Expert help available at grants event

Businesses across the Marches can get help to boost their green credentials at a special online event being staged next week.

The Marches Growth Hub’s Green Grants for Growth event will bring together a range of the leading grant, funding and support schemes working across Herefordshire, Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin to help companies to go green.

The December 9 event, which gets under way at 9.30am, is being co-ordinated by the Marches Growth Hub Shropshire.

Shropshire hub manager Emma Chapman said it would provide an unmissable opportunity for any business looking to reduce their environmental impact and get funding help to become more energy efficient.

“We have brought together some of the leading programmes available across our region that can offer wide-ranging support on accessing business grants for energy efficiency, growth and innovation; getting support and funding to develop and commercialise green products and services and reducing costs and driving down the environmental impact of your business.

“This is a real opportunity for any business which is serious about its environmental responsibilities to find out how they can save energy, reduce their carbon footprint and also save cash through working more efficiently.”

Schemes featured at the event will include:

The Business Energy Efficiency Programme (BEEP) which offers free energy and resource assessments and grants of up to £20,000 for small and medium sized enterprises in the Marches.

The Marches Renewable Energy (MarRE) grant scheme, which is designed to encourage eligible applicants based in the Marches to apply for a 50% grant towards the installation of renewable energy generation on their premises.

Centre for Research into Environmental Science and Technology (CREST) which supports businesses and start-ups with any environmental or technological developments, with the aim of increasing their productivity and is open to businesses in Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin.

The Low Carbon Opportunities Programme (LOCOP) which will provide funding to help businesses in Shropshire to develop low carbon products and services.

Energy & Bioproducts Research Institute (EBRI), which is based at Aston University and offers help for businesses in the Marches to develop low carbon products and services from redundant material, such as manufacturing, agricultural, packaging, food and drink waste.

Guest speakers will include Tim Yair of the Midlands Energy Hub, and Craig Baker, of the Meres & Mosses Business and Environmental Network (MMBEN).

Emma said the event was targeted at SMEs based in the Marches area, including business2business, business2consumer, charities and not-for-profit organisations.

For more information and to register for the event visit https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/green-grants-for-growth-tickets-127871419859

Pictured: Emma Chapman