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‘Local embedding’ is a term increasingly used by transition researchers but in a variety of ways. As a concept it is emotive but lacks clarity. The first contribution of this paper is to explore and substantiate the concept of local embedding by drawing on three theoretical fields: socio-technical transitions, domestication studies and research on innovation intermediaries. Emphasis is placed on the work required to integrate low carbon technologies into local contexts of use by aligning multiple system elements into configurations that work. This points to a particular form of actor – those performing relational work between multiple actors and technologies, commonly known as intermediaries – as being central to the process. Three key intermediary processes – of facilitating, configuring and brokering - are thought to define the work that intermediary organisations do. Nonetheless, understanding how these key intermediary …