Low-Carbon Support for Businesses
This grid details available national and regional support and funding for low-carbon business activity.
National Business Support & Funding
Category Description
Smart Export Guarantee (SEG). A Government backed initiative that requires some (SEG licenced) electricity suppliers to pay small-scale generators (SEG generators) for low-carbon electricity exported to back to the National Grid.
Your energy supplier may be obliged to offer a tariff and make payments to you as you export energy to the National Grid.
Green Gas Support Scheme. New anaerobic digestion biomethane plants receive financial incentives to increase the proportion of green gas in the gas grid.
Energy
Registered participants receive quarterly payments based on the amount of biomethane inputted to the gas grid
Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS). Provides capital grant to support building decarbonisation. Grants are available for the installation of heat pumps and depending on circumstance, biomass boilers.
Timelines & Eligibility
Eligibility: Businesses that have installed a renewable electricity generating technology under 5MW (such as Solar PV, wind, anaerobic digestion) and up to 50kW for micro CHP and grid exporting potential.
More information
See more on the Smart Export Guarantee here.
Business rates relief on Renewable Energy Technology. Targeted business rates exemptions for onsite renewable energy generation and storage.
Timeline: Closes November 2025.
Eligibility: Must be a plant producing biomethane via anaerobic digestion, which is injected into the grid.
Timeline: Ends April 2025.
Eligibility: The grant is available for some non-domestic buildings and homes in England and Wales.
Eligibility: Business in England, investing in eligible green plant and machinery. This includes technologies such as solar panels, battery technology and heat pumps.
See more information on the Green Gas Scheme and apply here. .
See more here.
See more here.
Category Description
Green heat network fund. 3 year, £288 million capital grant fund supporting commercialisation and construction of new low and zero carbon heat networks and the retrofitting and expansion of existing heat networks.
Timelines & Eligibility
The GHNF main scheme Round 4 is open to applications until 24 February 2023. There will be a series of quarterly application rounds until the scheme closes in 2025.
GHNF is open to organisations in the public or private sectors in England.
More information
See more here
Tax and Capital Allowance. Businesses can benefit from tax and enhanced capital allowances from purchasing cars of certain emissions standards.
Transport
Plug-in grants. You may be eligible for a discount on the price of brand new lowemission vehicles through a grant to dealerships.
Eligibility: Any business that has bought or uses a car. For the tax advantages, see here.
For capital allowances on cars and the associated emission standards, see here.
Workplace Charging Scheme. Support on the up-front costs of the purchase and installation of charging points through vouchers. Maximum grant of £350 per socket and total value of up to £14,000.
Timeline: Van and truck grants extended to April 2024. Car grants have ended.
Eligibility: To qualify, you need to purchase an approved low-emission vehicle.
Eligibility: Must be registered with Companies House or have a VAT registration. Workplaces must be able to provide private parking for staff or fleet use only.
Find out more here.
See more here, along with guidance for applicants, installers and manufacturers.
Category Description
Transport
The Mode Shift Revenue Support scheme. Grant funding to cover the additional operating costs incurred by companies, if they choose to transport freight by rail and water.
Timelines & Eligibility
From early 2022, the scheme will open up funding to other businesses, including SMEs, small accommodation businesses, owners of commercial let premises at more.
Timeline: Runs until 31 March 2025.
Eligibility: The business must distribute freight.
More information
Transport
The Energy Savings Trust. Fleet advice for public and private sector businesses. Fleet support could save your fleet up to £300,000 and 250 tonnes of carbon annually. Access a Green Fleet Review, which provides advice on vehicle choice, fuel economy, fleet management and staff engagement. This review can extend to air quality, low-emission vehicles and HGV fleets (grey fleet).
Eligibility: Energy Savings Trust advises to contact fleetadvice@est.org.uk.
Find out more here.
Waste and Resources
More information on the scheme can be found here.
There is other information relating to funding and advice on their website here. SmartGo. Provides access to discounts and incentives to encourage low-carbon workplace travel. This includes offers on car hire, electric vehicles, cycling, bus and more.
Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP). Support through a range of grants, loans and investments to encourage the move towards a more circular economy. This includes support on the use of recycled materials, growing recycling capacity, waste and resources efficiency etc.
Eligibility: Any business. Find out more about the scheme here.
Eligibility: Varies by scheme, see the next column. Find out more about grants, loans and investment here.
Category Description
Timelines & Eligibility
More information
View WRAP services here.
Other Funding Opportunities & Support
Innovate UK Edge. A range of innovation funding (not limited to low-carbon) is available through the Innovate UK Edge website. Their innovation and growth programmes aim to drive innovation, source funding and finance and open up new markets for businesses.
