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Do you run a business in Southwark? If rising energy costs are eating into your margins, the Greener Southwark Business Accelerator can help you cut your bills, reduce your carbon footprint, and build a more resilient business.

The Greener Southwark Business Accelerator is a comprehensive support programme designed to help local SMEs reduce their energy costs and carbon emissions while building business resilience. Through expert-led workshops, personalised action planning, and match funding of up to £5,000 per business, we’re empowering Southwark businesses to take meaningful action on sustainability.

Free to attend

Thanks to support from Southwark Council, this programme is provided free of charge.

£80K

Graduates can apply through a competitive process for match funded grants from a pot of £80k

Every single session that I went to, I took something away from it, and something really actionable. Everyone’s takeaways from the Hatch programmes are different, but that’s just the beauty of it and that’s what makes it really special.

Headshot of Emma Bracegirdle

Emma Bracegirdle

The Saltways

Funded by SouthLark logo
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Zerobees Logo - Delivering sustainability for SMEs'

Eligibility Criteria:

Don’t fit the requirements?    View our other programmes

  • You are a founder or director who is based in, or runs a business in Southwark

  • Your business has an annual turnover of more than £20,000

  • You can commit to the attending the workshops 

Cohort-Based Expert-Led Sessions

22+ hours of expert-led sessions covering sustainability fundamentals, action planning, carbon health checks, and more — everything you need to build a greener, stronger business.

Peer Learning

Access facilitated peer learning and peer coaching. Gain fascinating insights, exchange ideas and swap skills with like-minded individuals.

1-2-1 Support

Benefit from sector and area-specific experts for bespoke 1-2-1 coaching, consulting and mentoring.

Business Showcase with Accreditation Awards

Graduates present their businesses to Southwark partners and receive their Carbon Reduction Accreditation.

Apply now

Hear from our founders

Patrick Pratt

Atchara Inbunsong

Jessica Edun

Winnie Yim

Patrick Pratt

Patrick Pratt co-founder of Bobby’s Bar and Restaurant.

Bobby’s Bar and Restaurant opened in 2024 when Patrick and his co-founder pivoted their careers from various security and support-related work to entrepreneurship. Bobby’s Bar and Restaurant offers the South London community and its visitors the opportunity to experience African and Caribbean cuisine.

‘The incentive that this programme has given is huge. You meet people with different backgrounds, knowledge and ideas. I know for sure that from that level I was at, my horizon of our business is wider now because of the Hatch programme.’

Atchara Inbunsong

Atchara Inbunsong is the founder of Pad Thai Box.

Pad Thai Box offer authentic Thai cuisine, including an authentic recipe of the traditional Pad Thai dish. Pad Thai Box operate an online delivery service and food markets.

‘I’m not really a ‘business person’ because of my background. I’m just a chef but I just love what I do.
Hatch has been so amazing. You have to have faith in what you do, and I’ve gone on a full journey along the process of being on the course.’

Jessica Edun

Co-Founder of The Flygerians.

The Flygerians bring the taste of Nigeria to the streets of London. Founded in 2016, they’ve been on a mission to bring Nigerian food to the forefront of the food market.  

‘I joined the programme because for me as a founder it can be quite isolating. I learned a lot about myself, the way I work, and the importance of taking time-out for myself to make sure that self care is there. It’s made me reconnect and fall back in love with the process.’

Winnie Yim

Winnie Yim is the founder of Too Much Sugar.

Too Much Sugar is an independent food business, specialising in catering sweet and savoury food for corporate events, bespoke cakes for special occasions and delicious Asian-inspired cakes, pastries and desserts.

‘When you’re an entrepreneur, you feel pretty alone. But with the Hatch programme it’s made me really feel like there’s community there, and that we help each other. My mentor helped me to rethink what I need to do when it comes to retail for Too Much Sugar’.

The Greener Southwark Business Accelerator is a six-month programme that gives Southwark small businesses the knowledge, tools, and support to take real action on sustainability — in a way that makes practical sense for your business. The programme kicks off with a full-day in-person session covering the essentials of net zero, carbon literacy, and why it matters for your costs, your customers, and your resilience. From there, five online workshops take you through understanding your business’s environmental impact, building a clear and realistic action plan, and learning how to make changes that save money without disrupting your operations.

