SOCIAL GUIDELINES
Key Announcements
- UK entrepreneurs have united calling for the Government to back climate innovation in its pursuit of growth.
- 20 climate innovators have signed an open letter calling for the renewal of the £1bn Net Zero Innovation Portfolio.
- Analysis has found that for every £1 of public money under the scheme, climate startups have attracted £2.40 in follow-on funding from the private sector.
Key Stats – NZIP
- £1.3bn committed over the last four years
- 600 projects funded
- Over £500m for small businesses
- 5,500 jobs supported
- £750m private sector follow-on funding secured
Key Stats – NZIP Investment in ClimateTechs
- At least £208m granted to ClimateTech startups
- 199 startup and scale-up recipients
- £500m-£900m in follow-on investment secured
- At least a 2.4x return on every £1 public funds invested
- At least ⅓ of startup NZIP recipients have raised follow-on investment
Guidance for Posting
- Share a personal insight or professional viewpoint on why government backing for climate innovation matters.
- Reference your sector and how clean tech funding affects it.
- Share your interactions with the NZIP, particularly if it played a role in advancing your technology.
- Clearly state the need for NZIP renewal and why it matters now: we assume that the Spring Statement will likely result in cutting funding for climate action, therefore this is an urgent ask.
Example Structure for a LinkedIn Post
💡 The UK has a golden opportunity to lead in clean technology – but we must act now.
The Net Zero Innovation Portfolio (NZIP) has already funded 600+ projects, creating thousands of jobs and unlocking £2.40 in private investment for every £1 of public funding. Yet, with uncertainty around its future, we risk losing momentum just when we need it most.
As [your role/industry], I see firsthand the impact of clean tech funding in driving sustainability, innovation, and economic growth. Without continued investment, the UK could fall behind in the global race for net-zero leadership.
The government must renew the NZIP—for UK ClimateTech startups, our economy, and our planet.
Notes
About Startup Coalition
Startup Coalition, formerly the Coalition for a Digital Economy (Coadec), is an independent advocacy group that serves as the policy voice for Britain’s technology-led startups and scaleups. Startup Coalition was founded in 2010 by Mike Butcher, Editor-at-Large of technology news publisher TechCrunch, and Jeff Lynn, Chairman and Co-Founder of online investment platform Seedrs. Startup Coalition works across a broad range of policy areas that matter the most to startups and scaleups: Access to Talent, Access to Finance & Regulation.
About the Net Zero Innovation Portfolio
The NZIP was launched In November 2020 alongside the then Conservative Government’s new Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution. NZIP was the successor to the £505 million Energy Innovation Programme (EIP), which ran between 2015-2021. In contrast to the EIP, the NZIP was designed to support a broader range of technologies, and also to support them as they scaled, targeting more mature “technology readiness levels” (TRLs).
NZIP included a wide range of competitions, including funds to invest innovative solutions to decarbonise the production of Scotch Whiskey, through to grants to support early stage Direct Air Capture of carbon dioxide.
Background Notes
In February 2025, DESNZ Minister Kerry McCarthy responded to a parliamentary question stating that:
“The Government has provided innovation funding through the £1.3 billion Net Zero Innovation Portfolio (NZIP) and Advanced Nuclear Fund (ANF) to accelerate the commercialisation of innovative, low-carbon technologies, systems and business models in power, buildings and industry.
The NZIP and ANF have supported over 600 projects, which has in turn supported 5,500 jobs and leveraged a further £750 million of private sector match funding in the UK.
The portfolio funds a range of programmes from small scale grants with SMEs to large-scale programmes, such as the Low-Cost Nuclear Programme with Rolls Royce SMR Ltd. To date, £1.1 billion has been allocated from the portfolio with around half allocated to small businesses in the UK.
A final Progress Report on the performance of the NZIP is expected to be published later this year.”
Contact Details
Charlie Mercer, Policy Director
[email protected]
07712637219
