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Green Grants and Funding

Wise Up’s latest and most up to date green biz grants and funding guide covering the UK and the nations and regions…

The economic austerity and the Government’s commitment to reduce the public deficit mean there are fewer grants and funding available then there once were to help UK businesses transition to a low carbon economy. National agencies have either seen their public funding slashed, as in the case of WRAP, or completely disappear, as in the case of the Carbon Trust. Regional green funding has been severely affected by the cutbacks to local authority budgets, and the shake-up brought about by the dismantling of the English regional development agencies, which once held the purse strings to much of the green funding at a regional level.

However, new funding sources and investment vehicles have now come on stream, including the Government’s £3 billion Green Investment Bank, the £2.6 billionRegional Growth Fund and the private sector operated Green Deal Finance Company (though this about to lose its funding).

While a good deal of investment uncertainty exists because the green sector is still seen as risky, vulnerable to Government policy changes, there are a number of venture capital funds to tap into for innovative green projects and start-ups and cleantech investment funds looking to invest for the longer-term.

Early-stage renewable and clean technologies, whether they apply to marine, carbon capture, smart grids or the built environment, can also seek funding via bodies such as the Technology Strategy Board and the Energy Technologies Institute.

Our updated Green Grants & Funding Guide aims to provide businesses with the latest information on national, regional and local green grants and funding available in the UK.

UK-wide Funding

FUNDING FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY

The Green Deal Finance Company
The Green Deal Finance Company is a government-sponsored program that allows households, communities, and workplaces to make energy saving improvements to their buildings for free. An assessor inspects the building and recommends what improvements can be made in the name of energy efficiency. The Green Deal Finance Company then funds these improvements and the building pays back the Green Deal with the difference of the money saved in the energy bill.

For more information click here.

Energy Efficiency Financing Scheme
The £550 million Energy Efficiency Financing scheme, run by Siemens Financial Services and the Carbon Trust, allows businesses to invest in energy efficient technology and to benefit from affordable payments that can be offset against the energy savings made from using the equipment. Financing from Siemens Financial Services can be arranged from £1000, and there are potentially no upper limits.

For more information click here.

ReEnergise SmartEnergy Fund
The ReEnergise SmartEnergy Fund has an initial capital of £5 million, with no “upper limit” on funding. It is solely aimed at SMEs and offers commercial loans – typically between £25,000 and £250,000 – to invest in energy efficiency measures and renewable energy systems. It is run by independent specialist financial services provider with seed funding from SI Capital. Standard interest rates do not apply and cost of financing will be based on a number of factors including the length of the borrowing period and the creditworthiness of the borrower.

For more information click here.

FUNDING FOR GREEN MOTORING AND TRANSPORT

Plug-in Car Grant
The Plug-In Car Grant went live on the January 1 2011 when nine cars were give eligibility to receive the grant. Businesses can benefit from the Government’s £5000 ultra-low emission vehicle grant. They will receive a grant of 25 per cent towards the cost of an electric or hybrid vehicle, up to a maximum of £5,000.

For more information about the grant and the vehicles eligible click here.

Plug-in Van Grant
Businesses and private consumers can benefit from the Government’s ultra-low vehicle emission grant. They can receive a grant of 20 per cent towards the cost of an electric or hybrid van up to a maximum of £8,000. The van grant went live in in February 2012.

For more information about the grant and eligible vehicles click here.

Marco Polo II
Launched in 2003, the Marco Polo programme co-funds projects that ease traffic congestion by moving freight from road to more environmentally friendly modes, such as short sea shipping, rail and inland waterways. The €450 million European programme is aimed at industry and has annual calls in July. Projects must involve a cross-border route.

For more information click here.

FUNDING FOR RENEWABLES

The Grants for Business Investment scheme

Offshore wind manufacturers can apply for support for major investments under the Grants for Business Investment (GBI) scheme in assisted areas of England. This can include joint applications by manufacturers together with ports/landowners where there this forms a single project.

Grants have to be over £2 million and for exceptional projects i.e. they mitigate or avoid a significant downturn in the local labour market; or address a significant market failure.

Funding is available from April 2011 to March 2015.

For more information click here.

FUNDING FOR LOW CARBON TECHNOLOGIES

The Government has committed over £200 million of funding for low carbon technologies for 2011 to 2015. As of early 2013, schemes include:

Energy Entrepreneurs Fund
This three-year funding is mainly directed at small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and individual innovators and entrepreneurs who are looking to develop low carbon technologies for buildings and power generation and energy storage. Up to £1 million will be available to projects and innovators will also benefit from expert advice on how to bring their products to market. The funding is being released in two phases. Applications for the first £16 million close on October 31. Bids for the remaining £19 million will open in early 2013.

