopia: Tony Blair Backs AI-Driven Public Service Reform During Visit to Ethiopia's AI Institute". allAfrica. 24 July 2026. Retrieved 29 July 2026.
  23. ↑ "Tony Blair Institute for Global Change and PT Sarana Multi Infrastruktur (Persero) sign MoU to accelerate Indonesia's green energy transition". PT Sarana Multi Infrastruktur. 1 February 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  24. ↑ "Former UK PM Tony Blair calls on Odisha CM, discusses economic growth of state". India Gazette. 26 July 2023. Retrieved 29 July 2026.
  25. ↑ "Odisha Signs Pact with Tony Blair Institute to Drive Energy Sector Reforms". The Asian Age. 19 June 2025. Retrieved 29 July 2026.
  26. ↑ "Khashoggi murder: Tony Blair Institute kept advising Saudi Arabia after killing". Middle East Eye. 14 August 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  27. ↑ Gibbons, Amy (1 January 2024). "Tony Blair's think tank paid to advise countries with poor human rights". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  28. ↑ "Future of Britain". Tony Blair Institute. Retrieved 29 July 2026.
  29. ↑ "Digital ID and AI are drivers of UK's economic future, says Tony Blair". Biometric Update. 13 April 2025. Retrieved 29 July 2026.
  30. ↑ "Blair pushes AI adoption that could save the UK public sector billions". TechRadar Pro. Retrieved 29 July 2026.
  31. ↑ "All sides in UK digital ID debate firmly entrenched". Biometric Update. 27 September 2025. Retrieved 29 July 2026.
  32. ↑ "Tony Blair injects £9m into policy unit to tackle the 'populism of left and right'". LabourList. 5 January 2017. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  33. 1 2 Malnick, Edward (21 July 2018). "Tony Blair is advising the Saudi government under a £9 million deal between the country and his 'institute'". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  34. ↑ "Tony Blair Institute confirms donations from Saudi Arabia". Financial Times. 5 September 2018. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  35. ↑ Dowsett, James (2024). "Former UK PM Tony Blair's Non-Profit Advises Azerbaijan at Climate Conference". OCCRP. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  36. ↑ Stacey, Kiran (29 April 2025). "Blair's net zero intervention invites scrutiny of his institute's donors". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  37. ↑ "What is the third way?". The Week. 25 September 2019. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  38. ↑ "Third way". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  39. 1 2 "About Us". Tony Blair Institute for Global Change. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  40. ↑ Kuttner, Robert (23 February 2024). "The Return of Tony Blair". The American Prospect. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  41. ↑ Carayol, Rémi (1 August 2021). "L'Institut Tony Blair, un business africain". Le Monde diplomatique (in French). Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  42. ↑ "Blair says current net zero policies 'doomed to fail'". BBC. 29 April 2025. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  43. ↑ "Climate experts and politicians round on Tony Blair for 'wrong message'". The Guardian. 30 April 2025. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  44. ↑ "Climate emergency: Tony Blair Institute sparks row with call to rethink net zero strategy". British Medical Journal. 9 May 2025. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  45. ↑ "Tony Blair Accused of 'Mimicking Nigel Farage' Over Net Zero Comments". HuffPost. 30 April 2025. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  46. ↑ "UK should drop 2030 clean power goal, Tony Blair Institute says". Bloomberg. 23 October 2025. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  47. ↑ "Tony Blair says UK should drop clean power targets". Politico. 23 October 2025. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  48. 1 2 Foley, Stephen; Pickard, Jim (6 July 2025). "Tony Blair's staff took part in 'Gaza Riviera' project with BCG". Financial Times. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  49. 1 2 Quinn, Ben (7 July 2025). "Tony Blair thinktank worked with project developing 'Trump Riviera' Gaza plan". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  50. ↑ "From ending conflicts to joining wars, ex-British PM Blair vies for Gaza reconstruction job with credentials and controversy". CNN. 1 October 2025. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  51. ↑ Elgot, Jessica (26 May 2026). "Tony Blair tells Starmer and rivals: abandon net zero and move closer to Trump". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  52. ↑ Harvey, Fiona (28 May 2026). "Blair's fossil fuel ideas 'bizarre' in face of energy and climate crises, experts say". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  53. ↑ Wheeler, Brian (26 May 2026). "Burnham accuses Blair of ignoring inequality as he hits back at ex-PM". BBC. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
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