Energising communities
We work with communities to develop sustainability projects that have positive environmental and social impact.
For 20 years, Pure Leapfrog has pioneered community-centred sustainability solutions at the intersections of people, energy, carbon, buildings, finance and nature.
Our strength lies in combining cross-sector expertise with deep community relationships. Our small team is agile enough to respond quickly to emerging opportunities while maintaining a personal approach that builds lasting partnerships.
We develop business models, governance structures and financing solutions for community-owned organisations, often working with local government. We believe real change happens when communities have the tools and support to create their own sustainable future.
Our story
Pure Leapfrog emerged from two organisations with complementary expertise: PURE – The Clean Planet Trust, which focused on innovative finance solutions for sustainability, and Carbon Leapfrog, which specialised in connecting community energy projects with professional support.
From the beginning, we’ve worked to bridge gaps between communities with great ideas and the capital needed to make them happen. Early milestones included supporting renewable energy projects across the UK and internationally, working on projects in India, Brazil and New Zealand. A key breakthrough came with creating the UK’s first dedicated Community Energy Fund in 2012, launched at the Cabinet Office with £1.5m backing from Big Society Capital.
Growth and Evolution
The formal merger in 2015 combined financial innovation with practical project delivery expertise. By 2017, we’d established PL Bridge Finance – a revolving loan facility lending bridge finance into community projects, where others wouldn’t. We were the only lender in this space that really understood community energy, so were well placed to take on the lending role. At its peak, PL Bridge Finance operated at £20m facility, capitalised by Better Society Capital.
We’ve expanded into new areas as the sector has developed – from community energy and carbon finance to Local Energy Accelerator Platforms and, more recently, building retrofit. Each evolution has built on our focus on innovation for sustainability, and going from big ideas to practical implementation.
Today
We continue to work where others see boundaries – bridging sectors, and making complex ideas practical and deliverable. Whether it’s partnering to pioneer retrofit strategies in the notoriously challenging Private Rented Sector, or supporting community-owned organisations to create financial and business models that generate clean energy from a disused quarry site, our work is rooted in collaboration and innovation. You can read more about our current and recent work here.
