Sustainability Options
Sustainability Options is a Bay of Plenty, New Zealand social enterprise founded in 2012 that delivers free home assessments, community workshops, and the 20 Degrees healthy-housing programme to low-income whānau, funded by grants, council contracts, and energy-company partnerships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersTauranga, New Zealand
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Sustainability Options does
Sustainability Options is a private social enterprise based in Tauranga, New Zealand, founded in 2012 by brothers Phil and Nik Gregg to deliver free sustainable living and healthy-housing advice to communities in the Bay of Plenty region. Its core products are free in-home assessments (covering insulation, heating, moisture, draughts, ventilation, energy efficiency, water conservation, and waste), free community workshops, and the 20 Degrees programme — a collaborative vision to help whānau homes maintain 20°C on cold winter nights through assessments, minor repairs, and education. The organization also delivers the nationwide Healthy Homes Initiative (with Tauranga Community Housing Trust), Eco Design Advisor assessments funded by Tauranga City Council, energy literacy workshops in partnership with Powerco and Unison, an Energy Wellbeing Programme with Meridian Energy, the Inner Development Goals Hub in Tauranga, EnviroChallenge for schools, and a podcast distributed on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
The underlying capability is a proprietary home performance assessment methodology, the 4ESL framework (environmental care, social justice, charitable good, people compassion), and the FROG operational philosophy (Forever Reliant On Good). Co-founder Nik Gregg and Jo Wills co-manage the national Home Performance Advisor training service, and the team is credentialed in Natural Step, GRI, SDG/IDG, and Social Value Aotearoa methodology. Sustainability Options has helped more than 3,000 whānau to date and facilitated over $2M in donated goods, services, and finances toward the 20 Degrees vision.
The business model is altruistic and grant-funded: all core services are free to end users, and operating revenue is generated from a diversified mix of council contracts, trust funding (TECT, Bay Trust, Rotorua Trust, Trust Horizon), government agency funding (Health NZ Te Whatu Ora, EECA, multiple regional and city councils), energy company partnerships (Meridian, Powerco, Unison), corporate sustainability consultancy, and donations. The company does not sell products; its economic model is closer to a social-purpose delivery organization than a venture-scale business, with geographic concentration in New Zealand's Bay of Plenty and selected regional extensions enabled by energy-company channels.
Sustainability Options firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sustainability Options
- Legal name
- Sustainability Options Limited
- Website
- https://sustainabilityoptions.org.nz
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Sustainability Options is a Bay of Plenty, New Zealand social enterprise founded in 2012 that delivers free home assessments, community workshops, and the 20 Degrees healthy-housing programme to low-income whānau, funded by grants, council contracts, and energy-company partnerships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sustainability Options industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sustainability and Healthy Housing Services
- SIC
- Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sustainability Engagement, Training & Behavior Change Programs (On-site) (BPABALAK)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Sustainability Training, Consulting & ESG Advisory (Operational Playbooks, Staff Training) (THAAANAL)
Keywords
Where Sustainability Options is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tauranga
- HQ country
- New Zealand
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
Sustainability Options business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Funding and Grants: Social enterprise generating income from a wide range of sources including contracts, consultancy, funding, and donations. Funding partners include TECT, Bay Trust, Rotorua Trust, Western Bay of Plenty District Council, Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora, Trust Horizon, Bay of Plenty Regional Council, Rotorua Lakes Council, Powerco, Unison, Whanau Fund, and EECA.
- Consultancy Services: Corporate sustainability consulting, staff engagement, policy development, systems and process establishment. Services to businesses, councils, and organizations including ISO accreditation support, Natural Step training, GRI reporting, and SDG/IDG alignment.
- 20 Degrees Programme: Collaborative vision working to improve living conditions through home assessments, repairs, education, and collaboration. Funded through donations and collaborative funding partnerships.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | One time | Free Home Assessments |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels9 records
Sustainability Options product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sustainability Options is a Bay of Plenty (New Zealand) social enterprise that delivers free in-home sustainability and healthy housing assessments, community workshops, podcasts, and a portfolio of funded programs (including the 20 Degrees vision, Healthy Homes Initiative, Energy Wellbeing Partnership, and Eco Design Advisor assessments). Services are funded through grants, donations, sponsorships, and commercial consultancy work rather than charged to end users.
Product overview
Sustainability Options is a Bay of Plenty-based altruistic business offering free sustainable living and housing advice. Its core service portfolio is structured around free home assessments, free community workshops, and the 20 Degrees collaborative vision for healthy housing. The organization also delivers programs including the Healthy Homes Initiative, Eco Design Advisor Assessments, Energy Wellbeing Partnership with Meridian, Green Drinks networking events, EnviroChallenge school competitions, Inner Development Goals Hub, Building Materials Repurposing, Social Return on Investment framework, Home Performance Advisor Training, and the Paper Roads Vision for native restoration. It operates a podcast and provides free sustainability resources including tip sheets and videos. Past programs include kindergarten sustainability partnerships, consultancy services, and the Healthy Whenua, Healthy Whare community wānanga.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- 20 Degrees: A collaborative vision led by Sustainability Options to improve living conditions for whānau across the Bay of Plenty. The vision aims to help create warmer, drier, healthier homes that can maintain 20°C on cold winter nights.
