Services Design Solution recognised with King’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development
For Services Design Solution, the King’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development reflects a broader view of sustainability, shaped as much by how people experience buildings every day as by how those buildings perform. It recognises not only technical delivery, but how the business operates, how carbon is reduced in day‑to‑day activity, and how positive social impact is created alongside engineering excellence.
Founded in 2004, SDS has always worked to a clear principle: the buildings it helps create should improve people’s lives while reducing their impact on the planet. That principle runs through everything the business does, from the energy a building uses, to the quality of the air people breathe and access to daylight within it, to the systems working quietly behind the scenes.
The recognition follows the company’s previous Queen’s Award in 2021. SDS has never treated the award as an endpoint, and that acknowledgement encouraged the business to go further. Since then, the business has strengthened its environmental performance, maintained Net Carbon Negative operations, and developed a more structured approach to social value through its Together360 framework.
Sustainability is easy to talk about, but demonstrating sustained progress requires credible evidence. SDS demonstrated credibility through measurable action delivered year after year, backed by data, governance and delivery.
Operational emissions are down by 11.7% year on year, even as the business has continued to grow. SDS has run on 100% renewable electricity since 2020, embedded hybrid working as standard, adopted low‑carbon transport, and spends 66% of its supplier budget locally, ensuring growth has not come at the cost of increased emissions while continuing to support nearby businesses.
Its engineering work reflects the same discipline. Ultra‑low‑energy design, whole‑life carbon assessment and circular economy principles are not optional extras at SDS; they are simply how the team works. The aim is clear: to help clients deliver buildings that use less energy, cut carbon and perform better over the long term.
The social side of the business has evolved with equal intent.
SDS has moved from informal community support to an approach that is deliberate, measurable and embedded in how the business operates. Since 2020, it has committed 1% of annual turnover to community investment. In 2024, that commitment was formalised through Together360, bringing environmental, social and economic impact together under a single strategy.
It delivers real benefits on the ground, not just good intentions. Every employee is given paid volunteering time each year. In 2024–25, the business worked with more than 50 charities and community organisations, delivered 158 hours of education engagement to 395 young people, many experiencing engineering as a possible future for the first time, and supported biodiversity initiatives including the planting of more than 9,000 trees.
This level of activity does not happen by chance. It is sustained through long‑term effort and people willing to stay engaged.
And SDS’s people demonstrate that commitment every day.
Over the past four years, the company has grown its workforce by 43% while maintaining strong satisfaction. In 2024–25, SDS invested over £6,000 per employee in training, more than ten times typical investment levels reported across the UK construction and construction consultancy sector. Nineteen per cent of staff are in apprenticeship or training roles, and 99% say they enjoy their work. Together, these figures point to a workplace that supports development while remaining closely connected to purpose.
Commercially, that culture delivers results. The business has achieved 33% revenue growth, 91% client satisfaction, and more than 4,000 hours of annual research and development investment. It shows that purpose and performance can reinforce one another when supported by strong foundations.
SDS’s impact also extends beyond individual projects. Through initiatives such as the YMCA “Plant to Plate” programme, bee habitats installed across Exeter schools, and wellbeing support including surf therapy and Ocean Memory sessions, the business is creating benefits that are local, practical and lasting. On the Plymouth Sound National Marine Park, SDS exceeded its social value commitments by more than 1,000%, demonstrating what can be achieved when ambition is matched by delivery.
For Founder and Managing Director Shaun Hoppins, the recognition reflects a journey rather than a single moment.
“‘When we started SDS, it wasn’t about being the biggest or the most visible. It was about doing things properly, taking responsibility for the work, and being proud of what we leave behind.
The Queen’s Award was a huge moment for us, but it also raised the bar. It challenged us to keep proving that commitment in a consistent, measurable way.
What I’m most proud of isn’t the award itself, it’s our people. They care about the detail, the consequences, and the long‑term impact of what we do. That’s what this recognition is really about.”
For SDS, the King’s Award is more than a badge of honour. It recognises a business that has stayed close to its principles, continued to improve, and demonstrated how small and medium‑sized companies can help lead the transition to a more sustainable built environment, while setting expectations for what the next generation of engineering businesses can, and should, deliver.”
