IIED contracted Sustain to lead a review of interventions offering positive incentives to coastal communities for environmental stewardship in Tanzania. We approached them with a rough methodology to conduct this research under the Asia-Africa BlueTech Superhighway project funded by the UK government’s Blue Planet Fund, and Sustain were instrumental in developing this into a more feasible and appropriate approach combining a rapid literature review with visual mapping of institutional actors and key informant interviews. Sustain implemented the research in Tanzania, delivered a high-quality report, and led dissemination of the rich findings and recommendations to key stakeholders. The methods were ultimately used to guide similar research in multiple countries. The team’s networks and understanding of the local context was invaluable, they were communicative and proactive about regularly sharing updates to keep us on track, and they went above and beyond to encourage uptake of recommendations, providing serious value for money! We have since contracted Sustain for follow-up activities and hope to continue working with them to promote and strengthen coastal community-led environmental stewardship and governance into the future.