Net Zero Living - Thriving Places: ‘Pathfinder Places’ or ‘Fast Followers’, how to be involved?

The programme provides support to local authorities, their partners and communities to overcome non-technical systemic barriers to the scaling and adoption of net zero solutions. To explain what is meant by systemic barriers, please watch this short recording.

Thriving Place Challenge will be delivered under two funding awards, which are:

1. The Pathfinder Place awards (launched in October 2022), which aim to support those places which are actively delivering their net zero plans, have a deep understanding of the systemic barriers to scaling and adoption, and are willing to demonstrate and share innovative approaches to overcoming these barriers
2. The Fast Followers awards (to be launched in winter 2022), which aim to equip local authorities with the experience and skills to overcome non-technical barriers and help to accelerate progress towards net zero.

The Pathfinder Place awards is part of the £60m Net Zero Living programme that aims to support those places who are actively delivering their net zero plans; have a deep understanding of the systemic barriers to scaling and adoption and are willing to demonstrate and share innovative approaches to overcoming these barriers.

The deployment and demonstration of transformative business solutions will enhance quality of life across the UK, improve our homes and offices, address spiralling energy costs, support cleaner and safer transport solutions, protect natural resources, optimise material flows, and accelerate the transition to the UK legal net zero targets.

Pathfinder Places will develop innovative solutions to maximise the opportunities associated with taking a systems-based approach. By considering multiple systems and their interdependencies, benefits can be delivered not only in terms of net zero but also to reduce energy usage and cost, provide cleaner and safer transport systems and protect our natural environment through improved resource management.

This Pathfinder Places award is delivered over two phases. The full details of the Awarded Pathfinder Places can be found here.

The successful applicants in Phase 1 will be invited to apply for a potential Phase 2 competition. Phase 2 will fund up to 6 places, who will each receive up to £8m to deliver their innovative approaches as developed in Phase 1.

Click here to download the slides from the event, watch the event recording here, and please refer to our Q&A document.

We will fund up to 20 Fast Followers. The awards will be used to fund a resource within each Local Authority over an 18-24 month period. The aim of these awards is to equip local authorities with the experience and skills to overcome non-technical barriers and help to accelerate progress towards net zero.

They will form part of a Net Zero Living innovation cohort; have access to training and resources provided by Innovate UK and partners, and apply these skills to turn their ambitions into deliverable plans. Details about this support (Future Ready) can be found here.

These awards are aimed at local authorities who have high net zero ambitions, and have senior-level buy-in, but are constrained by a lack of resources/skill sets to kick start innovative net zero programmes.

Watch the event recording here, and please refer to our Q&A document.

If you are interested in taking part in this programme, being kept informed of the latest updates as this programme develops, and being the first to hear about upcoming KTN or partners’ competitions and support opportunities, please register your contact details below to join our mailing list.

Contact our expert Nilam Banks if you have any questions.