Ministers have announced plans to turn its controversial 'Behavioural Insights Team' (BIT) – dubbed the Nudge Unit – into the first policy unit to be 'spun out' from central government as a staff-led mutual enterprise.

Formed in the early days of the coalition, with the aim of finding 'intelligent ways to encourage, support and enable people to make better choices for themselves', the Cabinet Office has launched a competition for a commercial partner for the 'nudgers' – who have identified £300m savings over the next five years.