ALPS Ecoscience is a biological engineering company that helps organisations convert organic waste into green energy through anaerobic digestion – a natural, oxygen-free process where microorganisms break down organic matter. Its flagship innovation, SMASH (substrate micronisation, assimilation, stabilisation, and hydrolysis), enhances this process by stimulating specific microbial activity, improving breakdown of waste materials and enabling more efficient energy production.

Alan Beesley, Commercial Director at ALPS Ecoscience, says: “If you think back to the 1950s, petrol engines were big, heavy and burned a lot of fuel for relatively little output.

“Today, they’re much smaller, more reliable and produce much more output with much less fuel. Our goal is to achieve similar outcomes in anaerobic digestion by innovating across biochemistry, mechanisation and data science.”

Funding and business strategy support drive confidence

Following successful trials at one of Northern Ireland’s largest waste management sites – where ALPS helped reduce reliance on landfill – the company was awarded a £500,000 grant from the UK Government Department for Energy Security and Net Zero to develop the technology further. This led to its participation in the Net Zero Innovation Portfolio (NZIP) Accelerator Programme, delivered by The Carbon Trust. ALPS joined the NZIP as a recipient of a Department for Energy Security and Net Zero Energy Entrepreneurs Fund Phase 9 (EEF9) grant. Through NZIP, it was introduced to Innovate UK Business Growth.

ALPS began working with Innovate UK Business Growth in November 2023. Innovation and Growth Specialist, Sinclair Brown, carried out a detailed needs assessment and co-developed a bespoke action plan focused on funding and finance, marketing and internationalisation.

A structured review of its business model helped identify gaps in ALPS’ investment strategy. Through Innovate UK Business Growth’s national network of specialists, ALPS received expert feedback to refine its financial strategy, build investor confidence and tailor its message for a wider audience.

Alan explains: “We received an independent, clear-eyed assessment that helped us see where we were underselling ourselves. It gave us the confidence to improve our pitch, raise our investment target and engage more effectively with prospective investors – especially those outside our technical field.”

The review also highlighted a need to improve ALPS’ digital presence. Targeted support from Innovate UK Business Growth helped the company audit and rebuild its website, fix technical SEO issues and enhance its customer journey.

Alan comments: “SEO was a key focus. We narrowed in on a few core search terms and now rank number one on Google for ‘biogas testing.’ We’re seeing three to four high-quality enquiries each month. A small change – adding a phone number for our target demographic – has already resulted in new contracts.”

International interest through Enterprise Europe Network opens new revenue streams

To help ALPS pursue overseas growth, Sinclair recommended building profiles on the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) and Konfer platforms.

EEN is the world’s largest support network for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with international ambitions, helping UK businesses connect with commercial and R&D partners in the European Single Market. Konfer is an UK Research and Innovation-supported platform for UK and international organisations to find collaboration partners. Creating these profiles helped clarify ALPS’ international strategy and generated multiple partnership enquiries.

Alan adds: “Creating the EEN and Konfer profiles forced us to ask some important questions – are we focused on exporting, licensing or franchising? That exercise led directly to our first licensing deal in Ireland, covering our brand, IP and technology.

“We’re now in talks with businesses in Spain, Turkey, the Netherlands and Denmark about similar agreements. That work has opened a new growth stream for the company.”

Innovation delivering national impact

As ALPS Ecoscience continues to expand, its technology is supporting the UK’s net zero transition by increasing renewable energy production from organic waste and reducing reliance on fossil fuels. Its advanced anaerobic digestion process reduces landfill use, cuts methane emissions and enhances the circular economy.

Support from Innovate UK Business Growth has been transformative. It’s helped us sharpen our strategy, connect with investors and customers and scale our impact at home and abroad.

– Alan Beesley, Commercial Director at ALPS Ecoscience