Products and services
- Free Home Assessments Free in-person home assessments providing tailored advice on sustainability, healthy housing, energy savings, water conservation, waste reduction, mould prevention, renovation guidance, and building new sustainably; assessors evaluate insulation, heating, moisture ingress, draughts, and provide action plans to reach 20°C.
- Free Community Workshops Free healthy housing and sustainable living workshops delivered across the Bay of Plenty covering mould reduction, condensation, draught proofing, efficient heating, saving on power bills, and DIY skills such as patching holes, puttying windows, and installing secondary glazing.
- 20 Degrees Vision Collaborative vision to help every home in the Bay of Plenty maintain 20°C on cold winter nights, delivered through home assessments, minor repairs, education, and local partnerships to contribute to health and wellbeing through warmer, drier, healthier homes.
- Sustainability Options Podcast A conversational podcast sharing expertise on healthy and sustainable living, distributed on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and iHeartRadio.
- Free Sustainability Resources A collection of free sustainability resources including tip sheets, videos, and other materials supporting sustainable living and healthy home practices.
- Healthy Homes Initiative Nationwide award-winning health prevention initiative delivered in partnership with Tauranga Community Housing Trust in the Bay of Plenty and Lakes regions, aimed at decreasing hospitalisations and increasing the number of children living in warm, dry, healthy homes.
- Eco Design Advisor Assessments Free eco-design assessments for homeowners, builders, and architects in Tauranga, funded by Tauranga City Council; covers building performance, sustainability, energy and water efficiency, and future considerations for new builds or existing home upgrades.
- Energy Literacy Workshops Workshops delivered in Tauranga, Wairarapa, Manawatu, and Taranaki to help households understand and manage energy use effectively, delivered in partnership with Powerco.
- Energy Wellbeing Partnership with Meridian Partnership with Meridian Energy as part of their nationwide Energy Wellbeing Programme helping households experiencing energy hardship through free in-home assessments, practical energy advice, and installation of energy-saving devices funded by Meridian.
- Green Drinks Networking Events Free networking events facilitated across the Bay of Plenty to bring together thought leaders on sustainability topics such as kai security, AI impacts, regenerative farming, and sustainable transport.
- EnviroChallenge Annual environmental challenge for secondary school students in the Bay of Plenty featuring sustainability audits, upcycling tasks, photo challenges based on UN SDGs, structured debates, and a sustainability quiz.
- Inner Development Goals Hub in Tauranga Purpose-driven economy hub linked to an international network, bringing together people who believe business can serve people and the planet while being profitable, focused on climate-positive change, social equity, and thriving communities.
- Home Performance Advisor Training Training service co-managed and delivered by Sustainability Options team members Jo and Nik, providing competency training for people offering home performance advice to New Zealand householders.
- Building Materials Repurposing Initiative Initiative working with Tauranga businesses and councils to salvage construction and demolition waste, redirecting materials to whanau seeking to improve housing conditions.
- Social Return On Investment (SROI) Service Impact measurement framework implemented internally using Social Value Aotearoa methodology to better understand the social impact of Sustainability Options' mahi on people and communities.
- Paper Roads Vision Envisioning restoration projects on paper roads and underused public land for native ecosystem restoration, carbon sequestration, and community benefit, engaging with LINZ, DOC, iwi, councils, businesses, and philanthropists.
- Kindergarten Sustainability Partnership Long-running partnership with Inspired Kindergartens pursuing energy sustainability across nearly 30 sites, including solar PV installations, energy monitoring, and staff education.
- Consultancy Services Sustainability and energy consultancy services for businesses and organisations including sustainability audits, energy audits, energy plans, and staff engagement around sustainability, with experience in ISO accreditation, Natural Step, GRI reporting, SDG, and IDG alignment.
- Healthy Whenua, Healthy Whare Hui Community wananga focused on waste education and sustainable living delivered in partnership with Huria Trust, Tahia Te Marae, and Whanau Ora, exploring how household choices impact whanau and taiao health.
Quantifiable outcome
- Decrease in hospitalisations for children living in warm, dry, healthy homes
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Sustainability Options
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Sustainability Options technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Sustainability Options partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Technology WisecoreKaupapa partner providing IT support for the organization.
- Rocket SparkcoreWebsite development and support partner for sustainabilityoptions.org.nz.
- Inspired Kindergartenscore13-year partnership with nearly 30 kindergarten sites pursuing energy sustainability. Goal of generating as much energy as consumed with 10 solar systems installed.
- Good Neighbour TrustcoreSpecial bond partnership supporting community initiatives including firewood collection.
