90. Evaluation of Decerna’s TVNZ and EPD UKSPF Programmes
Kada Research were commissioned by Decerna in January 2025 to undertake an evaluation of their two UKSPF funded business support programmes, the Tees Valley Net Zero (TVNZ) and Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) programmes.
Across 2023 and 2024 Decerna were awarded approximately £2.5m in UKSPF funds to deliver the two business support programmes. The Tees Valley Net Zero (TVNZ) programme provided comprehensive support to businesses across Tees Valley, enabling them to transition towards net zero by offering tailored advice, practical tools, and grant funding. The Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) programme addressed the growing importance of environmental accountability in supply chains by helping SMEs obtain EPD certifications and develop sustainability capabilities. Decerna’s support helps companies develop EPDs and as such facilitates access new markets, creating commercial benefits for the companies supported.
Kada’s evaluation focused on assessing the success of the two programmes in respect to their contracted targets and the alignment with UKSPF priorities whilst incorporating a comparative analysis with previous similar ERDF projects. The evaluation adopted a mixed methods approach drawing on a mix of qualitative and quantitative research methods to assess the effectiveness of delivery processes and evidence the programme’s impact.
The two programmes evidenced strong performance, meeting or exceeding all contracted targets. From the perspectives of stakeholders the programme is widely seen as addressing a critical gap in business support for net zero initiatives and displayed a strong alignment between the programme and local, sub-regional, and national policies. The two programmes combined generated a Net Present Value (NPV) of £2.41m with a return on investment of 1.2:1.
The evaluation also highlighted some wider and unexpected benefits including increased networking and collaboration and the way in which sustainability became a selling point for businesses. In addition to the creation of opportunities for the fostering of a more engaged local business community some participants found that after engaging with the programme, they were better positioned to attract clients and contracts that required sustainability commitments. The evaluation built on these lessons learnt to suggest a series of recommendations to take forward.
If you are thinking about commissioning an evaluation study or if you would like to talk through an idea or hear about this work, you can contact us at info@kadaresearch.co.uk.
