Grants of up to £10,000 are now available to Staffordshire businesses to support their growth through greater energy efficiency and help to cut carbon emissions.
Staffordshire County Council is leading the challenge to cut 1,000 tonnes of CO2 by businesses through advice, support and grant funding.
Both capital and revenue grants will enable investment to help make businesses low carbon through the installation of energy efficient measures in buildings, processes, products and services to reduce carbon emissions. Revenue grants will support further low carbon specialist advice in environmental management systems, carbon footprint reduction or renewable energy feasibility assessment.Staffordshire Business Environmental Network (sben) has launched the Low Carbon Business Evolution Programme (LCBEP). The £1.1m programme is an opportunity to provide free specialist low carbon advice, to eligible businesses in the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent LEP region to:
- Improve energy efficiency
- Find innovative ways to make your business low carbon
- Develop new low or lower carbon products and services
- Deliver environmental management system gap analysis
Additional support is also available through 60 per cent funded internships. Provided by project partners Keele University and Staffordshire University, post-graduate students will share their knowledge and profit from the learning opportunity of a 12-week placement.
Staffordshire County Council’s economy leader Mark Winnington said: “ This programme is part of the wider package of support from the county council for small and medium-sized businesses in Staffordshire. It will ensure that the commercial benefits of low carbon practices can be maximised by local businesses; resulting in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent being recognised as an area for low carbon excellence.”
The project is part funded with support from the European Regional Development Fund Programme 2014 – 2020 and delivered by Staffordshire County Council in partnership with Keele University and Staffordshire University.
People can find out more information by visiting: www.sben.co.uk calling 01785 278108 or by email on lowcarbon@staffordshire.gov.uk