About EnviroCluster

The EnviroCluster initiative, run by UK CEED, focuses on the significant environmental goods and services (EGS) cluster in the Greater Peterborough Growth Area; the largest of its type in the UK. The city's 380 organisations in this sector employ around 5,000 people and account for 5% of Peterborough's GDP. The initiative aims to stimulate vibrant activity, grow existing businesses and encourage start-ups and inward investment.

The original UK CEED 'cluster mapping' study was completed in 2001 (download here) and identified more than 4,500 jobs (3.2% of the working population) and more than 240 organisations involved in the environment sector in the Greater Peterborough area with a collective turnover of £340m. This led to UK CEED setting up the Encluster project which aimed to stimulate and support this sector in Peterborough.

Since the Encluster initiative was launched by Lord Sainsbury in 2002, UK CEED has attracted more than £1 million of inward investment to the sector in the form of funding for Encluster and various projects in energy, waste, and sector skills - all of which have involved and benefited cluster companies. The initiative has also helped create over 20 new jobs and led to the creation of the city's first university-linked R&D centre (the Centre for Sustainable Engineering).

UK CEED's success with Encluster has led to the EGS sector gaining recognition by EEDA in its original and current Regional Economic Strategy and it has also been recognised by an EU report in 2004 focusing on the most innovative clusters throughout Europe. The project activities have increasingly been rolled out across the region and the Peterborough cluster is now at the heart of a new enterprise hub and innovation centre promoting environmental technologies. UK CEED is also a partner in an EU project designed to identify success factors in cluster development initiatives across Europe (CENCE).

Despite the initiative's success, public funding for Encluster ceased in April 2005. In 2008, the cluster received private funding and was re-launched as EnviroCluster.

What are Clusters?

To find out more about business clusters, click here to view our guide.

Cluster Area

EnviroCluster includes companies with premises based within the Greater Peterborough Growth Area and surrounding area as defined by the map below. The boundaries are treated flexibly as Peterborough's sphere of economic influence extends beyond the boundaries of the map. As such, EnviroCluster is interested in forging links between businesses in the Greater Peterborough Growth Area with those further afield. For a list of members, please click here to view the EnviroCluster member directory.

Organisations that are based outside of Greater Peterborough Growth Area, but who operate within the EGS sector in the area are also eligible for inclusion on the EnviroCluster member directory.