Herts Sustainability Accelerator

This intensive programme provided tailored support to 10 selected companies over a 15-week period. Support included guidance from up to three expert academic and/or technical consultants including:

• technical consultancy support for prototype development/refinement
• commercial consultancy support to explore market viability and potential
• creative consultancy support including product/service design and/or branding
• access to University labs/specialist equipment
• up to £1,000 of funding to cover materials, equipment and/or other consumables required for the proposed venture development
• 1-2-1 mentoring support to help drive the venture forward
• University of Hertfordshire Business Incubator membership for 12 months (access to co-working space in the Enterprise Hub, business postal address, access to events and networking opportunities)
• access to IP/commercial law support through the University’s Law Clinic.

Businesses will be supported to develop new and market ready sustainable products, services and/or technologies by the end of the programme.

Design Abled Ltd (trading as Helloface) is an inclusive health accessories manufacturer that was supported through the Accelerator to develop a reusable, recyclable and biodegradable version of its certified, patent-pending, transparent face mask prototype.

Entoplast is a biomaterials start-up. The Accelerator has helped to further commercial and technical work, to refine a sustainable process for producing biopolymers from insects. This innovation has a number of potential applications in multiple markets, including as a component for prosthetics, artificial skin tissue and as a traditional plastic substitute.

Fermenti Foods is an artisan food start-up focused on functional, organic, fermented foods that promote health and wellness. They have been working on their first product as part of the Accelerator. Their goal is to craft innovative foods with heightened nutrient and flavour profiles that elevate health and wellbeing.

GO Design Services is a design studio focused on providing innovative and sustainable design and build solutions to the play and leisure industry, acting as an ethical agency for creative freelancers and artists. During the Accelerator they have worked on bringing together their service proposition following a circular design and business model framework.

House of Heever is a tech product manufacturer and online retailer, which has been supported through the Accelerator to develop a market-ready prototype for their GroHelper product; an edible-plants growing solution for urban spaces.

Indigo Tree is an award-winning digital marketing agency, with expertise in WordPress website design, development, strategy, content creation and technical SEO for businesses, non-profits, agencies and schools across the UK. The Accelerator has helped them to explore a methodology for calculating the digital footprints of websites, which will enable them to provide a new service to their customer base.

Mama Bamboo is a well-established eco-nappies and wipes manufacturer, using bamboo and compostable bioplastic. Mama Bamboo nappies have won several awards for their performance, comfort and fit, along with eco and ethical awards, B-Corp certified and carbon positive. The Accelerator has supported them to map out a blueprint, to develop a product service system that collects and recycles the nappies and wipes they sell, closing the loop, providing additional value to their customers and further reducing the environmental impact of their products.

Tenschul is an industrial machinery manufacturing company working in the development of green technology to reduce the impact of humanity on the environment. They have prototyped a dispensing technology to reduce single-use plastic waste from FMCG products and the Accelerator has helped them explore the commercial viability and potential routes to market their system.

Zero London is a sustainable, zero-waste and low-carbon clothing manufacturer and online retailer. Their focus is on contemporary men's clothing designed and manufactured in the UK using innovative and efficient methods that use up to 20% less raw material than conventional manufacturing. The Accelerator has supported them to refine their overall brand and commercial proposition as well as exploring a service element to their offering.