Latest News | 17 March 2021
New £2m scheme to help Derbyshire firms go green launched
A new £2 million scheme designed to help small and medium-sized businesses across Derbyshire to go green has been launched.
At a virtual event hosted by East Midlands Chamber yesterday, Derbyshire County Council and the University of Derby launched the Green Entrepreneurs Scheme.
The scheme is designed to help support green economic recovery across the county.
It aims to encourage firms to develop and invest in green energy and carbon reduction schemes.
Councillor Barry Lewis, leader of the county council, who spoke at the virtual event, said: “We’re championing business innovation and want Derbyshire to become a leader in the field in the development of green energy as part of our bold ambition to cut the council’s carbon emissions to net zero by 2032 and that of the Derbyshire economy by 2050.”
Professor Kathryn Mitchell, vice-chancellor at the University of Derby, said: “The long-term recovery of our county’s economy from the impact of the pandemic depends greatly on sustainability.”
Through the scheme, businesses will be able to apply for grants delivered through three separate funds.
The Green Entrepreneurs Demonstrator Fund is a £1.2 million pot set aside for a small number of high-quality projects from entrepreneurs wanting to establish green, alternative energy or low carbon initiatives in Derbyshire to provide community heat and power schemes.
The minimum grant available through this fund would be £100,000.
The £500,000 Green Entrepreneurs Small Grant Fund provides grants of £10,000 to £20,000 for new and existing businesses with game-changing proposals in alternative energy, clean fuel and carbon reduction.
And the Green Entrepreneurs Scholarship Fund is a £100,000 training fund to support individuals to retrain with skills to enable them to enter the field of alternative energy.
The programme, which is being funded through the county council’s Covid Recovery Fund, is being set up in collaboration with the University of Derby.
Small and medium sized businesses in Derbyshire with up to 250 staff and micro-business with up to 10 staff are invited to apply for the grants, which will be awarded by the Green Entrepreneurs Fund Programme Board.
Councillor Lewis said: “We believe there is a unique opportunity to bring greater benefits to local communities and the local economic conditions to create high quality jobs driven by utilising the local skills base in engineering and manufacturing.
“We’re excited to be able to offer businesses the financial support needed to help turn their ideas into reality, through game changing proposals that help to tackle climate change and impact positively on the way we all live in the future both in Derbyshire and further afield.”
Councillor Tony King, cabinet member for clean growth and regeneration, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for local businesses to apply for grants designed to kick-start the county’s carbon reduction and alternative energy agenda and boost the local economy in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.”
Professor Mitchell said: “The low carbon economy has been growing steadily for some time, with the number of businesses in the East Midlands that provide pro-environmental goods and services doubling over the last five years.
“Increasingly, academic research is also showing that companies putting environmental sustainability at the heart of their operations are more successful and more likely to survive.
“The University of Derby is helping to drive forward programmes, such as the Low Carbon Business Network and DE-Carbonise, which help SME businesses in a range of different sectors across our region to adopt these principles.
“We are delighted to be a partner in this new initiative, which presents an opportunity for businesses of all kinds to build back greener in Derbyshire.”
To find out more about the scheme please click here.
