Firstport’s Catalyst Fund has announced its first investment – to Bo’ness’ own Sustainable Thinking Scotland CIC!

Sustainable Thinking Scotland (STS) has become the first social enterprise in Scotland to secure investment from the fund, with £190,000 to enable them to bring their biochar technology to market. The fund’s mechanism means that STS will repay the investment via a share of their revenue as they grow.

(Image caption: Steve, Shaun, and one of their STS chickens, inside one of the site’s polytunnels with some of their produce.)

In addition to their innovative biochar work, STS grows fresh fruit and vegetables for local foodbanks, as well as delivering learning projects – and most recently, they’re involved with the new gardening project at Bo’ness Community Hospital!

They will use the investment from the Catalyst Fund to accelerate the growth of the biochar project, increase production capacity and R&D, as well as to employ staff and develop core business operations for the intended scale-up.

For further information on STS and all their activities, please visit their Facebook page.

For further information on their investment from the Catalyst Fund – which is still open for Expressions of Interest – visit the Firstport website.

Congratulations, and well done to Sean, Steve, and the whole STS team! 👏👏👏