For more information click here.

Energy storage innovation competition: large-scale demonstration projects

This competition aims to encourage the development of innovative, pre-commercial energy storage technologies that can address grid-scale storage and balancing needs in the UK electricity network. The competition will run in two phases with contracts for system and project design studies expected to be awarded in February 2013.

For more information click here.

BIO-TIC

BIO-TIC is European-wide collaboration and funding programme that aims to overcome technological bottlenecks, market entry, institutional barriers, and funding challenges in order to boost European competitiveness in bio-based markets. The programme focuses on five areas: bioplastics (PHA and PLA); chemical building blocks; advanced biofuels; biosurfactants; and CO2 as feedstock.

For more information, click here.

CHEST

CHEST, or Collective enHanced Environmental for Social Tasks, is a 30-month research and development project funded by the European Commission’s Seventh Framework programme. It will invest up to €2.5m to encourage the development of innovative digital solutions that tackle specific societal challenges, including those addressing sustainability and environmental issues. Selected solutions will need to have European-wide implications, and not be limited to a single postcode or community. Up to €60,000 is awarded per project with a deadline for submission of September 30 2014.

For more information click here.

FUNDING FOR WASTE MANAGEMENT

Waste Prevention Loan Fund
A £1 million fund managed by WRAP (Waste Resources Action Programme) to support businesses in England looking to introduce green business models and processes that make more efficient use of material resources.

Businesses of any size are able to apply for loans through the fund, which launched in July 2011. Initially, though, it will target retail businesses that sell electrical and electronic products, clothing and furniture.

The fund will provide loans of between £20,000 and £100,000.

For more information click here.

Mixed Plastics Loan Fund
The WRAP Mixed Plastics Loan Fund (MPLF) is a limited fund of up to £2 million to address the reprocessing capacity gap that currently exists for mixed plastics within England. Loans range from £50,000 to £1 million and can provide asset backed loans for plant, machinery and/or groundworks.

For more information click here.

eQuip WRAP Leasing Scheme
The eQuip WRAP leasing scheme helps small and medium-sized enterprises involved in sorting, processing, recycling, or manufacturing certain materials including plastics, organics, and textiles. The leasing scheme helps companies gain financial assistance for new and secondhand recycling plants and machinery.

For more information click here.

Anaerobic Digestive Loan Fund (ADLF)
The ADLF is a £10 million loan fund by WRAP with the intention of offering financial support to organisations building new AD capacity in England. The intention is that these companies move food waste from landfills and other harmful waste disposal methods to more environmentally friendly ones. The intention of the fund is to ‘leverage’ private funding and not to replace it. Loans run from £50,000 to £1,000,000.

For more information click here.

VENTURE CAPITAL & INVESTMENT FUNDING

Carbon Trust Venture Capital
Carbon Trust Investments Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Carbon Trust and makes early stage venture capital and seed investments to accelerate the commercialisation of clean energy businesses in the UK. The £46 million fund is leveraged with other private funding.

For more information click here.

Early-Stage Technology Investment
TTP Ventures provides investment and support for IT, medtech and clean technology companies. TTP supports The Carbon Trust Entrepreneur Fast Track and helps to develop new businesses in the UK low carbon sector.

For more information click here.

Environmental Technologies Fund
A Europe-wide venture capital fund that can invest in high growth potential companies that operate in the environmental and low carbon technology sectors, often supporting companies through more than one investment round, committing €5 million to €15 million overall.

For more information click here.

The Foresight Group
This Foresight Group provides capital for early stage and developing technology businesses and runs the Foresight Environmental Fund and the Foresight Solar Fund, invests up to £5 million.

For more information click here.

Good Energies
A global investor in clean energy project development, technology and related services, primarily focusing on two phases of investment:
• development equity team provides capital to support developers of projects, across all clean technologies
• a venture capital team makes early stage investments on a global basis across the green technology sector.

For more information click here.

Low Carbon Accelerator
Aims to provide the capital to accelerate the growth of businesses with products and services that will deliver immediate reductions in carbon dioxide emissions. Low Carbon Accelerator’s investment focus is on clean energy, cleaner fuels, energy efficiency and building technologies. It focuses predominantly on businesses in the UK, Europe and North America.

