Environment Agency (EA)

Client: The Environment Agency (EA) as part of the UK’s Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA)

Situation: The EA is developing a flood defence innovation that will also generate low-carbon electricity when dormant

Ask: The Next Lighthouse was asked to support the EA’s project development capacity; navigating commercial hurdles to make the project investible by private capital, and navigating strategic public><private stakeholder relationships 

Business case modelling: Drafting of the (5-case) business models, with specific responsibility for the commercial and management scenarios

Storytelling & narrative building: Translating complex technical and financial project information for decision-makers & wider critical stakeholders

Collaboration facilitation: Building inclusive governance pathways to ensure critical questions are addressed at the right time, and this enables effective decision-making

Pilot funding: Helped the EA development team secure critical funding for a pilot project, now underway to prove the value of the innovation

Stakeholder engagement: With improved storytelling, critical (public and private) partners view the project positively, and actively support its success

Accelerated development: Our commercial scenario modelling capabilities has given the EA greater confidence to more quickly understand and address uncertainties