Finian Parrick from Zero Carbon Future, Michael Murray of NVP Energy and Tony Dye of Epicam were each named regional winners at the Shell Springboard event in Cambridge on Tuesday 16 February, seeing off competition from 140 other businesses across the UK. They each scoop £40,000 funding and proceed to the Shell Springboard 2016 national final, taking place in London next month.
The companies will now go head-to-head with other regional winners from last week’s Edinburgh regional final at the national Shell Springboard 2016 final on 23 March. The overall national winner will secure a further £110,000, taking the total amount awarded to £150,000.
Shell Springboard aims to find and support the next breakthrough low-carbon enterprises in the UK. It’s part of Shell’s strategy to support the transition to a lower carbon-higher energy system, while helping to create jobs and growth among UK small businesses. Since 2005, the Shell Springboard programme has awarded £3.15 million to 98 low-carbon entrepreneurs, who have gone-on to create over 250 new jobs and have an annual combined turnover of £60 million.
Erik Bonino, Chairman of Shell UK, said:“We’re proud that Shell Springboard supports businesses like of Zero Carbon Future, NVP Energy and Epicam who are truly at the leading-edge of the low-carbon economy. The big ideas coming out of these small companies are not only helping to create a lower carbon, higher energy future – they are creating a new wave of jobs and economic growth in the UK. These companies embody the purpose of Shell Springboard with its exciting technology, and I wish them the very best of luck in the national final.
The Shell Springboard Programme offers awards of up to £150,000 to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with innovative, commercially viable business ideas that help reduce carbon emissions.
To date, over 250 new jobs have been created by the enterprises supported through the Shell Springboard programme, generating annual turnover of more than £60 million.
For more information about Shell Springboard please visit: http://www.shellspringboard.org/
For full list of Cambridge finalists visit: https://www.cambridgenetwork.co.uk/news/winners-40000-low-carbon-shell-springboard-170216/