For more information click here.

Oxford Capital Partners Limited
Oxford Capital invests and partners with businesses across three super-growth sectors –sustainability, healthcare, and communications. It specialises in assisting companies to achieve scale internationally and to build value fast. Minimum investment is £250,000 and maximum is £5 million.

For more information click here.

The Virgin Green Fund
An independent private equity firm investing growth capital in the renewable energy and resource efficiency sectors in North America and Europe, deploying growth capital in product, equipment and service companies with proven commercial success.

For more information click here.

The Bridges Ventures Funds
The Bridges Venture Funds are three separate funds designed to promote a more sustainable future. The Sustainable Growth Fund invests in businesses that seek sustainability in the name of environmental protection, efficient industrial processes, and resource efficiency in underserved areas. The Property Fund invests in properties in regeneration areas and environmentally sustainable buildings. The Social Entrepreneurs Fund invests in social businesses with high social impact.

For more information click here.

Glennmont Partners
A spin-off of BNP Paribas Clean Energy Partners, Glennmont Partners specialises in funding long-term alternative energy projects such as windfarms, biomass power stations, and solar parks. It has €437 million in funds under management and focuses on projects lasting 10 years or more.

For more information click here.

Funding for East England

Funding for the South East

FUNDING FOR SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES

Interreg IVB North Sea Programme
The North Sea Programme aims to expand the scope of territorial co-operation and focus on high quality projects in innovation, the environment, accessibility, and sustainable and competitive communities. Open to SMEs in Kent and the Medway, the ninth call for funding opens in March 2013. Calls will be launched at intervals until all funds are allocated.

For more information click here.

Interreg IVA Channel Programme
The Interreg IVA France (Channel) – England Programme aims to promote a space of common citizenship fostering a sense of belonging to a cross-border area, between the French and English partners through projects supporting the launch of new enterprises, building attractive common space to live and promoting renewable energies.

SMEs in Brighton and Hove, East and West Sussex, Portsmouth, Southampton, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Medway and Kent can apply for funding.

For more information click here.

FUNDING TO ENCOURAGE GREENER TRANSPORT

Sustainable Routes
Sustainable Routes offers grants of up to £1,000 to businesses that want to cut travel costs by adopting new ways of working. Businesses that have been trading for at least two years and have a turnover of at least £75,000 can apply.

For more information click here.

LOCAL GREEN FUNDING

Free Green Scheme Energy Savings for Businesses
Eligible to businesses that spend more than £30,000 in fuel costs, this agreement allows businesses to improve their energy efficiency without having to spend the full amount on improvements. 90 per cent of the savings go to pay back the improvements while the remaining 10 per cent go towards the company’s savings. After the agreement has ended (which ranges from 5-10 years) the company receives the full amount in energy savings.

For more information click here.

Chicester District Council Grants and Concessions
The Chicester District Council’s Grants and Concessions scheme was launched on September 1 2010. The total sum available for capital grants is £250,000, and the sum available for revenue grants amounts to £29,000.

Businesses must meet a number of criteria to receive funding including promoting active and integrated communities to further develop cohesion, particularly in the rural areas, by maintaining and enhancing the environment and facilities.

For more information click here.

Low-Carbon Workspaces Grant

Low Carbon Workspaces is offering up to £5,000 to SMEs to reduce energy usage by providing a match funded grant to participants. The grant is to be applied to the installation of energy saving solutions such as solid wall insulation, and waste heat recovery systems. Grants are open to SMEs across the South East of England (excluding London) for projects costing £13,000 or more.

For more information click here.

Low Carbon Plus (LC+)

Low Carbon Plus is a financial programme of financial assistance and business support for private investment and growth in low carbon enterprises, to increase efficiency and grow businesses in the low carbon and environmental goods and services sector. Grants are awarded a maximum of £20,000 to SMEs across Kent and Medway, and will be assessed for anticipated growth and additional job potential.

For more information click here.

Eco Innovation Programme

The Grants for Eco Innovation Programme gives organisations with innovative eco products, services or processes up to £3,000 to promote and expose their products. The grant is available for SMEs with products that are already on in the market or are ready to launch.

Businesses within Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Medway, Milton Keynes, Oxfordshire, Surrey and Sussex are eligible.

For more information click here.

Funding for the South West

Funding for the North West

Funding for the North of England

Funding for the East Midlands

Funding for Scotland

Funding for Northern Ireland

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