Meet the winners of our Microbusiness Support Programme
From eco-friendly beeswax food wraps to sustainable anti-burst bean bags, we have proudly selected seven ‘do good’ businesses that are set for growth having won a place on the Lyreco Goodness Microbusiness Support Programme.
We opened applications for the Microbusiness Support Programme back in November 2021, with an aim to find and bolster ambitious microbusinesses in the UK and Ireland motivated by a greater societal purpose.
Using our scale for good, Lyreco has now selected the first seven Microbusinesses, with five of those already awarded a package of support estimated to be worth over £20,000.
BeeWrap UK is a reusable, eco-friendly food storage wrap.
Canvass is a provider of bespoke websites, each hosted with 100% renewable energy.
Food Safety System is a digital food safety compliance platform preventing unnecessary food waste.
Big Boy Bean Bags sell beanbags designed to withstand the test of time and reduce waste.
MLCS specialise in helping UK SME businesses migrate from traditional telephone lines and systems to Hosted VolP.
The above are all now benefiting from a bespoke page on the Lyreco web-shop, marketing and communication support, a free catalogue listing of up to ten products or services, preferred payment days and ongoing business support.
“As a microbusiness, this is a fantastic opportunity for us to grow and partner with an organisation who value the sustainable approach of considering people, planet and profit,” says Nicola Phillips, Co-owner of Canvass.
“This is a huge opportunity to help my business recover and grow after the nightmare that has been Covid.” – adds Mike Luxford, owner of MLCS.
PanicGo, producer of innovative personal GPS alarm trackers and Amplify Goods, supplier of sustainable everyday essentials, have also been announced winners, with their microbusinesses set to launch later this year.
For us, at Amplify Goods, it’s a gamechanger to get these much-needed climate-focused products in front of 70,000 businesses. We are grateful to have Lyreco’s backing and their collaboration to make REAL social and environmental progress, one bottle of soap at a time.” says Camilla Marcus-Dew, co-founder of Amplify Goods.
The pandemic has had a devastating impact on many microbusinesses, in turn affecting employment and the resilience of communities. As an essential component of the UK & Ireland economy, we aim to provide microbusinesses with the support and resources needed to empower them to thrive in the post-pandemic economy.
Already beginning to make a positive difference among the winners so far, Lyreco is excited to announce the programme has been nominated for ‘Initiative of the Year’, by the European Office Products Awards (EOPA) 2022, with award winners set to be announced on 22 March 2022.
David Harman, Lyreco UK & IRE Director of Product and Services, says:
“In 1926, Lyreco began its incredible journey starting from the humble opening of a book shop in Valenciennes, France. Nearly a century later, the business has grown to span 42 markets, with a value close to 3bn euro, standing as the 3rd largest workplace solutions provider in the world. The entrepreneurial flair and ambition Lyreco was founded with still sits firmly in the fibre of our business, and as such it’s a privilege to now play our role in using our scale for good, to assist the next generation of microbusinesses via our market-leading Lyreco Goodness Microbusiness Support Programme.”
Andrew Bryers, Lyreco UK & IRE Head of CSR, adds:
“After launching the Microbusiness Support Programme and choosing seven businesses to start this journey with, I was thrilled to meet the entrepreneurs who are pushing boundaries in their industry. The programme is a small but vital mechanism to help grow these businesses, while also introducing innovative products and services to Lyreco. Each is unique with great new energy and passion in their field. The future of the programme is to fill the remaining three places, and integrate the programme as an ongoing initiative every year.”
The Lyreco Goodness Microbusiness Support Programme remains open for applicants able demonstrate their alignment with our CSR and environmental credentials, as well as provide products and services in a similar field; PPE, hygiene, catering supplies, office furniture, IT and workplace technology and general office supplies.
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