100 Independent restaurants to receive grant for sustainable packaging to help fight climate change

LONDON, UK June 8, 2023: London's independent take-aways and restaurants can today, June 8th, apply for the chance to receive funding for more sustainable packaging to help their business operations become more environmentally friendly.

Enterprise Nation has partnered with Uber Eats and Visa to launch Grants for Growth, a pioneering programme to support food service businesses in their efforts to reduce packaging waste as they grow their business.

Grants for Growth is designed to help restaurants transition away from single-use plastic packaging to greener and more sustainable options. The programme will see 20 successful applicants in London receive $10,000 each in credits (in the local currency) to spend on more sustainable packaging products with an approved sustainable packaging supplier.

The initiative is part of a broader $1 million year-long effort to support small business merchants who use Uber Eats to grow their businesses in major cities across the UK, Europe as well as Los Angeles and New York in the US.

"On behalf of Uber Eats globally, I'm very happy to be working as part of this coalition to help restaurant owners reduce packaging waste and contribute to the fight against climate change," says Pierre-Dmitri Gore-Coty, SVP and Global Head of Delivery for Uber. "Single-use packaging is used in nearly every takeout order worldwide--with our restaurant partners we can work towards reducing waste and helping small businesses thrive."

Emma Jones, CBE, founder and CEO of small business support platform and membership organisation Enterprise Nation, said: "This is a fantastic programme that's really going to make a tangible difference to small food businesses in London as well as the planet.

"In an ideal world, everyone would like to do their bit by reducing unnecessary collective waste, but the transition can often be unaffordable, and beyond reach for many small businesses.

"This programme breaks the cycle and addresses the initial financial burden of purchasing the more sustainable packaging."

"These days, customers are choosing businesses that offer sustainable choices. That's why introducing more sustainable packaging can make businesses more appealing -- so they can grow while helping the environment at the same time."

"With consumers continuing to express desires to live more sustainably, businesses across sectors have a notable opportunity to adopt more sustainable practices to meet this demand," said Douglas Sabo, Chief Sustainability Officer, Visa Inc. "Visa is excited to expand on our partnership with Uber Eats to help small businesses to not be left out of the sustainable business transformations this moment requires."

Research suggests single-use plastics harm the environment by disrupting the productivity of natural systems like oceans and clogging urban infrastructure. An analysis from the Ellen Macarthur Foundation suggests if we don't change, by 2050 single-use plastic alone will outweigh fish in the sea.

Uber Eats, Visa and Enterprise Nation will be rolling out the programme across other major cities in Europe, with 60 restaurants in total across London, Madrid, and Paris receiving $10,000 each in credits (in the local equivalent currency) to spend on sustainable packaging.

To apply go to: enterprisenation.com/grants-for-growth/

ENDS

Contact Liz Slee

Liz@enterprisenation.com

Notes to editors:

Who is the support for?

The scheme will distribute grants of $10,000 to 60 restaurants. To be eligible, your business must:

• have been trading with Uber Eats for longer than 6 months

• be based in London, Madrid or Paris

• have fewer than five locations and no more than 50 employees

• not be associated with any national brands or chains

About Grants for Growth:

Running a successful small business takes a lot more than just hard work, particularly through a global pandemic and climate crisis. It's why Uber Eats has partnered with Visa to create Grants for Growth, with provides funding to help businesses move forward and grow on their own terms.

About Uber

Uber's mission is to create opportunity through movement. We started in 2010 to solve a simple problem: how do you get access to a ride at the touch of a button? More than 15 billion trips later, we're building products to get people closer to where they want to be. By changing how people, food, and things move through cities, Uber is a platform that opens up the world to new possibilities.

About Enterprise Nation

Enterprise Nation is a UK-based business support platform and provider delivering support to more than 750,000 small businesses a year. Its aim is to help people turn their good ideas into great businesses -- through expert advice, events, acceleration support and networking.  

About Visa Inc.

Visa (NYSE: V) is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating payments transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. We believe that economies that include everyone everywhere, uplift everyone everywhere and see access as foundational to the future of money movement. Learn more at Visa.com.