Lancashire Innovation Receives International Green Apple Award Recognition Ahead of 10-Year Celebration

By GB Shared

Lancashire-based GB Shared has received international recognition through the prestigious International Green Apple Environment Awards 2026. Selected from more than 700 entries worldwide, the organisation has been recognised amongst this year's leading examples of environmental best practice and will be celebrated at a prestigious awards ceremony at the House of Lords, Houses of Parliament, Palace of Westminster, London, on 23 November 2026.

Founded in Lancashire in 2016, GB Shared was created to solve a simple challenge: opportunities existed, but they were often fragmented, difficult to find and disconnected from the people and organisations that needed them most.

What began as Lancashare, an ecosystem for Lancashire, has evolved into a growing network of innovative county-based ecosystems operating across 10 UK counties, helping businesses, charities, public sector organisations and communities centralise and share opportunities, resources and support.

Unlike traditional business networks, GB Shared has developed the UK's first shared regional economic infrastructure, enabling organisations to strengthen local economies whilst creating measurable economic, social and environmental impact through collaboration, participation and sustainable supply chains. Each region is powered by its own community, putting Community Wealth Building into action.

Over the last decade, organisations using the platform have collectively shared knowledge, best practice, connections, suppliers, more than £100 million in funding opportunities, £40 billion in tender opportunities, thousands of jobs and countless regional opportunities, helping to increase participation, encourage local procurement and strengthen local economies.

Founder and CEO Lisa Edge said:

"We're incredibly proud that a Lancashire-born innovation has received international recognition. This award is not just recognition for GB Shared. It recognises the thousands of organisations that have chosen to share opportunities, resources and support with one another over the last ten years. What started as a simple idea in Lancashire has grown into a model now operating across multiple counties, helping organisations create measurable economic, social and environmental impact through everyday actions."

The international recognition comes at a significant moment in GB Shared's journey.

As the organisation prepares to celebrate its tenth anniversary and tenth county at Lancashare Day 2026, the award follows a series of major milestones, including support from Innovate UK through both its Smart Grant and Women in Innovation programmes. Founder Lisa has collected a number of awards along the way, including the national She Inspires Agent of Change Award, the rare Innovate UK Purple Plaque, and international recognition through her award-winning sustainable communities research paper.

What began as a simple Lancashire idea has, in just ten years, evolved into a nationally recognised approach helping to digitise and reconnect local economies by enabling organisations to share opportunities, resources and support more effectively.

At a time when businesses, communities and policymakers are increasingly seeking more collaborative ways to address economic, social and environmental challenges, the GB Shared approach has proven so impactful that its customer journey is uniquely mapped to a global sustainable accreditation, recognising members for responsible local activity. As the organisation continues to expand, its ambition is to help create stronger local and national sustainable supply chains by standardising opportunity sharing, participation and impact measurement across the UK.

Earlier this year, following recognition for her sustainable communities research, Lisa won Best International Research Paper. Subsequently, GB Shared was invited by Nords University to join discussions with representatives from eight European countries in Budapest.

Those discussions have since led to invitations to explore how elements of the award-winning GB Shared approach could contribute to future Horizon Europe collaborations focused on participation, skills, opportunity access, sustainable communities and local economic development.

Lisa Edge added:

"This is huge validation for us. What makes this achievement particularly special is that it validates ten years of evidence, learning and collaboration. We began with a simple belief that organisations achieve more when opportunities are shared rather than fragmented. To now receive international recognition through the Green Apple Awards whilst simultaneously exploring opportunities for wider international collaboration is incredibly exciting. It's credit to our members and demonstrates that a simple idea born in Lancashire can create impact far beyond our county's borders."

The International Green Apple Environment Awards recognise organisations making a significant contribution to environmental improvement through innovation, commitment and measurable action. This latest achievement places GB Shared amongst organisations demonstrating leadership in environmental sustainability.

As a result of this success, GB Shared has also been offered Green World Ambassador status and the opportunity to have its award-winning paper published in The Green Book, the world's only annual work of reference on environmental best practice.

The International Green Apple Environment Awards are organised by The Green Organisation, an independent non-profit organisation founded to recognise, reward and promote environmental best practice worldwide.

ENDS

For further information, please contact:

Lisa Edge
Founder & CEO
GB Shared Ltd
hello@gbshared.co.uk
www.gbshared.co.uk

To find out more about Lancashare Day - 10 Years - 10 Counties
https://gbshared.co.uk/digipub/lancashare-day-2026