The Sky Zero Footprint Fund Returns Bigger, Bolder, and Greener in 2025 to Supercharge Sustainability

After taking a year off to refresh and refine the initiative, the fund is back 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.

Sarah Jones, Director of Planning at Sky Media commented. “By evolving the fund for 2025, we’re aiming to put sustainability front-and-centre for a wider range of brands, empowering a diverse range of organisations —from groundbreaking startups to influential household names—to take bold steps towards a more sustainable future.”

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.

Alessandro Di Trapani co-founder of Grub Club commented, “Winning the Sky Zero Footprint Fund was a game-changer for Grub Club. The process was an incredible experience, from refining our brand message to filming our first-ever TV ad. The exposure has put Grub Club in front of millions of pet owners across the UK, driving awareness and credibility in a way that would have been impossible for an early-stage brand alone. More than just visibility, the Footprint Fund has been a key catalyst in unlocking national distribution, helping us secure major retail partnerships that will accelerate our mission to make pet food more sustainable.”

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.

Confirmed Judges include:

• 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’
• David Garrido – Sky Sports News Presenter / Sky Zero Ambassador
• 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:

• 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.
• 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.

For full details and to find out how to apply for the Sky Zero Footprint Fund, visit sky media.co.uk/skyzerofootprintfund.

The Sky Zero Footprint Fund returns for its second year – a £2m initiative challenging brands to make sustainable attainable

This year’s Footprint Fund judging panel welcomes insight and expertise from the 2021 Grand Prix winners.

• Established by Sky, the Sky Zero Footprint Fund supports brands committed to a more sustainable future by helping to amplify their positive environmental messages using the power of TV and advertising
• Five winning brands will be chosen, with the most imaginative and impactful idea securing £1 million of the £2 million pot in advertising support
• This year, judges on the panel include newly appointed Tara Chandra, Co-founder of last year’s winner Here We Flo and Bruce Crouch, Executive Creative Director of Hatch London

The Sky Zero Footprint Fund returns for the second year running – a £2 million initiative created to help brands accelerate their sustainable initiatives and inspire behavioural change using the power and reach of TV advertising.

The campaign champions the adoption of tangible steps towards a sustainable future and is an extension of the media owner’s Sky Zero pledge to go net zero carbon by 2030 to fight climate change. Once again, the initiative is open to brands and media and creative agencies in the UK and Ireland. A panel of respected industry experts with credentials in advertising, creativity and sustainability will assess the entries.

The judging panel will select the winners based on their commitment to a carbon zero future – be it via the showcasing of sustainable business operations or product development designed to reduce carbon footprints for its consumers or by encouraging customers to embrace behavioural change to protect the environment.

This year’s judging panel includes two new additions with Tara Chandra, Co-founder of Here We Flo who won the Grand Prix £1 million ad spend last year – and Bruce Crouch, Executive Creative Director of Hatch London and the creative behind Here We Flo’s award-winning period drama concept.

The panel will also see the return of advertising legend Sir John Hegarty, Su-Mei Thompson (CEO of the Media Trust), Stephen Woodford (Chair of the Advertising Association), Fiona Ball (Group Director of Bigger Picture at Sky), Gideon Spanier (UK Editor in chief of Campaign), Karen Blackett (Country Manager at WPP & GroupM UK CEO), Juliet Davenport (Founder of Good Energy and Author of The Green Start-up), and Jo Fenn (Founder of AdGreen).

Sarah Jones, Director of Planning at Sky Media, commented, “The Sky Zero Footprint Fund builds on Sky’s track record of inspiring environmental awareness by using the power of TV to drive positive change with more sustainable brands and messages. The Footprint Fund last year resulted in five great adverts and brought new disruptive brands to TV for the first time. We’re excited to announce the return of the initiative and we can’t wait to hear from the brands that want to help make a difference.”

Tara Chandra, Co-Founder of Here We Flo, said, “Winning the Sky Zero Footprint Fund prize has been completely transformative for our business already, as it’s allowed us to reach millions of people. The incredible opportunity to be on TV has not only helped us secure more support from investors and retailers, but it’s also given us a voice to talk about period products and sustainability in ways that have never been done before. The whole Footprint Fund journey was incredibly exciting, and I’m honoured to be part of the journey again – although this time, on the other side of the fence.”

