What Useful Projects does

Useful Projects is a London-headquartered sustainability consultancy founded in 2008, operating as the advisory arm of the Useful Simple Trust alongside sister firms Expedition Engineering, Useful Studio, and Thomas.Matthews. The firm develops and delivers sustainability strategies for major organisations and regenerative masterplans for large-scale places, serving UK public, private, and third-sector clients across rail infrastructure, real estate, sports, higher education, and local government. Named engagements include East West Railway Company, Canary Wharf Group, The Crown Estate (East Hemel masterplan), Bruntwood SciTech (Innovation District Manchester), West Midlands Combined Authority, Sport England, UK Sport, and Trinity Hall Cambridge. The company is structured as a B Corp, Social Enterprise, and Employee Benefit Trust.

Service delivery spans five practice areas — Strategy, Business Transformation, Public Policy, Research & Foresight, and Masterplanning & Estates — anchored by proprietary frameworks including the 'Get Set Zero' net zero methodology, Doughnut Economics application models, the Net Zero Navigator Tool (developed for local authorities), and whole life carbon assessment capability. Revenue is generated through bespoke, project-based professional service engagements scoped per client, with new business developed primarily through thought leadership, industry guidance (e.g., ICE 'Maximising Social Value from Infrastructure Projects'), conference speaking, and ongoing client relationships rather than paid marketing. The firm holds B Corp certification (recertified 2024 with 32% score improvement), Carbon Literate Organisation Gold status (2025), SBTi-validated Scope 1+2 reduction targets, and was named B Corp of the Year and Consultancy of the Year in 2025.

The company's competitive position rests on its team of recognised sustainability practitioners — many with two decades of collaboration originating in the London 2012 Olympics — and its ability to bundle sustainability advisory with structural engineering, design, and communications through the cross-disciplinary Useful Simple Trust. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales targeting high-value, project-based mandates. Operations are UK-only with no disclosed international footprint despite reference to "organisations across the world."

Name

Useful Projects

Legal name

Useful Simple Group Ltd.

Website

https://usefulprojects.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Useful Projects is a London-based sustainability consultancy, part of the Useful Simple Trust, that develops net zero, circular economy, and social value strategies for major UK public, private, and third-sector organisations and regenerative masterplans for large-scale places and infrastructure.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainability and environmental design consultancy

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (54162), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Climate Finance Strategy (CapEx planning, green finance, incentives & grants) (EUABAKAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Circular Economy & Sustainable Products (Reuse, Repair, Upcycling) (BPAGALAF), Program & Project Implementation (TA Delivery) (BPADAEAA), Infrastructure & Project Finance Advisory (BPAHADAO)

Keywords

• Sustainability consultancy
• Net zero strategy
• Circular economy advisory
• Environmental design services
• Regenerative business consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Consultancy Services: Professional consultancy fees charged for sustainability strategy, zero carbon, circular economy, nature & biodiversity, and social value services delivered to organisations across public, private, and third sectors. Engagements include strategic advisory, research, business cases, innovation programmes, staff engagement, policies, B Corp accreditation support, impact reporting, and implementation support. Revenue is generated through project-based professional service engagements with major organisations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Useful Projects creates and implements sustainability strategies and environmental design for major organisations and development projects. The firm delivers tailored consultancy across five service areas — Strategy, Business Transformation, Public Policy, Research & Foresight, and Masterplanning & Estates — covering zero carbon, circular economy, nature and biodiversity, social value, and regenerative business outcomes for clients in the public, private, and third sectors.

Product overview

Useful Projects is a sustainability consultancy firm offering integrated professional services across five key service areas: Regenerative & Sustainable Business Consultancy, Zero Carbon Consultancy (Get Set Zero approach), Circular Economy Consultancy, Nature & Biodiversity Consultancy, and Social Impact & Just Transition Consultancy. Services are delivered both for organisations (strategy, ESG, research, training, B Corp accreditation support) and for places (masterplanning, estates, infrastructure, buildings). The firm also offers the Net Zero Navigator Tool as a framework resource for local authorities. The consultancy is part of the Useful Simple Trust, an award-winning group of professional design and consultancy practices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Regenerative & Sustainable Business Consultancy
• Zero Carbon Consultancy (Get Set Zero)
• Circular Economy Consultancy
• Nature & Biodiversity Consultancy
• Social Impact & Just Transition Consultancy
• Energy & Carbon Consultancy (Built Environment)
• Masterplanning & Estates
• Net Zero Navigator Tool

Quantifiable outcome

• 46% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions targeted by 2030 (from 2019 base year) through Science-Based Targets initiative commitment
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and minor.

