The Ebico Trust partners with Sustainable Pioneers to launch entrepreneurial innovation programme to develop high-potential, sustainable solutions for affordable home warmth.

The Ebico Trust has partnered with Sustainable Pioneers, CIC, who are part of the Sustainable Ventures group, the UK’s leading cleantech hub, on a mission to develop solutions for sustainable, affordable home warmth.

Natural Gas is the fuel source for 75% of the space and water heating in homes in the UK. To support the UK’s net-zero commitment, this must be replaced with carbon-free heating. The cost of this three-decade transition is currently estimated at £20bn (rising to £25bn) per annum¹. Yet already one in ten householders cannot afford to heat their homes to a level consistent with health². Reducing these domestic decarbonisation costs is a national priority.

In response, The Ebico Trust and Sustainable Pioneers, CIC have partnered to create The Ebico Affordable Warmth Incubator Programme. The purpose of the programme is to support the creation of innovative and impactful solutions to the long-standing challenges of providing affordable, low-carbon warmth to the UK’s most vulnerable households.

Across July 2021, the successful applicants will come together with Sustainable Pioneers, CIC and their team of entrepreneurs and sector experts to explore the problem, form teams and create high-potential solutions. This will culminate in a team pitch to a panel of experts, including members of The Ebico Trust’s board and Sustainable Ventures’ senior management team. Each participant will receive a £500 stipend to participate in this first stage.

Three pre-start up teams will progress to the first incubation phase and will receive £7,500 in grant funding along with access to a coworking space and workshop facilities in Sustainable Ventures’ flagship site (Waterloo, London). During this three-month phase, they will receive a broad programme of support to aid the development of their business plan and to prepare them to pitch for investment. The pitch event will close this first incubation phase and two teams will be invited to progress and form a start-up, along with a £15,000 investment from The Ebico Trust.

A second four-month incubation phase will focus on company formation, bespoke support and the identification of further funding opportunities. This will include the possibility to pitch for investment from Sustainable Accelerator, as well as other investment opportunities. The programme will act as a springboard for the development and scale of long-lasting solutions in the sector.

“As net zero targets draw closer, and heating and running homes remains a struggle for many, low carbon solutions for one of our biggest polluting sectors—housing—needs new ideas and innovation to accelerate.  This programme sets out to do just that by tapping into the entrepreneurial might found in this sector”- Phil Levermore, The Ebico Trust.

Lee-Ann Perkins, Managing Director at Sustainable Pioneers, CIC commented, “The Affordable Low Carbon Warmth Programme represents an unmatched opportunity for entrepreneurs and innovators to focus on game-changing solutions for a national, even global, problem. Access to our deep venture development expertise as well as The Ebico Trust’s sector gravitas is unique and unprecedented. We believe that this programme will have a lasting impact on the lives of millions and inspire the next generation of sustainable solutions.”

To apply for The Ebico Affordable Warmth Incubator Programme, visit: www.sustainableventures.co.uk/ebico-affordable-warmth

Applicant enquiries can be directed to: ebicoaffordablewarmth@sustainableventures.co.uk