You won’t just be learning in theory. Throughout the programme, you’ll complete a sustainability health check with ZeroBees, develop a personalised green action plan, and work through independent audits with the support of one-to-one mentoring. Later sessions focus on how to communicate your progress credibly to customers and the local community, before a final session dedicated to helping you access match funding grants of up to £5,000 to put your plans into action. The programme closes with an in-person showcase and graduation, bringing the cohort together to celebrate the real progress you’ve made.

On completing the programme, you’ll receive a co-branded ZeroBees Net Zero Accreditation.

It’s a trusted, tiered credential that recognises your sustainability health check, action plan, and real steps taken toward decarbonisation — a mark you can proudly share with customers and suppliers, demonstrating your commitment to a net zero future.

The programme consists of 5 fortnightly online sessions and two in-person days — an initial kick-off session and a closing business showcase with accreditation awards.

1

Foundations: Net zero made practical (in person)

  • Tue 19th May 10am-4pm

2

Understanding your business impact (online)

  •  Tue 2nd Jun, 10am – 12pm

3

Action planning that fits reality (online)

  • Tue 16th June, 10am – 12pm

4

Turning Intent into Action (online)

  • Tue 30th June, 10am – 12pm

5

Independent work and Mentoring – Health Checks and Audits (online)

  • July – September

6

Recognition, Confidence and Storytelling (online)

  • Tue 22nd Sept 10am – 12pm

7

Grant Application Support (online)

  • Tue 6th Oct, 10am – 12pm

8

Business Showcase and Accreditation Awards (in person)

  • Tue 17th Nov, 10am – 4pm
Apply now

+123%

Founders said their confidence in being able to access the funding they need increased by 123%

+92%

Founders said their ability to measure the impact of their business went up by 92%

+55%

Founders reported an average increase of 55 % in their knowledge, skills, and confidence in running a business

“Now I can see how my business is growing, why my business is growing, what it needs to do in order to grow – I can see it clearly.”

Tameeka Smith – Founder

Trimenco CIC

Accessibility

Our goal is to make our programmes as accessible as possible. Each programme is designed with input from our cohorts and tailored to meet the unique needs of each group. During the application process, we will ask you to detail any accessibility needs we can support you with.

If you would like to request support in completing your application (e.g. transcribing your application answers), or to discuss your accessibility needs please email programmes@hatchenterprise.org

  • Assistance completing the application form via Zoom or phone call. 
  • Alternate application form formats (large print, audio)
  • Providing interview questions ahead of time
  • Captions enabled on all sessions
  • Option to have the camera off
  • Session materials sent in advance 
  • Support workers are welcome to join sessions
  • Additional support from the programming team, including 1:1 sessions
  • Experts and facilitators representative of the cohort
  • Frequent breaks
  • Expert sessions are recorded for review afterwards as many times as you’d like
  • Flexibility around attendance, e.g., if you cannot attend a session, we can offer a 1:1 catch-up with the programme manager

Who we are

Hatch is a charity that supports underrepresented entrepreneurs from across the UK to imagine, launch, and grow businesses and organisations that are sustainable, successful, and have a positive and lasting impact on their communities.  

We’re not typical of the third sector. Although we’re a charity, as entrepreneurs ourselves we know what it takes to grow a business. We recognise that talent is equally distributed across society, but opportunities are not. Too many people from underrepresented backgrounds are unfairly prevented from realising their entrepreneurial potential to positively impact their own lives, the lives of others in their community and wider society. We’re working to change that by creating an inclusive ecosystem where everyone has access to the power of entrepreneurship to create a fairer economy.

Consequently, while much of our work and support is accessible to all, we focus on supporting women, those from an ethnic minority background, disabled and neurodivergent founders and young people – essentially anyone who might typically get overlooked when it comes to getting what they need to launch and grow an organisation in the UK.

