Did you know that all businesses will need to have their Net Zero strategy in place by 2030, cutting carbon emissions by half, with an aim to be Net Zero by 2050? If not, then find out what you need to be doing ASAP!
There is local funding via LoCASE to help you achieve your Net Zero goals, but it finishes in April 2023, and LoCASE grant applications should be made as soon as possible, so you need to act now!
What can you do to get your strategy in place now?
As a business owner, you need to take responsibility for your carbon emissions and start acting to reduce them now, because 2030 is not actually that far away!
There are lots of ways you can do this as a small business, for example:
- Insulate your building
- Minimise the waste from your products and packaging
- Switch to LED bulbs
- Adjust heating and cooling system timings, temperatures and rooms
- Install a smart meter
- Talk to your suppliers about reducing carbon footprint
- Electrify your business vehicles
- Install your own renewable electricity or heating (e.g. solar panels)
- Offset the carbon you can’t reduce
- Encourage cycling to work
Please note, while all the above are ways to reduce your carbon footprint, not all of these recommendations would be eligible for grant funding (see below).
There is funding help to do all this!
You’ll be pleased to know there is lots of available help, advice and also funding – if you’re quick!
The Low Carbon Across the South and East (LoCASE) programme is supported by the European Regional Development Fund to provide a free business support programme in the South East.
The aim is to help your business to become more competitive and profitable while protecting the environment and encouraging low carbon solutions.
To do this, LoCASE provides grants for businesses of up to £10,000, as well as training workshops and fully funded events. Targeted business support is also on offer for companies who offer “green” or low carbon goods and services.
Applications are reviewed on a case by case basis and in addition, according to LoCASE: “There is an opportunity to secure up to £20,000 if your project is seen to meet certain criteria. To achieve this, the project must have extremely high environmental and/or social value merit, display significant innovation in terms of Net Zero transition and/or display the capability to create and/or safeguard jobs.”
LoCASE is being delivered until Spring 2023 across the South East.
What is the LoCASE grant?
The grant will form up to 40% of the cost of your eligible project, with the remainder matched by your business:
Any business can use this money toward having energy efficiency measures installed for their business. The grant can contribute to both the cost of materials or equipment and any installation. Projects which save on fuel/mileage are also acceptable.
Are you eligible for it?
You just have to meet the following criteria:
- You must be a small or medium enterprise (SME). This includes:
- Employing 250 (FTE) employees or less
- Having an annual turnover of £44M or less and an annual balance sheet of £38M or less
- If another firm owns more than a quarter of your company, they must meet the above criteria
- Your organisation must not have received more than £200,000 of state aid in the last three years.
ALSO – If your business offers low carbon (or “green”) goods or services, a business development grant is also available to you. You can claim against costs such as marketing, consultancy, equipment, IT software, product/process development, accreditation and certification.
If you aren’t sure if your business would fit, contact LoCASE and they’ll be happy to help.
To register for the loCASE grant, go here: https://locase.co.uk/register/
Find out more via the LoCASE website: https://locase.co.uk
