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ENERGY AND WASTE SUPPORT FOR YOUR BUSINESS
Looking to improve you r resource efficiency?
We can hel p.
Renaissance House, Centre Park, Warrington, WA1 1QN Tel: +44 (0) 1925 400 100 Fax: +44 (0) 1925 400 400 www.nwda.co.uk February 2010
Printed on Revive 100% Uncoated, sourced entirely from post consumer waste
NWDA k1-22
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IMPROVING YOUR RESOURCE EFFICIENCY If you’re looking to improve and grow your business, making better use all of your resources is essential. Each year businesses lose 2%* of profit through inefficient management of energy, water and waste. As the UK tackles the wider agenda on climate change and moves towards a low carbon, resource-efficient economy, minimising waste and reducing energy and water use offers significant opportunities for your business. These include the chance to reduce costs, differentiate against competitors and develop new markets, as well as providing insurance against uncertainty in the supply of materials and price volatility in global markets. The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) offers a range of support to help the region’s businesses take advantage of these opportunities. This booklet explains the specific support we provide, all of which can be accessed through Business Link Northwest, an NWDA service providing businesses with access to all public and private sector business advice and support. Our assistance forms part of Solutions for Business, a suite of publicly funded business support designed to help companies start and grow.
SUPPORT AT A GLANCE Embedding resource efficiency
Grant for improving your resource efficiency
Free, independent advice that identifies practical ways to save your business money by reducing use of raw materials, energy and water.
Financial support for capital investment projects that contribute to reduced CO2 emissions, reduced water and material use and other environmental benefits.
Help with waste, recycling and buying recycled
Helping you eco-innovate
Access to networks and workshops that put you in touch with waste companies and suppliers of recycled products and services.
Specialist support to help you enter and exploit the market for sustainable, low-carbon products and services.
Installing renewable energy technology
Specialist support for construction businesses
Specific support to help with the installation of renewable energy technology within your business.
Expert advice to help construction companies secure new contracts with demanding sustainability requirements.
* DEFRA resource efficiency research report, October 2007
Since 2003, NWDA-fund ed resource efficiency in itiatives hav e helped 5,200 North west compa nies identify : £80m efficie ncy savings 270,000 ton nes CO2 red uctions 3.5m m3 wa ter savings 2.9m tonnes materials sa vings.
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EMBEDDING RESOURCE EFFICIENCY
HELP WITH WASTE, RECYCLING AND BUYING RECYCLED
What is it?
How to access
What is it?
Free, specialist advice to help cut bills and save money through reductions in energy, water and material use. This is achieved by reviewing the full life cycle of the businesses activities including design and specification, process efficiency and maximising the value of residual waste.
Upon contacting Business Link Northwest, an initial telephone assessment of your needs will be carried out. You will then be put in touch with a specialist adviser.
Free support to help you access recycled products and services. Includes advice on how and where to find suppliers of sustainable goods, services and environmental technologies; how you can increase the recycled content of your products; and assistance with waste and reprocessing. You can also become a member of the Buy Recycled Code providing access to a purchasing framework, events and members’ forum to help you embed buying recycled into your procurement policies and to source substitute recycled products.
Checklist
This service also offers support to minimise environmental risk by adapting your business for climate change and preparing for compliance with forthcoming environmental regulations and tendering requirements.
• • •
Support is tailored depending on the business and includes: • an on-site audit (ranging from half a day up to 3 days) which reviews your activities and provides an action plan of recommendations identifying opportunities to manage risk or make savings • access to bespoke software to record, track, prioritise and report your cost and environmental savings • staff training, knowledge transfer, workshops, networking events • an electronic update service on environmental news relevant to your business • compressed air leak detection, energy monitoring and thermal imaging • ongoing assistance to implement improvements.
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Who is it for? All businesses in the Northwest are eligible. More intensive support is available for businesses with more potential to save (i.e. those where greater cost savings and CO2 savings are possible) and for those in the priority sectors of food and drink, advanced flexible materials, chemicals, aerospace and automotive.
•
Are you looking to lower your energy costs? Do you want to save money on your water bills? Are you keen to reduce your material and packaging usage? Do you need to get ready for new environmental regulations? Are you looking for help with meeting environmental criteria in tenders?
CASE STUDY Advanced Composites Group is a leading international manufacturer of pre-pregnated plastic materials. The company was keen to make savings on their overhead costs and received support to improve the energy efficiency of their compressed air and heating systems. “The support was very good in that we were able to have people come to the company, and undertake a site survey. They advised us where the key areas were and then carried out the testing that needed to be done to prove that the cost savings were actually there” Tony Hankinson, Operations Manager, Advanced Composites Group, Manchester
The support includes: • assistance with identifying local providers • waste contract / tender support • distribution of tender opportunities • meet the buyer events • focused workshops to address waste issues.
Who is it for? All businesses in the Northwest are eligible. Some aspects of this service are only eligible to businesses with a minimum waste/recycling contract value of £100,000 per annum.
