After taking a year off to refresh and refine the initiative, the Sky Zero Footprint Fund is back (Feburary 2025) with a new format and renewed commitment to drive meaningful change for a better planet through the power of advertising. Once again, Sky Media, the advertising arm of Sky, is offering £2 million in advertising support to amplify brands and organisations leading the way in sustainability. This marks a total of £8 million in media value that Sky has committed to the initiative since its launch in 2021.
Key 2025 Highlights:
- £2 million in advertising support available to brands and organisations tackling sustainability challenges.
- New three-category structure to broaden impact across startups, charities, and major brands.
- Panel of expert judges from sustainability, advertising, and media to select the most impactful initiatives.
This year, the fund is evolving to have an even greater impact, with a new structure designed to attract a wider range of brands and initiatives. The 2025 Sky Zero Footprint Fund will now feature three distinct categories:
- Disruptors – Celebrating and championing challenger brands scaling up with innovative ideas and products that have the potential to drive significant environmental change.
- Catalysts – Supporting charities and not-for-profit organisations making a major difference but often facing challenges in demonstrating measurable impact or sales.
- Champions – Engaging larger, established brands to reinvigorate their role in driving national conversations and large-scale sustainability efforts, helping to move environmental action up the agenda.
A panel of expert judges, including leaders from sustainability, advertising, and media, will oversee the selection process, ensuring that the most impactful initiatives receive support. Previous winners have demonstrated the power of the fund in driving real change. In 2023, Grub Club was awarded the Grand Prix prize for its innovative approach to sustainable pet food, made from insect protein.
Entry guidelines will be available from www.skymedia.co.uk/skyzerofootprintfund, and further details on the judging panel and selection criteria will be announced soon. Submissions will open in early March.
- Fiona Ball – Group Director, Bigger Picture and Sustainability, Sky
- Stephen Woodford – Chief Executive of the Advertising Association
- Michelle Carvill – Author ‘Can Marketing Save the Planet’
- Pippa Glucklich – CEO, Electric Glue
- Dino Myers-Lamptey – Founder, The Barber Shop
- Lindsey Clay – CEO, Thinkbox
- Tim Pritchard – Head of Content and Responsible Media, MGOMD
Fund Breakdown:
Grand Prix (1 brand to win an additional £500k prize) prize winners are selected in June/July who then go away to make their ads. Grand Prix in October will see the most impactive ad awarded an additional £500k by the judges.
Disruptors (9 businesses to live pitch with 3 x £200k prizes available) Celebrating and championing challenger brands scaling up with innovative ideas and products that have the potential to drive significant environmental change.
Catalysts (6 charities to live pitch with 2 x £200k prizes available) Supporting charities and not-for-profit organisations making a major difference but often facing challenges in demonstrating measurable impact or sales.
Champions (3 brands to live pitch with 1 x 500k prize) – Engaging larger, established brands to reinvigorate their role in driving national conversations and large-scale sustainability efforts, helping to move environmental action up the agenda.