In this Q&A, Gosbert Chagula, founder of Startup Discovery School, discusses the transformative impact of the Just Transition programme, supported by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF). He highlights the importance of investing in diverse-led climate-tech startups, explores key success stories, and outlines why continued government funding is critical for driving inclusive economic growth, climate justice, and innovation.
Why is it crucial for the UK Government to extend the UK Shared Prosperity Fund beyond March 2026?
It’s a great question. At Startup Discovery School, we’ve been running an initiative called the ‘Just Transition’ programme – it’s focused on turbo-charging climate tech founders, from diverse backgrounds. It’s been helping them to scale their innovative, climate-tech, place-based businesses, in Camden, Islington, and Lambeth. And it’s been incredibly successful; over 50 jobs have been created, over £2 million has been raised, and we’ve seen those startups, lower emissions, increase biodiversity, and save on energy usage – something which I’ll come onto, shortly.
They’ve caused those councils to rebolster their climate strategies and they’ve generated inclusive economic growth, for the areas in which they’ve been working. And they’ve offered that government a 1:11 return on investment (ROI), in turn. That’s all been because of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF). Because of it they’ve delivered for their boroughs, the climate, and the business world – and that’s why we must see it extended beyond March 2026, too.
How can targeted support for diverse climate tech founders drive economic growth and innovation?
Targeted support is essential for the catalysing of those founders. Our founders offer the Government a 1:11 return on investment (ROI). That ROI’s pretty good. But, sometimes, particularly diverse climate tech founders, work in a desert without resources. They have walking, talking, startups, but they need an injection of both capital and training, to take it to the next level. In our collective view, that ROI can’t be ignored. And it outlines just what they can do for this country’s economic growth and innovation.
Crucially, they’re the ones driving both climate justice and innovative business. They’re driving sustainable business, which underpins inclusive, innovative, growth. And that notion, that concept, as I’m sure we can agree, sitting here in 2026, is a compelling one. As a nation, we know that we can no longer pursue profit, at all costs. And asking larger entities, invested in other pursuits – banking, law, manufacturing, perhaps – to be more sustainable, isn’t enough either. What we need, is to be supporting a nation of trailblazers – a nation of organisations that start from scratch and want to have both sustainability and innovation, at their core. Targeted support, through schemes like the UKSPF – and those proceeding – gives them the breath of life they need, to drive economic and innovation, forward.
The recent polling from Startup Discovery School indicates strong public backing—what do these findings suggest for future policy direction?
Absolutely, the polling, taken from our soon to be released impact report, shows that people love sustainable business – they love sustainable climate tech startups. We know that over 65% of the UK’s population would want the Government to use schemes like the UKSPF do more to support climate tech startup founders. 70% of Londoners believe climate tech to offer the UK with an exciting economic opportunity. And if we look at that polling in a hyper placed-based manner, we know that 86% in Islington want government to do more to support start-ups in their given area.
It’s important that we – and crucially, policymakers – take note of this. As we continue to undertake research of this nature, it reminds us that, really, green business isn’t just a ‘nice to have’ within a manifesto, a policy agenda. People want it. They expect it. It’s now time for the Government to be packaging in the harnessing of climate tech startups into everything it does. Across the political spectrum, we’re now seeing people support the notion of green jobs – and believe that they needn’t force a dichotomy (jobs vs. green growth). We can have both. From a policy perspective, we know that, with the UKSPF – or a revised version of it – we can have both.
Can you share key success stories from the Just Transition programme that demonstrate its impact?
Yes, absolutely – we’ve been working closely with organisations like SmartyPlants, which have scaled tremendously, over the past year or so. We’ve seen them sit within the top 1% of all organisations on Kickstarter, when it comes to the rate at which a given organisation’s able to raise its requisite amount of funding.
That’s come because of the strength of its product – people love the idea of owning a sensor that makes it nearly impossible to kill their houseplants. And that means that this country can save a forest six times the size of London, in lost plants, too. But, a case study that we’re due to publish on SmartyPlants, shows just how essential the Just Transition programme was in helping them to scale – Ben, the founder, says that the programme showed him how to protect his intellectual property. For an organisation trading on the novelty of its idea – the safeguarding of that idea’s been pretty big for them and we’re pleased to have helped them do just that.
How does supporting BME-led climate tech start-ups align with the objectives of the forthcoming Race Equality Bill?
From our perspective, it’s all about the multiplier effect. The Race Equality Bill is aiming to see BME communities flourish. Some have said it’ll be material, others have said it’s just window-dressing… performative. But, one thing’s for certain. It will be effective in catalysing those communities, if we harness the multiplier effects, it so offers. If we turbo-charge diverse employees – with a higher wage level, as will be mandated by the Bill – then we’ll see them accruing wealth, obtaining greater purchasing power.
But, if we go one step further and catalyse the businesses – they startups – they, or their neighbours, might own, then we see the power of the BME pound, really mean something. It’s not just SDS saying this, either; in 2017 Baroness McGregor Smith’s review found that the BME economy, in this respect, offers us £24 billion, if properly harnessed. Powerful BME businesses, combined with powerful BME consumers, equals true change. They’re two sides of the same coin – apologies for the milked metaphor – and one cannot be pursed effectively, without the other.
What are the long-term economic and social benefits of investing in diverse-led start-ups?
Well, we’ve run some sums. And they show that, if we were to run the Just Transition programme, in every borough, across London, then it’d leave the city £500 million better-off, over the next decade. We’d only be running it with a dozen startups in each borough, so it’d still be pretty manageable – and realistic. If scaled, to include a twice the number of startups per cohort, then, well, that impact would be more than doubled – and we’d reach our inclusive growth, our climate, and our trade goals, somewhat more expediently.
But, really, this isn’t just about money. It’s all about the environmental and social benefit, these diverse, climate tech, start-ups, bring us, over the long-term. Our programme’s supported the likes of the Kestrix pilot, which has directly improved Londoners’ lives, specifically in Islington, retrofitting of buildings in the Islington council and have scanned 1,900 homes for heat loss so far. Clip Energy combines AI with smart sensors to help businesses reduce their energy; initial findings show a reduction of 1.8 tCO2e per year per business premise. Goodmine have diverted 610kg of office furniture from landfill during a single trial, equivalent to 2,561kg CO2 prevented.
Again, numbers that can’t be ignored. Environmental benefit that can’t be shrugged off. Reality that needs to be noted. Particularly after the riots. Particularly on the eve of the Bill being brought. These start-ups are driving economic growth. They’re driving climate justice. It’s crucial that they’re supported.
