While the theory and practice of transition management has been articulated and tested in Europe, little work in this vein has been undertaken in illiberal democracies, where state institutions may be captured by commercial interests, clientelism may operate and democratic rights may be constrained. We argue that a combination of insights from transition management and transdisciplinary research offers a basis for developing local strategies by which informal institutions can nurture alternative energy policy visions and prescriptions, in order to exploit policy windows that periodically arise. We articulate a conceptual framework to underpin such strategies, which emphasises the role of academics or other knowledge brokers as policy entrepreneurs, helping to build knowledge and capabilities, create networks of social capital and establish alternative discourse coalitions. While our particular applied interest here is in arenas for the development of low carbon energy scenarios in Latin America, the framework is also intended to have wider applicability.