Various National and Regional Funding Opportunities. Sustainability West Midlands provide frequent updates on various funding opportunities.
UK Research and Innovation Funding Finder. A range of funding is available on innovation and research supporting environmental sustainability. This site collates available funding from a range of different funders. Funding is updated frequently.
Eligibility: Innovation driven SMEs in the UK. Specific eligibility is dependent on individual funding schemes.
See more here.
Eligibility: Varies by scheme, see the next column. See all listed funding here.
West Midlands SME Grant Programme- The grant is for start-up SMEs based in the West Midlands Region (grants of £2,500 to £7,500 are available) or existing SMEs based in the West Midlands region (Grants of £5,000 to £10,000 are available).
Eligibility: Varies by scheme, see the next column. See funding here.
Eligibility: Businesses from all sectors are eligible for consideration, except for: charities, those of a political or religious persuasion, activities involving pornography or clairvoyance and any business activity that is illegal.
See more eligibility requirements here
Net Zero Grant Programme- The Net Zero Grant Programme (NZGP) aims to provide information and expert advice and support to businesses enabling them to make significant changes to resource and energy efficiencies in their business. This Programme is part of the wider West Midlands Business Support activity funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
Eligibility: Excluded activities are charities, those of a political or religious persuasion, activities involving pornography or clairvoyance and any business activity that is illegal or deemed as unsuitable for public support by Birmingham City Council.
See more details here.
Regional Business Support & Funding Description
Staffordshire Business and Environment Network (SBEN). Range of support on offer including:
• The low carbon business evolution programme which enables businesses to reduce their carbon footprint and increase energy efficiency.
• Environmental sustainability growth mapper which is a free diagnostic tool.
• Smart energy monitor funding.
Clean Air Zone (CAZ) Support. Birmingham City Council created brumbreathes, a website which details updated guidance, support and information on the CAZ.
Modeshift STARS Travel Planning. Free travel plan support through an online tool. Organisations have experienced many benefits for the workforce, including staff support, healthier lifestyles, and savings. Additionally, organisations can use the scheme to support Corporate Social Responsibility objectives and obtain Modeshift STARS accreditation.
Eligibility: Varies, see next column. See more here.
Low Carbon SME. Free support and advice from energy efficiency experts to SMEs. This includes a free energy audit and matching funds of up to £12,250 for energy saving equipment or new business processes. Collaborative and workshop activities are included.
Eligibility: Varies, see next column. See more here.
Eligibility: Free for organisations in the West Midlands. Find out more about Modeshift STARS here.
For support with the scheme or to find out more contact connected@birmingham.gov.uk
Further guidance and support on sustainable travel can be found here.
Eligibility: SMEs in the Black Country, Birmingham and Solihull area. Find out more here.
Description
ATETA. Free support for SMEs on clean energy innovation. This covers energy storage, industrial heat technology, cooling, transport, energy from waste and many more.
Various National and Regional Funding Opportunities. Sustainability West Midlands provide frequent updates on various funding opportunities on environmental sustainability practice.
Birmingham and Solihull Industrial Symbiosis Project (BASIS). Free consulting on business waste to be used by other businesses as a resource to generate revenue. This includes maximising waste and resources efficiency.
Alternative Raw Materials with Low Impact (ARLI). Free support for SMEs on increasing energy, waste and resource efficiency across products and processes. This can result in cost savings for businesses through identifying waste streams and other materials that can be reformed as high value products for various industries.
Smarterials Programme. A regional support on materials use and innovation, aiming to promote functional materials.
Climate Innovation Platform (CIP). This scheme aims to drive energy technology innovation through offering a package of support to encourage innovative energy products and service commercialisation. The scheme aims to support 100 SMEs over a four-year programme.
Energy and Bioproduct Research Institute (EBRI). EBRI supports businesses on the circular economy, energy, innovation and by providing free sustainability health checks. The scheme has supported over 300 SMEs so far.
Timeline & Eligibility
Eligibility: SMEs involved in clean energy innovation. Email ateta@contacts.bham.ac.uk to find out more.
More information
See more here.
Eligibility: Varies by scheme, see the next column. See all listed funding here.
Eligibility: SMEs in the Greater Birmingham and Solihull area. See more here.
Eligibility: Any SME in the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBS LEP) area. For more information contact ARLI@contacts.bham.ac.uk
Eligibility: SMEs. Contact smarterials@aston.ac.uk for more information.
See more here.
Find out more here.
Eligibility: SMEs with innovative energy products and services. Find out more here.
Eligibility: SMEs. Check individual schemes. See more here