The strongest SPRE submissions are likely to be those that can explain the journey travelled. The published guidance explicitly recognises the value of showing the challenges faced, the actions taken, their effectiveness and the way evidence has informed further development.
In other words, an imperfect culture with a credible improvement story may be more persuasive than an apparently flawless culture described through generic institutional language.
Impact preparation must move beyond drafting
There is considerable continuity in the Engagement and Impact element. Impact case studies will remain the basis of assessment, using the established criteria of reach and significance, and the existing case study structure will broadly continue. However, the guidance encourages institutions to explain engagement strategies and responsible practices where these were important to generating impact.
The removal of the 2-star quality threshold for underpinning research potentially widens the range of eligible stories. Underpinning research will need to meet the REF definition of research, but institutions will no longer need to demonstrate that it crossed the previous minimum quality threshold. Smaller units with fewer than 9.99 full-time equivalent staff may submit one or two case studies.
This does not make impact preparation easier in the ways that matter most. Institutions will still need to identify their strongest cases, maintain the link between research and impact, gather robust corroborating evidence and explain why the resulting change was significant. The substantive sections of each case study will also be subject to an overall limit of 2,200 words, placing even greater importance on narrative discipline.
The work required now is therefore not simply to begin writing. It is to establish and actively manage a portfolio of potential case studies. Each case should have a clear owner, an evidence position, an assessment of strengths and gaps, a development plan and a realistic view of its prospects.
Waiting until 2028 to assemble these stories will leave institutions attempting to reconstruct years of evidence under pressure. Building them iteratively allows weaknesses to be addressed while there is still time to strengthen engagement, collect testimony and document outcomes.
What institutions should do now
The most effective preparation over the next year will focus on infrastructure and capability rather than premature polishing.
Institutions should establish a shared interpretation of the published guidance, clarify governance between central teams and units, and create consistent processes for monitoring outputs, impact, research culture and supporting evidence.
They should also test their current information. Can the institution connect its strategic commitments to evidence of delivery? Can units explain how their selected research represents the breadth of their research community? Can impact teams identify where evidence is strong, incomplete or entirely absent? Can senior leaders see progress across the institution without relying on disconnected spreadsheets and periodic requests for updates?
The final guidance will answer important technical questions. It will not solve fragmented data, unclear ownership, limited capacity or weak institutional memory. The institutions best prepared for REF 2029 will not necessarily be those that predict every final rule correctly. They will be those that create adaptable systems, build evidence continuously and support people across the institution to understand how their work contributes to the wider submission.
REF 2029 is not simply another reporting exercise. It is increasingly an assessment of how institutions enable excellent research, develop their people and translate research into meaningful change. The time to start connecting those elements is now.
See how Hivve can support your REF 2029 preparations
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