£3000 grants for eco innovators in the South East
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2nd April 2014
Organisations based in the South East of England that have a innovative eco product, service or process ready to launch – or that is already in the market – can now apply to the ‘Grants for Eco Innovation’ scheme for up to £3,000 to help promote it.
Idea
The Grants for Eco Innovation programme is managed by Buckinghamshire-based Ngage Solutions Ltd and is designed to help businesses push their products into the wider market, and help them grow. Ngage Solutions project manager Luke Faulkner elaborates: “Grants for Eco Innovation adds to and complements existing business support programmes, with the currently available support aimed at businesses working on a concept, researching an idea or building a prototype. Grants for Eco Innovation offers support either in starting the business or growing an existing business.”
What defines eco innovation?
Recycling, reducing waste and sustainable practices were at one time new concepts for businesses, but nowadays these are common practices. Businesses have started to take advantage of this and build business models around these concepts, leading to eco innovations.
For the purposes of this grant, ‘eco’ has been defined as anything that will positively impact the environment, which means that a product will need either a green USP, to have the environment as its main focus from the beginning, or to look at reducing water usage, waste or CO2.
With regards to ‘innovation’, products or services need to be new inventions or those that develop and improve existing products. If products or services meet both of these guidelines they can be considered eco innovations and could qualify for a grant. Examples of eco innovations include a washing machine which has been designed to reduce water usage, leading to less waste water, and a paint brush with a bamboo handle and recycled material for the bristles.
“SMEs taking strategic decisions to develop products and services that have carbon reduction as a key driver are breaking into new markets and showing growth in a slow moving economy,” says Luke. “We’ve seen growth in the low carbon manufacturing sector outstripping almost every other sector of the economy; the eco innovation grant is there to keep this growth coming at a time when the UK needs to push forward and establish its position as a key player in the growth of the global green economy.”
Eligibility
To be eligible businesses need to:
be an SME based in the South East of England covering Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Medway, Milton Keynes, Oxfordshire, Surrey and Sussex
have an eco innovative product, service or process ready to launch or already in the market.
How it works
Luke Faulkner explains: “This is a simple process which helps us award businesses as much funding as possible. SMEs can register and apply online, and if their application is judged successful by an independent panel funding will be awarded and applicants can implement the actions detailed in their application. We will catch up with businesses six months later to see how the grant has helped them. I am on hand at all times to help businesses through this process, and I welcome all enquiries a business may have.”
The Grants for Eco Innovation programme is managed by Buckinghamshire-based Ngage Solutions Ltd and is designed to help businesses push their products into the wider market, and help them grow. Ngage Solutions project manager Luke Faulkner elaborates: “Grants for Eco Innovation adds to and complements existing business support programmes, with the currently available support aimed at businesses working on a concept, researching an idea or building a prototype. Grants for Eco Innovation offers support either in starting the business or growing an existing business.”
The new Grants for Eco Innovation website, launched at the beginning of March, provides all of the key information regarding the grant, and gives SMEs access to the online application form.
What defines eco innovation?
Recycling, reducing waste and sustainable practices were at one time new concepts for businesses, but nowadays these are common practices. Businesses have started to take advantage of this and build business models around these concepts, leading to eco innovations.
For the purposes of this grant, ‘eco’ has been defined as anything that will positively impact the environment, which means that a product will need either a green USP, to have the environment as its main focus from the beginning, or to look at reducing water usage, waste or CO2.
With regards to ‘innovation’, products or services need to be new inventions or those that develop and improve existing products. If products or services meet both of these guidelines they can be considered eco innovations and could qualify for a grant. Examples of eco innovations include a washing machine which has been designed to reduce water usage, leading to less waste water, and a paint brush with a bamboo handle and recycled material for the bristles.
“SMEs taking strategic decisions to develop products and services that have carbon reduction as a key driver are breaking into new markets and showing growth in a slow moving economy,” says Luke. “We’ve seen growth in the low carbon manufacturing sector outstripping almost every other sector of the economy; the eco innovation grant is there to keep this growth coming at a time when the UK needs to push forward and establish its position as a key player in the growth of the global green economy.”
Eligibility
To be eligible businesses need to:
be an SME based in the South East of England covering Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Medway, Milton Keynes, Oxfordshire, Surrey and Sussex
have an eco innovative product, service or process ready to launch or already in the market.
How it works
Luke Faulkner explains: “This is a simple process which helps us award businesses as much funding as possible. SMEs can register and apply online, and if their application is judged successful by an independent panel funding will be awarded and applicants can implement the actions detailed in their application. We will catch up with businesses six months later to see how the grant has helped them. I am on hand at all times to help businesses through this process, and I welcome all enquiries a business may have.”
Ngage Solutions is a not-for-profit organisation which provides a number of solutions to SMEs through grant-giving and business support programmes, and has previously provided services such as the Business Link contract. The Grants for Eco Innovation scheme is a newly launched programme with funds coming from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
