The GBSO Network is a support network for organisations and individuals in Yorkshire and the Humber who provide environmental support to businesses. There are currently around 200 members including local authorities, private, public and freelance consultants, statutory agencies and voluntary organisations. Membership of the Network is currently free of charge.  The main aims and purposes of the GBSO Network are to:

• Provide a forward-thinking and proactive forum for the environmental support sector;
• Build the reputation and standing of the environmental support sector and the GBSO Network itself;
• Provide an information hub on regional projects, funding opportunities, environmental performance data etc;
• Promote co-ordination and joint working amongst the environmental support sector;
• Develop the capacity of the environmental support sector;
• Ensure the members are well placed to take advantage of relevant new opportunities and initiatives (such as resource efficiency grants for businesses and new protocols for measuring the results of business support);
• Promote business support in line with regional strategies including the Regional Economic Strategy and Better Deal for Business; and
• Improve co-ordination with / between the wider business support organisations.

In 2002 Business in the Community (BitC) was funded by Yorkshire Forward to develop the GBSO Programme. The programme had three strands of activity: 

• Management of the network;
• Provision of subsidised training to increase the capacity of the environmental sector within the region; and
• A consultancy fund for support and advice to businesses which was managed by 4 sub-regional coordinators.  

The funding ended in October 2005 and the network itself continued to be coordinated through BitC and the Business Resource Efficiency and Waste (BREW) co-ordinator based at Yorkshire Forward. In September 2006 Yorkshire Forward invited tenders from an organisation to manage the GBSO Network from September 2006 to March 2008. 

Bradford and Sheffield Chamber’s of Commerce and Industry (BCCI and SCCI) were successful in their approach to jointly manage and deliver the project. By exploiting the expertise, contacts and knowledge developed in both Chambers, BCCI and SCCI aim to grow and enhance the GBSO network over that time period.

The partnership will manage and optimise the performance of the GBSO in Yorkshire and the Humber. The overriding aims of the GBSO will be at the forefront of its development, building on the existing networks contributed by the consortium members. This proposal continues to expand upon the expertise contributed by Bradford Chamber of Commerce’s Better Business Environmental Forum (BBEF) and Sheffield Chamber’s South Yorkshire Green Business Club (SYGBC).

SYGBC and BBEF supply complementary specialisms with a strong history of engaging with a large proportion of professionals and key actors in the environmental support sector, using innovative and market driven methods. The focus and subjects addressed promote sustainable business development and offer universal access to environmental opportunities information.  Close liaison and dialogue will be optimised with other business support organisations and specialist agencies and organisations across the region. The GBSO network will actively promote the ability of qualified professionals to identify and develop business-focussed solutions to environmental issues and the wider network of agencies and business support organisations will promote both the network, its meetings, its training programme and the availability of professional environmental advice and support to their own networks.