Checklist • • •
Do you want to source local suppliers of environmental technologies and services? Do you want help to procure recycled products and materials? Are you looking to procure regional recycling and waste services?
CASE STUDY Birse Civils was the first civil engineering company to sign up to the Buy Recycled Code. It is consistently proactive in search of continuous improvement relating to its own sustainability and to meet the exacting environmental demands of clients. "The use of recycled materials, and our relationship with the service provider, has been instrumental to winning many awards, specifically where the use of recycled materials is associated with reduced site traffic and therefore diminished disruption to the local area. We have found the use of recycled materials to be a cost effective option, translating into lower costs to our customers." Dave Lowiss, Regional Managing Director, Birse Civils Limited - North West region
How to access Business Link Northwest will carry out an initial telephone assessment of your needs and put you in touch with a specialist adviser.
To access any of these products and services and confirm your eligibility contact:
Business Link Northwest
0845 00 66 888 businesslink.gov.uk/northwest
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INSTALLING RENEWABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGY
GRANT FOR IMPROVING YOUR RESOURCE EFFICIENCY Checklist
What is it?
How to access
What is it?
Free advice and support to help businesses seeking to install renewable technologies to save money and reduce carbon emissions.
Business Link Northwest will carry out an initial telephone assessment of your needs and put you in touch with a specialist adviser to discuss your specific technology needs.
Financial support for businesses undertaking capital investment projects, which will contribute to reducing CO2 emissions and generate wider environmental benefits in the region. They are discretionary and usually take the form of a grant.
•
The maximum level of support available is 50% of the total project cost up to a maximum of €200,000.
•
The service provides free, confidential advice and technical support (up to a maximum of £10,000 consultancy) on the following:
Checklist •
• identifying the best renewable energy technology for your needs (onshore wind, solar, photovoltaic, heat pumps, biomass or anaerobic digestion) • finance and funding • achieving planning consent • connecting to the electricity network.
Who is it for?
• • • •
Do you want to secure your future energy needs and control your energy costs? Do you need help identifying the most suitable renewable energy technology for your needs? Do you want help to secure finance or funding for your installation? Is your renewable energy installation being delayed by the planning process? Would you value advice on how to connect renewable energy to the grid?
All businesses in the Northwest seeking to install renewable technologies are eligible.
• •
•
Does your project demonstrate significant energy savings? Does your project demonstrate significant water, material or waste savings? Does the project involve a minimum capital spend of £20,000? Can you demonstrate that the project cannot proceed without a grant? Does your project involve capital investment on fixed assets?
Who is it for? Any small to medium-sized business in the Northwest seeking to reduce their carbon footprint can apply. Businesses must have been unable to access funding through the Carbon Trust interest free loans scheme. If your project is in one of the region’s key industry sectors it is more likely to be supported. The sectors include: • • • • • •
Advanced Manufacturing Biomedical Business and Professional Services Digital and Creative Industries Energy and Environmental Technologies Food and Drink.
How to access Contact Business Link Northwest in the first instance who will advise on the viability of your proposed project. You will need to complete an online application form and provide supporting information such as a current business plan, full project costs and why the grant is required.
CASE STUDY Impregnation Ltd is a casting recovery service provider specialising in porosity sealing. The grant they received will enable the company to consolidate two existing production lines into a single, more efficient line that processes more products. Carbon savings will amount to 550 tonnes over 20 years. “The grant has given us the opportunity to improve our process capability and in doing so reduce the running costs to our business and our environmental impact. The new process line will increase capacity whilst using fewer resources. We’re hopeful that the planned efficiencies will give us the competitive edge required to grow our business and bring more employment to the area.” Justin Benson, Managing Director, Impregnation Ltd, Lancashire
To access any of these products and services contact:
Business Link Northwest
0845 00 66 888 businesslink.gov.uk/northwest The Solaris Centre, Blackpool - A zero carbon building
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HELPING YOU ECO-INNOVATE
SPECIALIST SUPPORT FOR CONSTRUCTION BUSINESSES
What is it?
How to access
What is it?
Who is it for?
Tailored support to help businesses exploit the market for sustainable products and low-carbon solutions. This is achieved by developing new products and services or innovating existing ones.
Upon contacting Business Link Northwest, an initial telephone assessment of your needs will be undertaken following which you will be put in touch with a specialist adviser.
Specialist advice and support to help small and medium-sized construction businesses become more productive and efficient, whilst reducing their costs and environmental impact.
Small or medium-sized construction businesses in the Northwest.
How to access
Up to three days of personalised business support and advice is provided to help develop innovative construction and refurbishment services and secure new contracts, particularly from the public sector with demanding sustainability requirements. The support includes on-site visits, desk research and free access to workshops.
Business Link Northwest will carry out an initial telephone assessment of your needs and put you in touch with a specialist adviser. When requesting a specialist site visit you will need to demonstrate your commitment to adopt a sustainable approach to design and construction through recycling, waste management and carbon reduction.
