Shell Springboard launches competition for low-carbon firms

Shell Springboard will pick a national winner to receive £150,000 and a further five regional winners will each receive £40,000 of equity-free funding from Shell, as well as advice from leading academics, investors and policymakers, to help scale-up their enterprises.

Winners will also get access to exclusive Shell events, exhibits and workshops designed to accelerate their business development journey.

This year’s winner was Leeds-based C-Capture, which produces clean energy technology that captures carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from different industrial gas streams.

Founder professor Chris Rayner said: “Winning Shell Springboard provided a huge morale boost to the C-Capture team. The award helped enhance our profile and credibility as we move through to full commercialisation of our technology.”

Since launching in 2005, the programme has awarded more than £3.5m to 92 enterprises at the cutting edge of the low-carbon economy.

Sinead Lynch, Shell UK country chairman, said: “The UK has tremendous potential to lead low-carbon innovation. In fact, our research with Imperial College London shows that UK universities are some of the strongest globally in spinning out low-carbon start-ups.

“I am proud of the role that Shell Springboard plays in helping these start-ups to grow and in supporting the UK’s green economy.”

Applications are open until Friday, October 28. For information, visit shellspringboard.org.