The research on policy transfer shows that long-term implementation of a policy transfer needs the acceptance and ownership by the local actors. Involving the actors in practice leads to long-term internalization of the policy. One way of systematically involving local actors in policy transfer is the approach of design-based research. Design-based research is particularly suitable for uncovering unforeseen conditions, taking them into account in policy adaptation, and thus making policy transfer sustainable. In this article, the basis of design-based research is presented, and its interfaces with the policy transfer approach are shown. Finally, the paper presents an example of the application of design-based research in the context of policy transfer between Germany and China.