Businesses can Evolve to a Greener Future with launch of new support through Growth Hub

The business support offer in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly goes from strength to strength with the launch of two more projects focusing on business development and decarbonisation.

Evolve Futures is looking to work with both early stage and high growth businesses in a variety of areas, and GreenFutures Solutions can support organisations to understand their current environmental impact and develop decarbonisation plans to reduce their emissions.

Both projects are delivered by the University of Exeter on behalf of the Growth Hub, with funding through the Good Growth Fund.

Evolve Futures is dedicated to empowering enterprises. Whether at the inception of a new business venture, looking to expand current operations, or aiming to introduce innovative solutions, it can provide the guidance needed to support business growth and innovation.

The project will connect businesses to valuable sector experts, specialists and a network of peers and other enterprises, with the aim of bringing together a wide range of skills and real-world business experience that will support enterprises from idea, to launch, to long term sustainable growth – built on best practice. 

The support focuses on:

• Start-up fundamentals
• Early-idea innovations
• Social value
• Inclusion and Wellbeing
• Green skills
• Visualisation through immersive technologies
• Clean Energy and Marine Sector

GreenFutures Solutions will support organisations across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly to understand their environmental impact and accelerate their journey to Net Zero.

Organisations will be supported with measuring and understanding their impact and Carbon Footprint, creating customised Carbon Reduction Plans that map a route to reducing emissions, as well as with getting access to market leading software to monitor impact. 

There is also a focus on helping understand and improve an organisation’s relationship with biodiversity, and on taking the first steps towards achieving the popular B-Corp accreditation.

Louis Gardner, Cornwall Council portfolio holder for economy, said: “This support underpins the Good Growth Programme’s commitment not to just economic growth, but also improving environmental sustainability and social responsibility.  By helping organisations understand, measure and improve their sustainability and social value, the benefits can be felt across our communities.”

Businesses interested in accessing the support can find more detail on the Growth Hub website: https://www.ciosgrowthhub.com/business-support

The University of Exeter has been commissioned to deliver the GreenFutures Solutions and Evolve Future projects on behalf of the Growth Hub by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and as part of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme. The aim of the fund is to realise the potential of businesses in the region and to improve resilience, equality of opportunity and prosperity.