UK Enterprise Awards 2021

142 | UK Enterprise Awards 2021 Apr21448 Best Sustainable CIC Business - South West England Founded in 2015, Commercial Foundation CIC aims to provide opportunities to young adults who have previously encountered barriers to work and education. Following its recognition in the UK Enterprise Awards 2021, we got in touch with Director Adam Miller to discover more about the social enterprise’s extraordinary recent success. Commercial Foundation CIC is a social enterprise that improves the prospects of young adults who have encountered barriers to employment whilst embedding social value in the supply chain with its extensive range of high- quality digital print. In its attempts to truly make a difference to the lives of young adults, the Foundation offer an employability programme as Adam goes on to explain: “Through our employability programme #NoLimits, we help young people on a pathway to personal growth by developing personal and practical skills in a nurturing work environment. With 100% of the profits reinvested into the Foundation’s work, we continue to drive positive and long-lasting social change.” At Commercial Foundation, social value is at the heart of everything and is fundamental to its operations, as Adam explains further: “First and foremost, our aim is to change lives. Opportunities for support among 16-25-year-olds were few and far between, so our aim was to plug that gap and offer anyone who had fallen between the cracks a second chance. At all times, our doors remain open to them with a skilled team of counsellors available to help each person overcome their challenge. Because we commit to using a Social Value Calculator (SVC) to independently measure and quantify the social values we create, we can share how we do that”. With an innovative work culture in place, individuals at Commercial Foundation are encouraged to think creatively to ensure the business can be a force for good in the world, as Adam points out: “One phrase that sums up the internal culture of Commercial Foundation would be ‘Commercial by Nature’. Commercial people are encouraged to think differently and like water, we will always find a way through for our clients. That means being able to deliver tangible benefits to our clients’ businesses in a sustainable and socially conscious way. Because of that ‘Commercial by Nature’ spirit, we encourage our team to be free-thinkers. As the lifeblood of our business, we actively support the team in a way to help them reach their full potential and achieve their dreams.” In response to changing demands in the market following the outbreak of COVID-19, the Foundation has had to evolve considerably as Adam elaborates further: “With the demand for flat print declining over the past 12 months due to homeworkers not requiring business cards and marketing print, we’ve certainly had to adapt our ways. Firstly, we have invested in new machinery to allow us to print envelopes, bind books, pads and NCR (No Carbon Required) sheets. But more importantly, to satisfy a clear gap in the market, the Foundation has offered a bespoke fulfilment service to help organisations through the pandemic. For example, we have been able to break down large orders of PPE, facilities and sanitisation supplies into small batch sizes, even down to single items. This has enabled us to send PPE packs to individual retail sites and latterly, COVID-19 test kits to homeworkers up and down the country”. Looking ahead, Adam offers us his thoughts on the future prospects of Commercial Foundation: “Moving forward, we are excited about future prospects. Naturally, the optimism of the post-pandemic world will create a feeling of organisations re-evaluating what is most important to them. Nationwide, people will want to experience the social contact and interaction of the office, so the return will be seen as overwhelmingly positive. “In the last few months, we’ve started a group- wide campaign entitled ‘Build Back Better’ which we have shared with all our clients. Naturally, the aim is to encourage a new way of thinking, including a real emphasis on a desire to return to the office in a more environmentally, ethically and socially aware way”. Company: Commercial Foundation Contact: Adam Miller (Director) Email: [email protected] Web: www.commercialfoundation.co.uk Address: Unit 8, Rockfield Business Park, Cheltenham GL53 8AN Phone: 01242 894252