The Net Zero Innovation Fund Suffolk provided grants for businesses to innovate solutions that will drive Suffolk towards its net zero target. Enabling the progression of selected unique ideas from concept to application at scale. Although the fund has now closed, the effects of the innovation it has enabled are showing results going forward.
Here’s a selection of updates showing the ongoing positive developments from the Project up to December 2026…
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EEZYbikes
– EEZYpod Solar PV-powered shelters for eBikes available for public hire
As part of the transition to electric transport, EEZYBikes have expanded the locations of their solar powered ebike recharging pods and the big news is a new location in Felixstowe at the Train Station so ideal for moving around the picturesque area just in time before the new year.
Gainsborough Road Leisure Centre in Stowmarket has just gained another Eezybike Pod. See the report at https://www.midsuffolk.gov.uk/w/electric-bikes-for-hire-in-stowmarket
Another example of the production solar Eezybike Pod can be seen in the picturesque village of Lavenham in Suffolk.
National Trust
Sutton Hoo
EEZYBIKE has also teamed up with the National Trust to make its e-bikes available at Sutton Hoo, one of the UK’s most significant Anglo-Saxon archaeological sites.
Visitors to the area can now pedal for nature, to help preserve biodiversity and reduce greenhouse emissions by up to 90%. The e-bikes are stored in a solar powered, secure EEZYPOD, helping support the National Trust’s commitments to using renewable energy.
The production line is coming together to roll out these innovative Pods all across Suffolk All thanks to the NZIFS
See more at https://www.eezybike.co.uk/
A link to a Blog Post outlining the Project can be seen HERE
An interesting development is being explored as Suffolk rolls out its car clubs across the County. You may eventually be able to bike to your hire car and back again?
Find out more about Electric Car Clubs as part of the Plug in Suffolk Project HERE
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Modece Architects
– Hemp Stalks for structural building use
With the arrival of the 2026 hemp crop which has now been grown and harvested, which is a really important step for the project, as it allows us to test the idea of using a locally grown material supply rather than relying only on bought-in material.ST
the NZIFS-supported workshop lab is now in place at The Old Fox Yard and has given us the practical space we needed to move the hemp stalk research into the next stage of hands-on prototyping.
From the concept of ‘Grow Your Own Home’ to the application of innovative new building materials and techniques, Modece Architects based in Stowmarket are exploring the frontiers of how we think about buildings in the 21st Century.
With the NZIFS grant, they were able to create an advanced laboratory workshop in which they could allocate the R & D resources to begin producing prototype applications at enough scale to enable real world testing.
With the intention of this leading up to a enable industry innovation and adaptation & fuel a revolution in sustainability.
You can see more about the amazing 3d girders made from hemp stalks HERE
…and Visit the Modece Architects website at https://www.modece.com/
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Neutral Territory
Network of low carbon champions using gamification for behaviour change
To ensure our work continues at the pace our planet demands, Neutral Territory have joined the Natural Capital group to provide the resources needed to accelerate delivery and achieve more impact.
For further information on group activities please visit Natural Capital.
Using funds from Suffolk’s Net Zero Innovation Fund, Neutral Territory demonstrates how ideas from gamification and artificial intelligence can motivate individuals and organisations to take sustainable actions. Neutral Territory was the first business to be involved in Suffolk’s Low Carbon Champions project way back in 2010, and continues to provide thought leadership for our county’s businesses and its people. Gamification helps achieve individual behaviour change, and can be used to encourage people to take climate action. We move beyond simple PBL (points, badges, leaderboards) to explore black and white hat drivers, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, and much more.
Artificial Intelligence allows our ideas that work (many don’t) to be developed and scaled up quickly. Incorporated AI into e-learning allows us to break the iron triangle of accessibility, quality and cost that thwarted the original Low Carbon Champions. To find out more about SasstAInability go to the Neutral Territory web site. To start putting ideas into action, book your place at the first of our Wednesday Workshops on 12 August.
The experience gained from testing gamification through a ‘virtual’ cricket match scenario is now being applied to the evolution of an App which new members of staff are working on.
Clubs play each other on Friday evenings over 10 weeks. Runs are scored using ideas borrowed from old dice games but with a twist … each Friday is played in a future random decade which impacts the ability to play due to worsening weather. Cricket is the field sport most impacted by climate change. Players and clubs can improve their batting, fielding and weather by taking action to fight climate change NOW. These ‘load the dice’ and both players and clubs compete on runs and points. At the end of the season there will be play off between Suffolk and the Rest of the World which we hope to get some celebrity interest.
Image shows results from games played in the future of the 2040′s with high cancellation rates due to weather.
Now for the second half of 2026, the primary focus is on getting a social media campaign together and automating processes to enable the Less is MOR (gamification) model to scale up. The NZIFS has allowed more focus on the development, releasing capacity for the lead on the Project and the employment of a Project Support Officer who has skills in digital communication, Social Media and AI
- Engagement at player level is essential to achieve the individual behaviour change and results have been mixed. Campaigns at EAGCC focused on reducing transport emissions (80% of club total) by car sharing and rewarding players for using EVs. Efforts to widen this to food, kit and clothing have been explored.
More details of the Less is MOR (Measure, offset and reduce) can be seen HERE
Our aim remains to build the foundations for dramatically increased measuring, offsetting and reducing in the summer of 2026.
Bury St Edmunds RUFC
Recyclable advertising boards
Although the original plan was to give sponsors the option to purchase a renewable board or continue with hard plastic, the latter option has now been taken away which means all new boards produced are made of recycled materials. This is over 70 boards which is amazing!!
See a video about them here…
We have been busy pre rugby season working on lots of new additions to the club, one of those is new sponsors.
Will (Commercial Manager) and I caught up last week and we had identified 3-4 organisations that are just about to come on board with us and who have been sold the ‘Green Board’ alternative. We believe all will opt in to this as it’s a great way to ensure their sustainability credentials are met.
Subsequently we have also met with the local council in relation to installing Solar PV panel at the club, this is alongside having our internal lights retrofitted with new energy saving LED alternatives. So as a whole club we are really embracing the GREEN change. This has come through your links, so thanks again
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RoadFill
– Integrating new materials into pothole repairs
The grant has helped us out enormously and allowed us to expedite our findings about the correlation between differing polymer blends in asphalts.
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Vibraseeds
– Matting for area planting
The grant from Net Zero Innovation Fund has proved to been very valuable to us here at Vibraseeds. By working with our partners we have developed a prototype coating to be added to both the grass seed and the matting to further reduce irrigation needs and consequently lower overall carbon emissions for large scale public projects which Vibraseeds is increasingly being used for.
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These are just some of the businesses that have been supported by the Net Zero Innovation Fund Suffolk so far.
This Project is now moving to fully allocated stage but there may be further funding available in the future.
If you would like more information please contact peter.frost2@suffolk.gov.uk