South West Net Zero Hub

What South West Net Zero Hub does

South West Net Zero Hub is a government-funded initiative established as one of five Local Net Zero Hubs across England, headquartered in Bristol and operating across South West England. The Hub provides free strategic and technical support to public sector organisations (19+ local authorities) and community energy groups to develop, finance, and deliver net zero energy projects. Its service portfolio spans Energy Project Development, Housing Retrofit, the Local Energy Advice Demonstrator (LEAD) Programme, Community Energy support, Public Sector Decarbonisation, and Heat Network Zoning. The organisation is funded by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) and hosted by the West of England Combined Authority (WECA), which acts as the Accountable Body and provides quarterly Board governance oversight.

The Hub administers multiple funding programmes (Community Energy Fund, Rural Community Energy Fund, £1m Local Net Zero Fund) and has developed a £100m Able-to-Pay Retrofit Loan Fund business case. Its technology stack centres on a GIS-based Recoverable Heat Mapping Tool that visualises over 1,000 waste heat sources (energy from waste plants, sewage treatment works, china clay processing) to identify priority heat network zones. Outcome metrics to date include 6,109 homes retrofitted, £46m spent on home improvements, and a £310m project pipeline. The team of approximately 22 staff is structured around Programme, Project Development, Housing Retrofit, Regional Delivery, and Communications functions, with dedicated project managers covering distinct geographic areas (West of England, Devon and Cornwall, Dorset and Hampshire, Somerset and Gloucestershire, BCP/IoW/Portsmouth).

Revenue is derived entirely from central government grant funding channelled through DESNZ, with WECA providing governance rather than commercial capital. Services are provided free of charge to local authorities and community groups, with no commercial pricing. Distribution is direct via embedded regional project managers, supplemented by newsletters, LinkedIn, policy briefings, and showcase events. The Hub's go-to-market is therefore a public-sector advisory model rather than a commercial sales motion, and its competitive position is anchored in its official DESNZ-mandated status and WECA-hosted governance structure.

Name

South West Net Zero Hub

Legal name

South West Net Zero Hub

Website

https://swnetzerohub.org.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Government-funded initiative providing free strategic and technical support to 19+ local authorities and community energy groups across South West England for developing, financing, and delivering net zero energy, housing retrofit, and decarbonisation projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Sector Clean Energy Advisory

akta.pro primary industry

GHG Accounting & Net-Zero/Decarbonization Planning (Scopes 1–3) (EUAHAJAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Decarbonization Strategy & Marginal Abatement Cost Curve (MACC) Advisory (EUABAKAC), Scope 1–3 GHG Inventory Strategy, Data Governance & Controls (advisory) (EUABAKAD), Sector-Specific Net-Zero Pathways & Benchmarking (hard-to-abate methodologies) (EUABAKAI)

Keywords

• Clean energy advisory
• Public sector decarbonisation
• Community energy funding
• Housing retrofit programmes
• Net zero consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Bristol

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Funded by Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) as one of five Local Net Zero Hubs across England. Hosted by West of England Combined Authority which acts as Accountable Body.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

South West Net Zero Hub provides free strategic and technical support to local authorities and community organisations across South West England to develop, finance and deliver net zero energy projects. Its core offering spans energy project development, housing retrofit delivery, public sector decarbonisation, heat network zoning support, and community energy funding, with services delivered directly through a regional team of project managers.

