Clarion reveals winners of sixth William Sutton Prize

Lewis Knight, director at Bioregional, said: “At the heart of Bioregional’s work is the urgent mission to enable sustainable living.

“We’ve seen first-hand how housing associations and asset owners struggle with the complexity and delays of planning large-scale retrofits.

“Our tool is designed to cut through these barriers, unlocking a clear and confident path to impactful implementation, and we hope that winning the William Sutton Prize will help accelerate our progress.”

Additionally, two projects were chosen for the connected communities prize. These were an AI-powered digital ‘super-neighbour’ to bring communities together, designed by Neighbourly Lab, and Neya, a programme providing pathways into the environmental and STEM sectors for under-represented young social housing residents.

Rob Chapman, chief executive of Neya, said: “The communities we serve are asking for something quieter, kinder and more constructive than today’s social media platforms. 

“They want a way to belong, to contribute and to feel connected. Our hope is that this prize will give us the support and visibility we need to grow Neya responsibly, reach more people, and ensure that our technology is rooted in community need.”

The winners will share £125,000 in funding, and will receive a package of business support and the chance to collaborate with Clarion and other experts to develop their ideas fully.

Clarion have also announced a new William Sutton Prize scholarship programme, which provides funding and mentoring to support students from low-income households attending university. Of the six young people selected as beneficiaries, four are social housing residents.

They will study at institutions including the University of Oxford, the Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment at UCL, and Ravensbourne University London, and will also benefit from access to mentoring, work placements and tailored employability support.

Clare Miller, chief executive of Clarion Housing Group, said: “From an AI-powered ‘super-neighbour’ to insulation panels made of agricultural waste, this year’s winners have the potential to make a real difference, helping to foster truly connected communities and find innovative ways to improve the energy efficiency of our homes.  

“Our judging panel had a tough time narrowing a record-breaking number of applications down to five very worthy winners across our two categories, and we’re excited to work with them to open doors and accelerate progress.

“I’d also like to congratulate our first cohort of William Sutton Prize scholars whom we hope will become the next generation of changemakers. I can’t wait to see where their journeys take them with our support.”