Intangible cultural heritage (ICH) is well-suited for designing bottom-up policies which are the prerequisites for successful structural change. First, the article provides definitions of transformation and structural change, including their success factors. Second, it provides examples of the beneficial role of culture and cultural heritage in such strategies, showing that cultural heritage has been either ignored as a promoter of structural change or was integrated in a top-down approach, which meant that its potential was not fully harnessed. Finally, the article shows how ICH fosters participation, intra- and intergenerational cooperation, regional networking, territorial intermediation, and how it may support the reinterpretation and revaluation of identities as necessary components of structural change.