Fiona Ball, Group Director of Bigger Picture at Sky, adds, “Last year, we were incredibly inspired and buoyed by all the great work that brands are doing to make sustainable more attainable. It’s great that more brands are putting sustainability at the core of their business like we do and I can’t wait to see what this year’s contestants come up with.”

Applications are open from the 3rd May until the 8th June 2022 – on World Ocean Day.

From the entries, fifteen brands will progress to a live pitch with the judges. The five most impactful and creative ideas will share the £2 million pot of media value. Each business is guaranteed at least £250,000 with the strongest submission securing £1 million for its campaign. The five winners will be announced in August before progressing with the TV advert production, which will need to be produced in line with guidance from the Advertising Association’s AdGreen standards.

Addressing the climate crisis requires all businesses, brands and individuals to take responsibility for lowering their carbon emissions. For 16 years, Sky’s ‘believe in better’ has seen it reduce its environmental impact. Motivated to inspire others to follow by sharing the knowledge and experience it has gained over that time, Sky launched the successful fund last year.

For full details and to find out how to apply for the Sky Zero Footprint Fund, visit sky media.co.uk/skyzerofootprintfund.

Sky launches the ‘Sky Zero Footprint Fund’ – a £2m campaign to inspire change and help fast-track sustainable initiatives

The Fund will help accelerate and amplify positive environmental messages and behavioural change through the power of TV

Five winners will be selected, with the most impactful and creative idea securing £1 million in advertising support

With the climate crisis impacting our planet, it’s critical that individuals, businesses and organisations play their part to reduce their carbon emissions. Over the last 15 years, Sky has ‘believed in better’ by committing to reducing its impact on the environment and is now using its experience to inspire others to do the same with the launch of the ‘Sky Zero Footprint Fund’.

Established by Sky as part of its Sky Zero campaign to be net zero carbon by 2030, the new £2 million initiative will support brands that are committed to driving positive behavioural change and tangible impact towards a more sustainable future. Open to media agencies, creative agencies and brands, the fund will support businesses to accelerate and amplify their initiatives to change the world for the better through the power of TV and advertising.

The winning ideas will be selected by a panel of credible and knowledgeable judges with strong views on advertising, creativity, and sustainability. The judging panel will evaluate entries based on their commitment to a carbon zero future – whether this means showcasing how their business operates in a sustainable way; how their products are built to help reduce their carbon footprint, or how they are inspiring and normalising positive behavioural change amongst their customers to protect the environment.

Judges include advertising legend Sir John Hegarty, Su-Mei Thompson, CEO of the Media Trust, Juliet Davenport, CEO of Good Energy, Lindsey Clay, CEO Thinkbox, Stephen Woodford, Chair of the Advertising Association, Jo Coombes, Founder of AdGreen, Gideon Spanier, UK Editor in chief of Campaign and Karen Blackett OBE Country Manager at WPP & GroupM UK CEO.

The panel also includes senior Sky representation from Debbie Klein, Sky’s Group Chief Marketing, Corporate Affairs and People Officer, Fiona Ball, Group Director of Bigger Picture and new Sky Media Managing Director, Tim Pearson.

Debbie Klein, Group Chief Marketing, Corporate Affairs and People Officer at Sky, said, “We want to use our knowledge and passion to help others make a difference. The Sky Zero Footprint Fund builds on our track record and commitment to reducing our impact on the environment. At Sky we have pledged to be net zero carbon by 2030, but we understand that we’re all in this together and as a media industry, we have a duty to use our voice to drive tangible change. We’re delighted to announce this new initiative to realise the combined benefits for our planet when we work together.”

Tim Pearson, Managing Director of Sky Media, commented, “Using the power of TV we truly believe we can help transform attitudes and inspire real change. The Sky Zero Footprint Fund is designed to support businesses that want to foster positive change and protect our environment. We believe there is no better way to demonstrate this than through the scale, reach and storytelling capability of TV/Video advertising.”

Applications will be open from the 6th April until the 14th May. From all entries, 10 brands will move forward to a live/virtual pitch with the judges. From this process, the five most creative and impactful ideas will go-on to share the £2 million pot of media value. Each business is guaranteed at least £250,000 with the best and strongest execution securing £1 million for its campaign. The 5 winners will be announced in June with £1m winner judged and selected in October. All winning ads must be produced in line with the Advertising Association’s AdGreen standards and brands will be supported through the process.

To get all the details and find out how to apply for the Sky Zero Footprint Fund, visit skymedia.co.uk/skyzerofootprintfund.