Bristol businesses invited to take their first steps towards climate action with Getting Started Programme

Expressions of Interest open now for businesses to apply for free consultancy support worth £2,000 with Bristol Climate and Nature Partnership

Businesses across Bristol are being invited to take their first steps towards meaningful climate action as Bristol Climate & Nature Partnership launches its Getting Started programme for a second year.

Delivered in collaboration with Bristol Business Improvement District (BID) and Eunomia, the programme offers organisations at the very beginning of their sustainability journey practical support and expert guidance to help them begin tackling their environmental impact.

Returning in May, the Getting Started programme is designed to demystify climate action for businesses and provide the tools and confidence needed to begin developing a climate action plan. Delivered over eight weeks, the programme brings together organisations from across the city for three expert-led workshops exploring climate terminology, carbon measurement and practical steps businesses can take to reduce their emissions.

Participating organisations receive free support worth £2,000, helping businesses access specialist knowledge and resources that enable them to better understand their environmental impact and identify realistic actions they can take as part of Bristol’s wider efforts to tackle the climate crisis.

The programme forms part of Bristol Climate & Nature Partnership’s wider Climate Action Programme, which supports organisations across the city to respond to the climate and nature crises and work collectively towards a zero-carbon, nature-rich and socially just Bristol.

Last year’s pilot programme brought together a wide range of sectors engaging with climate action across the city, with participating organisations including Extract Coffee, Spratley & Partners, Raised In CIC, DJ Foley, Visit West and The Mindful Parenting & Community Project.

Participants from the first programme, which began in April 2025, reported feeling more confident in starting conversations about sustainability within their organisations and embedding climate action into their operations.

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Zoe, a Getting Started participant, said

“I found the programme extremely useful - the biggest progress has been feeling empowered with the tools and confidence to start conversations with clients and colleagues.”

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Another participant, Thea from Raised In CIC, added

“We really enjoyed being a part of the programme and have learnt a lot from it. We're now hiring for an Operations & Sustainability Manager to head up our next steps and champion our climate action plan.”

The programme has already proven impactful, with 100% of participants saying they would recommend it to others and 80% reporting they have taken steps forward with climate action since completing the programme.

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Tom Swithinbank, Senior Project Manager at Bristol BID, said

“Many businesses want to take action on climate change but aren’t always sure where to start. The Getting Started programme gives organisations the knowledge, practical tools and confidence to begin that journey. The programme offers smaller organisations that may not have the resources for this kind of consultancy to gain expert support to tackle this issue."

Expressions of interest for this year’s programme are now open, with places available for between 10 and 20 organisations. Businesses interested in taking part can register their interest until 12pm Friday 17 April, with the programme beginning in May. Participants can register their interest below.