Frequently Asked Questions

The Herts Sustainability Accelerator Programme is designed to support ambitious Hertfordshire-based SMEs with scale-up potential to launch an innovative and sustainable product, service or technology. Businesses will receive a tailored package of support, estimated value is up to £25k, providing them with the right guidance and environment to accelerate the development of their innovative idea through 1:2:1 mentoring, training and specialist technical, commercial and creative support.

Applications from all sectors will be considered for the programme. However, we are particularly keen to hear from companies with innovative propositions in the following areas:

• Low carbon construction/built environment solutions
• Low carbon design and/or technologies applied to other sectors
• Sustainable Transport Solutions
• Solutions to achieve greater resource efficiency including energy storage and/or energy management, heat recovery, etc
• Innovative new materials that can provide alternatives to less sustainable ones
• Zero waste and circular business models
• Consumer-focussed solutions for a more sustainable future (including apps)

Yes, you must have a Hertfordshire based business, registered in Companies House. You will have a team of at least two entrepreneurs fully committed to driving the venture forward and to making the most of the accelerator support package.

The Herts Sustainability Accelerator is delivered by the University of Hertfordshire. The programme is part of a set of business support provision included in ‘Building Back Better,’ a Community Renewal Fund (CRF)-funded programme delivered by University of Hertfordshire (UH) in partnership with Exemplas and the Hertfordshire Growth Hub (HGH).

The project is funded by the UK Government through the UK Community Renewal Fund.

The UK Community Renewal Fund is a UK Government programme for 2021/22. It aims to support people and communities most in need across the UK to pilot programmes and new approaches to prepare for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The funding invests in skills, community and place, local business, and supporting people into employment.

Your EOI will be reviewed to ensure your company meets the core eligibility criteria. Eligible EOIs will then be independently assessed by the Programme’s panel against the selection scoring criteria set out below.

This is the essential criteria the applicants must meet in order to be considered for selection.

Core (‘must have’) criteria: 

• Hertfordshire based SME, registered in Companies House.
• Innovative new product/service/technology with the potential to scale-up and generate positive societal impact.
• Team of at least two entrepreneurs fully committed to driving the venture forward and to making the most of the accelerator support package.
• Companies with sustainability at the core of their product/service/technology/business model proposition.

This is the criteria that the Programme’s Panel will refer to when assessing your EOI (if eligible, see above).

The panel will independently assess each individual EOI against the 5 scoring criteria described below.

Scores from all panel members will be added up to generate an average scoring for each applicant across all criteria.

Each criterion will be weighed equally.

The 10 selected companies will be notified by 27^th of February 2022.

Selection Scoring criteria

1. Strength & relevance of proposed project: The EOI clearly articulates the product/service/material/technology that the company is looking to develop, what it’s USP is and what the sustainability challenge it is looking to address.
2. Market awareness: The EOI has clearly identified a target market for commercialisation of the proposed product/service/material/technology and it clearly demonstrates that some preliminary research into the relevant marketplace has been carried out.
3. Sustainability: The EOI has articulated the proposed product/service/material/technology’s environmental sustainability and or social impact as part of its value proposition.
4. Innovation/ Novelty: The EOI proposes a novel product/service/material/technology and/or business model
5. Viability & Feasibility: The EOI has identified clear objectives and milestones for implementation of the proposed idea/project and these are realisable within the parameters of the 15 weeks programme, the available funding and expertise.

It is free of charge to join the Herts Sustainability Accelerator.