Support includes specialist one-to-one advice on the development of new products, processes and services including low carbon technology and services, product design enabling recycling and re-use, and low or zero waste products. The level of support will vary depending on the needs of the business, but may range from one or two days consultancy, up to six months of placement of a graduate consultant to help develop a specific project adopting an eco-innovative approach. Companies can be provided with a combination of support, for example: • how to identify and select new products and processes • evaluation and validation of new products and processes • design, development and testing methodologies • planning and management • setting up new research and development programmes or collaborations • development of a new design or manufacturing process and • new venture creation and incubation.
Who is it for? Any small to medium-sized business in the Northwest is eligible. It is important that the business can demonstrate a commitment to exploit the opportunities which a growing global market for environmental products and services has to offer.
Checklist • • •
•
Do you want free advice to help you re-design or develop a new product or service? Could your existing products be used in an environmental context? Would you benefit commercially from access to a dedicated company mentor or graduate placement? Do you have a strong new business idea but need help with research and development?
CASE STUDY EnviroSystems developed a new applicator to apply microbial silage inoculants allowing customers to apply it in a fine mist, rather than larger droplets. They were confident that it would be of significant business and environmental benefit but needed to gain a greater understanding of how the bacteria contained in the inoculants behaved. Information gained through the support was essential to the company and has proved effective in their marketing and information provision. “The help and technical support we received has been pivotal in achieving quality and consistency of product. We know we can go forward with confidence now.” Liz Russell, Managing Director, EnviroSystems, Lancashire
Companies are offered specialist advice regarding: • innovative products and processes that are the ‘best in class’ • information on what construction clients and large firms are looking for when procuring and how to respond effectively • ways to reduce waste to landfill and carbon emissions • access to university knowledge of applied research and development • evaluation, key performance indicators and benchmarking, kitemarks and awards.
Checklist •
• •
•
Are you a construction company that wants to adopt sustainable approaches, especially to win new work? Would you benefit from knowing about the opportunities from sustainable construction? Do you want advice on how to embed recycling, waste management and carbon reduction into your specifications of building designs and construction? Do you want specialist support to help you develop new, more eco-friendly construction services?
CASE STUDY McGoff & Byrne Ltd attended a workshop to understand procurement frameworks and how best to apply in order to win more contracts. “Through the advice that we received we have gained entry onto the client’s construction framework and rated amongst the highest scores within all submissions. This is the first success since we revamped the submissions including the ISO accreditations and focusing on the message of local SMEs adding better value.” Dave McGoff, Managing Director, McGoff & Byrne Ltd, Cheshire
To access any of these products and services contact:
Business Link Northwest
0845 00 66 888 businesslink.gov.uk/northwest
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OUR ROLE IN SUPPORTING BUSINESS
SUMMARY OF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES BY COMPANY SIZE Pre-Start
The NWDA works to build the competitiveness of our region’s Businesses, Places and People - the vital ingredients of economic success. We provide effective business support to help companies weather the economic downturn and emerge stronger. We support a number of programmes to offer practical support which help businesses
To access finance:
To improve management skills:
By providing a range of grants, loans and equity finance.
By providing a range of support to improve workforce skills and grow leadership expertise.
In the last financial year the NWDA has provided over £23million to help the region’s businesses to start up, grow and expand.
In the last financial year the Agency supported 2,000 businesses to improve their leadership skills.
To increase innovation and resource efficiency:
To trade Internationally:
By providing specialist advice to help companies reduce their carbon footprint, develop and introduce innovative products and process and increase their profitability.
By providing specific advice to help companies break into new international markets and increase sales. In the last financial year Agency support helped Northwest companies increase their international trade by £52million.
Since 2003 the NWDA has supported over 5,200 companies to identify cost savings of over £80million through resource efficiency support
Business Finance Access to Finance Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme Small Loans for Business Grant for Business Investment Venture Capital and Loan Fund Northwest Business Angels
Innovation and Efficiency Innovation Advice and Guidance Innovation Vouchers Knowledge to Innovate Grant for Research and Development Improving Your Resource Efficiency • Embedding resource efficiency • Help with waste, recycling and buying recycled • Installing renewable energy technology • Grant for improving your resource efficiency • Helping you eco-innovate • Specialist support for construction businesses Knowledge Transfer Partnerships Manufacturing Advisory Service
Advice for New and High Growth Business Starting a Business Intensive Start Up Support Enterprise Coaching High Growth Programme
International Trade
To set up and grow:
Developing Your International Trade Potential Accessing International Markets Export Credit Guarantee
By providing advice and support to help new and growing businesses start up and achieve their potential.
Training and Development
In the last financial year the Agency helped over 5,800 businesses to set up. To access any of these products and services contact:
Business Link Northwest
0845 00 66 888 businesslink.gov.uk/northwest
Skills Brokerage Service Apprenticeships Train to Gain – People Development Train to Gain – Leadership and Management Advisory Service Mentoring Leading Enterprise and Development (LEAD)
Sector Development Sector Development
SME
Large firm
(up to 249 employees)
(250+ employees)