Strathclyde’s first social enterprise spinout wins national award

The University of Strathclyde’s first social enterprise spinout company has won a UK-wide award for its work on climate change laws.

C²LI (Climate Change Legal Initiative) has been named Transformative Social Venture of the Year in the PraxisAuril KE (Knowledge Exchange) Awards, held annually to honour “excellence and innovation” in knowledge exchange.

The company, founded in Strathclyde Law School, was commended for its work in enhancing legal knowledge and expertise, to drive just and transformational climate action. This includes its Climate Change Litigation Knowledge Hub, a searchable open-access online platform which takes complex climate change litigation cases and presents them as brief, plain language summaries, covering legislation in more than 30 countries.

C²LI is a Community Interest Company and is fully asset-locked, ensuring that profits or assets are not distributed outside of the company. All profits are instead re-invested into supporting the company’s social and environmental vision. 

The award was announced at a ceremony in Bristol.

Dr Kate McKenzie, Chief Executive Officer of C²LI, said:

“I’m delighted that C²LI won the Transformative Social Venture of the Year category at the Praxis Auril KE Awards. This has come at a good time as we’re approaching the anniversary of spinning out of Strathclyde and it has been an exciting and challenging year for C²LI.

“This award recognises that we are indeed a transformative company and that our mission to drive just and transformational climate action is, while time and resource intensive, very important work. Acknowledgment of C²LI’s journey and the collective effort at Strathclyde and externally to get to where we are, in winning this award means a lot to me and the entire C²LI team.” 

Strathclyde has supported C²LI with £40,000 in funding through its Stage-Gated Process to engage an experienced Commercial Champion and support the development of its business plan to demonstrate that the service is viable and sustainable. The company has worked with Strathclyde Inspire, the University’s flagship entrepreneurship programme, which supports and encourages entrepreneurship in all its forms, offering entrepreneurial opportunities and training to all students, staff and alumni. Externally C²LI was supported by the Challenges Group international enterprise development organisation and Community Enterprise in Scotland.

Lindsey Shields, Industry Engagement and Commercialisation Manager in the Innovation and Industry Engagement Directorate, said:

“It was an absolute pleasure to attend the KE Awards in Bristol and accept the award for C²LI as the Transformative Social Venture of the Year. It has indeed been a transformative year for C²LI.

“This award not only celebrates C²LI as a social venture but also celebrates the hard work and support provided to C²LI by myself, the Industry Engagement and Commercialisation team, Inspire and the Challenges Group both before and after its establishment at the end of 2023.”

Stuart Wilkinson, CEO of PraxisAuril, said:

“The KE Awards…showcased an amazingly diverse array of knowledge exchange projects and people who have and are continuing to make a real impact economically and in society, all from a wide range of organisations and their KE partners. It truly was an inspiring snapshot of what is happening across the UK, as research and education organisations come together with partners of all kinds to collaborate and make a real difference to people’s lives.