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

Sky Media has announced the return of an expanded Sky Zero Footprint Fund for 2025. 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