- Tūwharetoa Settlement TrustminorTrust that supports and trusts Sustainability Options' mahi.
- ABS ElectricalminorSupportive of Sustainability Options' work on sustainable living.
- Tauranga Community Housing TrustcoreCo-delivers Healthy Homes Initiative in Bay of Plenty and Lakes regions. Partnership to decrease hospitalisations and increase children in healthy homes.
- Meridian EnergycoreEnergy Wellbeing Partnership helping households experiencing energy hardship. Funds free in-home assessments, energy advice, and installation of energy-saving devices.
- Home Performance Advisor (HPA)coreJo co-manages and oversees HPA training service; Nik is contracted as HPA trainer. Both travel nationally to deliver training.
- Huria TrustminorPartner in Healthy Whenua, Healthy Whare Hui community wānanga focused on waste.
- Tahia Te MaraeminorPartner in community wānanga delivery.
- Whānau OraminorPartner in collective effort for community education hui.
- FostersminorWorked with Fosters to repurpose insulation from mall redevelopment for homes needing materials.
- CReW WhakataneminorCommunity organization bringing donated heaters instead of sending to landfill.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Sustainability Options competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Eco Design Advisor Network: A network of independent advisors funded by NZ councils (incl. Tauranga City Council, which funds Sustainability Options' EDA assessments) to offer free sustainable building design advice to homeowners, builders, and architects. Operates the same advisory function nationally that Sustainability Options runs regionally.
- Sustainability Trust: Sustainability Trust (formerly Community Energy Network) delivers independent home assessments, community workshops, and sustainable living advice in the Wellington region — a near-identical service model to Sustainability Options but operating in the lower North Island. Directly comparable as a community-focused sustainability advisory.
- Toitū Envirocare (formerly CarboNZero): NZ-based sustainability consultancy offering carbon and environmental management certifications, training, and advisory services to organisations. Closely comparable to Sustainability Options' corporate consultancy stream covering ISO, GRI, and SDG alignment.
Emerging players
- Enviroschools NZ: A national environmental education programme for schools and early learning centres run via regional hubs. Sustainability Options' EnviroChallenge, kindergarten partnership, and school workshops sit in the same environmental-education-for-young-people category.
- Beacon Pathway: A non-profit research and demonstration organisation focused on sustainable, healthy, low-energy homes in New Zealand. Comparable in mission (warmer, drier, healthier homes) and in operating at the intersection of evidence, policy, and homeowner advice.
- Rewiring Aotearoa: A non-profit advocating and building programmes around energy hardship and home decarbonisation in New Zealand. Overlapping mission in warmer, healthier, lower-energy homes and growing policy influence on healthy-homes and energy-efficiency funding.
Others
- Tauranga Community Housing Trust: Delivery partner that co-runs the Healthy Homes Initiative with Sustainability Options in the Bay of Plenty and Lakes regions. Adjacent rather than competitive — they are the housing provider within the same regional healthy-homes pipeline.
Broad incumbents
- He Kāinga Oranga / University of Otago Housing & Health Research Programme: National research and policy group providing the evidence base behind Healthy Homes Standards and the wider Healthy Homes Initiative that Sustainability Options delivers in Bay of Plenty. Anchors the broader healthy-homes ecosystem the company operates within.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Sustainability Options social profiles
Digital presenceSustainability Options financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sustainability Options leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Sustainability Options funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sustainability Options M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sustainability Options
What does Sustainability Options do?
Sustainability Options is a Bay of Plenty (New Zealand) social enterprise that delivers free in-home sustainability and healthy housing assessments, community workshops, podcasts, and a portfolio of funded programs (including the 20 Degrees vision, Healthy Homes Initiative, Energy Wellbeing Partnership, and Eco Design Advisor assessments). Services are funded through grants, donations, sponsorships, and commercial consultancy work rather than charged to end users.
Is Sustainability Options a public or private company?
Sustainability Options is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Sustainability Options founded?
Sustainability Options was founded in 2012. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Sustainability Options based?
Sustainability Options is headquartered in Tauranga, New Zealand, in the Oceania region.
How does Sustainability Options make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Funding and Grants are the primary driver. The others are consultancy Services and 20 Degrees Programme.
Who are Sustainability Options's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Eco Design Advisor Network, Sustainability Trust and Toitū Envirocare (formerly CarboNZero). Emerging players are Enviroschools NZ, Beacon Pathway and Rewiring Aotearoa. Tauranga Community Housing Trust is listed as an others. He Kāinga Oranga / University of Otago Housing & Health Research Programme is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Sustainability Options have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sustainability Options.
What industry is Sustainability Options in?
Sustainability Options's product category is Sustainability and Healthy Housing Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPABALAK, Sustainability Engagement, Training & Behavior Change Programs (On-site), with a secondary code of THAAANAL, Sustainability Training, Consulting & ESG Advisory (Operational Playbooks, Staff Training). Its SIC code is 7340.