10k+

10,000+ founders have been supported through our programmes and events

77%

of founders participating in our programmes are women or from other marginalised genders

62%

of founders participating in our programmes are from an ethnic minority background

30%

of founders participating in our programmes are Disabled or neurodivergent

Excellent

5 starts representing a 5 star review.
5.0 out of 5.0

Google Reviews

M

Michelle Adams

5 starts representing a 5 star review.

I have had such a great experience with Hatch on the Female Founders Incubator Course from start to finish. I cannot thank them enough for all the advice, tips and help I have received throughout. I would 100% recommend Hatch to anyone who is starting a business or have already formed and running one.

R

Ruth Sturdy

5 starts representing a 5 star review.

Doing the Hatch Female Founders course was a huge turning point for me and my small business. The support was superb and the knowledge gained is something I will forever be grateful for. Huge thanks to the wonderful team that make up Hatch.

Apply Now

Price:

FREE

Thanks to support from Southwark Council, participants can attend the programme free of charge.

Date of next programme:

19th May – 17th Nov 2026

Application deadline: 20th April 2026
Apply here
Do you have any questions? Are you unsure if this is the right course for you? Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us by booking a call, or emailing our team at programmes@hatchenterprise.org.

Frequently asked questions

This programme is open to any entrepreneur who is based in, or runs a business in Southwark and is looking to reduce their carbon emissions, save money on their energy bills, and work towards net zero. To be eligible, your business will need a minimum annual turnover of £20,000.

This programme runs on Tuesday mornings from May to November 2026, the programme consists of 5 online sessions, 2 in person sessions and a series of 1:1 mentoring sessions.

The Greener Southwark Business Accelerator is different from our other programmes because it’s entirely focused on helping you take practical, affordable action to make your business more sustainable.

If you’re based in, or trade primarily in, the London Borough of Southwark, you’ll receive hands-on mentoring, a simple sustainability and energy health check, clear action planning, and the opportunity to apply for match-funding grants of up to £5,000 to help you implement real changes.

You’re not expected to be a net-zero expert. The programme is designed to help you lower costs, reduce risk, and make realistic improvements that work for your business day to day.

Yes. As part of the programme, you can apply for up to £5,000 in matched funding to help you implement the improvements identified in your action plan.

This is match funding, which means you’ll need to contribute 100% of the amount awarded. For example, if you receive £5,000, you would also need to invest £5,000 into the project yourself.

No, the programme is fully funded by our partners, Southwark Council.

The programme will be delivered in a hybrid format, as follows:

  • In-Person Kick Off: Tuesday 19th May
  • 3 online sessions: Throughout June
  • Series of 1:1s with Zerobees: Across July–September
  • 2 online sessions: September/October
  • In-Person Showcase: Tuesday 17th November

Founders must attend the in-person Kick-off session and complete at least 80% of the online sessions to graduate from the programme and apply for the match funding grant.

We welcome entrepreneurs from all industries. Whether you run a tech business, a food and drink venture, a retail shop, or a service-based business, our support is tailored to the challenges and opportunities specific to your sector.

Yes you can! In the application process, there’s a section where you can specify which programme it was.

After completing the Greener Southwark Business Accelerator, you’ll have access to our Graduate platform, Circle, for continued peer support. You will also have access to the Match Fund pot, through which you can apply for competitive Match Funded grant, and access to Hatch Graduate events such as pitch and finance clinics, pitch competitions, mentoring opportunities, etc.

The first step is to fill out the application form, which you can find above. The application form is your opportunity to tell us about you and your business idea or business. The more detail you can provide us with, the better!

If your initial application is successful, you will receive an invitation to complete part two of the application process. This section involves answering a series of questions through the Video Ask portal or via a Zoom call. We will send you the interview questions beforehand so you can prepare as best as possible.

After the application window closes, we’ll email you to let you know if you have secured a place on the programme.

Our goal is to make our programmes as accessible as possible. Each programme is designed with input from our cohorts and tailored to meet the unique needs of each group. During the application process, we will ask you to detail any accessibility needs we can support you with.

If you would like to request support in completing your application (e.g. transcribing your application answers), or to discuss your accessibility needs, please email us at programmes@hatchenterprise.org 

Read more about the accessibility support we offer above.