A Hampshire based marketing agency is the latest business to receive funding from the Enterprise M3 (EM3) Funding Escalator. The £150,000 Expansion Loan will be used to create new jobs in the company and support the overall growth of the business.

Jellyfish Livewire provides a range of print and digital marketing services in addition to owning and running an environmentally friendly gift card business. Green Gift Card is the only gift card in the world to have been accredited with the Plastic Free Trust Mark. It is already being used by several high-profile brands looking to increase their green credentials, including Selfridges, Aviva, Hampshire Cricket and the Ageas Bowl and even at the EE BAFTA Film Awards in the award nominees’ gift sets. It is the result of several years’ work by MD, Graham Lycett, to drive environmental change and responsibility in the sector.

Graham said: “Over the last decade we have developed a paperboard gift card that offers fantastic durability. We are now looking to create a new range of contactless smart cards as well as paperboard cards that are compatible with dye sublimation printing for a range of different applications beyond gift cards. This includes loyalty and membership cards, access and ID cards, and even smart contactless cards. The Enterprise M3 loan will help fund research and development for these new products as well as enable us to take on new staff to drive the growth of the business and become the market-leading provider of multi-functional paperboard cards.”

In the UK alone, we throw away millions of plastic gift cards each year. With a growing move away from PVC for not only gift cards but also loyalty and membership cards, key cards, bank cards and more, there is currently a substantial opportunity emerging as many brands seek ways to reduce their carbon footprint, reduce plastic waste and achieve their sustainability goals.

Simon Blackbourn, Investment Manager at The FSE Group, which manages the EM3 Funding Escalator on behalf of EM3 Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), commented: “With over 20 years’ experience in the printing industry, Graham has gained an excellent knowledge base and sound reputation and is now a recognised authority on paperboard cards. This, combined with his passion for the environment, has led to the development of a range of innovative products and we are delighted to be supporting Jellyfish Livewire and particularly Green Gift Cards in the next stage of its growth as the company leads the charge in driving sustainability across the sector.”

Sue Littlemore, Joint Managing Director at the Enterprise M3 LEP added: “It’s great to see an innovative Hampshire company lead the way in the environmental alternative field, where it is expanding its range of smart and paperboard cards, helping the sector to reduce its impact on the climate. The developing range of Jellyfish Livewire’s Green Gift Card business chimes well with EM3’s vision to focus on driving a low carbon, high growth economy. We wish Jellyfish Livewire well with developing more environmentally friendly products as the business grows and creates more jobs.”

The Enterprise M3 Funding Escalator is a £10million initiative funded by Enterprise M3 LEP. The escalator includes an expansion loan scheme, a short-term trade loan scheme and an equity growth fund, and provides eligible companies with loans and equity funding between £50,000 and £300,000 for activities that will deliver high-growth and employment opportunities across the EM3 area.