Product overview

The South West Net Zero Hub is a public sector advisory organization that provides free strategic and technical support services rather than a traditional software product. The core offering consists of advisory and support programmes organized around several service areas: Energy Project Development (supporting net zero energy projects from feasibility to delivery), Housing Retrofit (delivering retrofit schemes), the Local Energy Advice Demonstrator (LEAD) Programme (piloting innovative home energy advice), Community Energy Support (with associated Community Energy Fund and Rural Community Energy Fund), Public Sector Decarbonisation, and Heat Network Zoning support. The Hub also administers several funding programmes including the £1m Local Net Zero Fund, Community Energy Fund (£10m national scheme), and has developed a £100m Able-to-Pay Retrofit Loan Fund business case. Knowledge resources include the LEAD Toolkit, Recoverable Heat Mapping Tool, and various policy briefings and guidance documents. All services are provided free to public sector organizations and communities across the South West region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Energy Project Development Free strategic and technical support to help develop net zero energy projects from early feasibility through to investment readiness and delivery, targeted at local authorities and community organisations in South West England.
• Housing Retrofit Delivery of housing retrofit schemes, including the Warm Homes Social Housing Fund, to improve energy efficiency of homes across the South West region for social landlords and local authorities.
• Local Energy Advice Demonstrator (LEAD) Programme Piloting innovative approaches to deliver in-person home energy advice to households, supporting retrofit adoption across the South West.
• Community Energy Support Support services for community energy groups including funding access, project development assistance, and building partnerships between local authorities and community organisations.
• Community Energy Fund
• Rural Community Energy Fund Feasibility funding for rural community energy projects, with grants up to £40,000 for development and up to £100,000 for projects showing high chance of success.
• Public Sector Decarbonisation Support to decarbonise the public estate, helping public sector organisations reduce carbon emissions from buildings and operations, including grant support programmes such as PSDS.
• Heat Network Zoning Support Support for local authorities with the introduction of heat network zoning regulations and development of heat networks across the South West.
• Local Net Zero Fund £1 million grant fund supporting local authorities to reach net zero ambitions, with three flexible grant pots for investigating opportunities and unlocking barriers.
• Able-to-Pay Retrofit Loan Fund £100 million loan fund business case developed for residents to access low-interest loans for home energy efficiency improvements and carbon reduction measures.
• Recoverable Heat Mapping Tool GIS-based visualization tool mapping over 1,000 waste heat sources across the South West including energy from waste plants, sewage treatment works and china clay processing plants, to identify priority areas for heat network connections.
• Finance and Investment Services Advisory services including Investment Readiness Assessment to help local authorities and communities access external financing for net zero projects.

Quantifiable outcome

• 6109 homes retrofitted
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• ZLC EnergyminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 July 2026Appointed by procurement panel to deliver Kernow Solar Park repowering feasibility study.
• West of England Combined Authority (WECA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts the South West Net Zero Hub and acts as the Accountable Body for all Hub programmes. Provides governance oversight through quarterly Board meetings.
• Cornwall LEPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal Enterprise Partnership and primary regional partner for Cornwall area.
• Dorset LEPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal Enterprise Partnership and primary regional partner for Dorset area.
• Gfirst LEPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal Enterprise Partnership and primary regional partner for Gloucestershire area.
• Heart of the South West LEPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal Enterprise Partnership covering Devon and Somerset.
• Solent LEPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal Enterprise Partnership covering Hampshire and Isle of Wight area.
• Swindon & Wiltshire LEPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal Enterprise Partnership and primary regional partner for Swindon and Wiltshire area.
• Great British EnergyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublicly-owned energy company headquartered in Scotland to invest in clean, home-grown energy. The Local Net Zero Hubs are supporting GBE delivery as a priority for 2025/26.
• Other Net Zero Hubs (Midlands, North East and Yorkshire, North West, Greater South East)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative network of five Local Net Zero Hubs working together to accelerate delivery of local energy projects across England.

Scale indicators5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Regen: Independent renewable energy and net zero consultancy supporting local authorities, community energy and developers across the South West and beyond — highly comparable advisory offering and customer overlap.
• Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE): Bristol-based charity that supports communities and local authorities on climate change, energy efficiency and fuel poverty — directly comparable mission, geography and beneficiary base to South West Net Zero Hub.
• North West Net Zero Hub: DESNZ-funded Local Net Zero Hub covering the North West; comparable structure, funding model and service offering.
• Greater South East Net Zero Hub: Fifth DESNZ-funded Local Net Zero Hub covering the Greater South East region — operates the same national programme with identical scope.
• Midlands Net Zero Hub: One of the other four DESNZ-funded Local Net Zero Hubs; operates the same government-funded mandate and service model for local authorities in the Midlands region.
• North East and Yorkshire Net Zero Hub: Sister Local Net Zero Hub with identical DESNZ mandate and service stack, covering the North East and Yorkshire — direct public-sector comparator.

Broad incumbents

• Anthesis Group: Large sustainability consultancy delivering decarbonisation strategy, ESG reporting and climate advisory to corporates and public sector — competes for the same advisory work at greater scale.
• Carbon Trust: International climate consultancy advising governments and businesses on decarbonisation strategy, advisory and certification — wider portfolio but comparable advisory role for public bodies.
• Energy Saving Trust: National charity providing advice on energy efficiency, low-carbon transport and sustainable energy to households, communities and governments — broader incumbent with overlapping advisory remit.

Others

• UK100: Network of UK local authorities committed to 100% clean energy — adjacent ecosystem player that mobilises the same council customer base and frequently partners with Hub-style delivery bodies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/south-west-net-zero-hub

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 South West Net Zero Hub