• Expedition EngineeringcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExpedition Engineering is a sister company within the Useful Simple Trust. Useful Projects and Expedition Engineering collaborate on interdisciplinary projects spanning masterplanning, sustainability strategy, energy & carbon, circular economy, and nature-based solutions. Notable collaborations include East Hemel (The Crown Estate), Bow Goods Yard (Network Rail), Gurnell Masterplan (Ealing Council), and the Embodied Biodiversity Impacts Report.
• Useful StudiocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUseful Studio is a sister company within the Useful Simple Trust. Collaboration spans circular economy policy guidance for London (with GLA), Lower Thames Crossing footbridge design competitions championing salvaged steel, and other interdisciplinary sustainability projects.
• Thomas.MatthewscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThomas.Matthews is a sister company within the Useful Simple Trust, specialising in communications. Collaborations include sustainability strategy and reporting for Oxford University Developments and Royal BAM Group.
• SOENECS LtdsecondaryImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSOENECS Ltd collaborated with Useful Projects on the Canary Wharf Group Circular Economy Strategy and the West Midlands Circular Economy Routemap. SOENECS provided expert advice on construction material reuse and circular economy implementation.
• Metro DynamicssecondaryImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMetro Dynamics collaborated with Useful Projects on the West Midlands Circular Economy Routemap, developing economic models detailing the economic, social, and environmental benefits of the circular economy transition.
• Ynys Resources LtdsecondaryImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerYnys Resources Ltd is a local partner for Cwmni Egino Social Value Handbook development in North Wales, providing local knowledge alongside Useful Projects' sustainability expertise.
• Pictures for the PeopleminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnered with Pictures for the People to create a series of videos and case studies capturing sustainability in action across five grassroots sports organisations, as part of Sport England's Every Move Sustainability Strategy.
• Haworth TompkinssecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerHaworth Tompkins collaborated with Useful Projects and Expedition Engineering on the Trinity Hall Cambridge Decarbonisation Strategy, providing architectural design services alongside sustainability masterplanning.
• London Waste and Recycling Board (LWARB)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerUseful Projects was appointed by LWARB and the Greater London Authority to develop policy guidance for Circular Economy statements required under London Plan policy SI7, working alongside sister companies and BAM Construction.
• International SynergiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFollowing the West Midlands Circular Economy Routemap, Useful Projects produced a business case for industrial symbiosis partnering with International Synergies to help take forward the region's circular economy recommendations.
• Sporting GiantssecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Sporting Giants alongside UK Sport to deliver the 18-month 'Sustainability Accelerator Programme' supporting approximately 40 National Governing Bodies to develop carbon footprints and Environmental Sustainability Action Plans.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cundall: International engineering consultancy with a stated sustainability-first positioning (one of the first carbon-negative engineering firms), delivering ESG, net-zero, and built-environment advisory. Closely comparable on values alignment, service overlap, and built-environment specialisation, though larger and globally distributed.
• Hydrock (now Stantec): UK-headquartered engineering and sustainability consultancy (acquired by Stantec) delivering net-zero, ESG, and masterplanning services across the built environment and infrastructure. Historically directly comparable to Useful Projects on boutique scale, client mix, and built-environment sustainability focus.
• Carbon Trust: UK-headquartered climate and sustainability consultancy advising public and private organisations on carbon reduction, net-zero strategy, and circular economy. Overlapping client base (government, real estate, infrastructure) and methodologically aligned advisory offerings, with a longer-running policy pedigree.
• Atelier Ten: London-headquartered boutique environmental design and engineering consultancy with parallel pedigree in Olympic Park sustainability and deep expertise in net zero, circular economy, and masterplanning. Closely comparable on size, scope, client mix (developers, public sector, cultural institutions), and built-environment focus.
• Elementa Consulting: UK-based specialist sustainability and building physics consultancy delivering carbon, energy, and ESG strategy across the built environment. Comparable boutique scale, similar developer and public-sector client mix, and overlapping services (whole life carbon, net-zero strategy, BREEAM-aligned advisory).

Broad incumbents

• Buro Happold: Global engineering consultancy with a strong sustainability, energy, and masterplanning practice, frequently competing on the same large built-environment and infrastructure briefs. Larger and broader than Useful Projects but overlaps meaningfully on net-zero advisory and masterplanning work.
• WSP: Global professional services consultancy with a large sustainability, climate, and ESG practice serving property, transport, and infrastructure clients. Overlapping mandates on net-zero strategy, embodied carbon, and circular economy for major UK real-estate and infrastructure portfolios.
• AECOM: Global infrastructure consulting firm with an established sustainability, climate, and ESG advisory practice across property, transport, and major projects. Direct competitor on large UK infrastructure, public-sector, and developer sustainability commissions.
• Arup: Global engineering and design consultancy with a major sustainability, climate, and masterplanning practice operating across the same infrastructure, real-estate, and public-sector client base. Much larger scale, but competes head-to-head on net-zero, circular economy, and major project sustainability mandates.
• Mott MacDonald: Global engineering, management, and development consultancy with a dedicated sustainability and climate practice serving infrastructure, transport, and built-environment clients. Frequently competes with Useful Projects on social value, sustainability, and masterplanning commissions for UK public-sector clients.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/useful-projects
• Xx.com/Useful_Projects

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles21 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Useful Projects