About The Low Carbon Opportunities Programme – Innovation
The innovation strand of LOCOP, can support your businesses to develop and commercialise low carbon technologies and services, which will help others to be green.
This ERDF funded support helps businesses to investigate, advance, protect and commercialise low carbon business ideas.
Firstly 12 hours of free business advice from a Low Carbon Innovation Advisor provides bespoke support that can help consider markets, funding streams, IPR protection, technical collaborations and tackle barriers.
Grants from £2,000 to £30,000 (up to 40% of total project costs) are available to help fund activities and costs needed to further develop a low carbon innovation project.
For more information please contact the team on 01905 677 888 or email info@business-central.co.uk.
If you are looking for support to improve energy efficiency or generate renewable energy in your own business, please visit our Clean Growth pages.
How can this programme help your business?
A free low carbon innovation assist will highlight grant funded opportunities up to a maximum of £30,000 including
Equipment and materials
Intellectual Property Protection
Prototyping, demonstrations and testing
Accreditations
Research and assessment
Marketing activities
If you are looking for support to improve energy efficiency or generate renewable energy in your own business, please visit our Clean Growth pages.
Is your business eligible?
Based in and trading from Worcestershire or Shropshire (grant only)
With fewer than 250 employees
Turnover less than the equivalent of 50 million Euros per annum or a balance sheet of less than 43 million Euros
GRANTS
Grants of up to £30,000 are available for the costs of eligible projects up to 40% of total eligible project costs.
For the Low Carbon Innovation funding in Worcestershire and Shropshire you will be able to apply for both revenue and capital funding to further develop your innovative low carbon product or service and take it to the next stage.
The following types of projects can be funded, but the list is not exhaustive:
- Low carbon product, process or service development
- Commercialisation or implementation costs
- Market research and assessment
- IPR protection
- Accreditations
- Prototyping, demonstration or testing of new products
- Manufacturing scale up or market rollout
In some cases, there will be different funding options. LOCOP innovation projects cannot be double funded through public funding. The assist will help you consider the options.
Grant applications are subject to evaluation which will consider factors such as potential carbon savings, how innovative the project is and its commercial potential.
CRITERIA
To qualify, your business must:
-Be situated in and trading from Worcestershire or Shropshire (grant only)
-Employ fewer than 250 employees.
-Have a turnover of less than the equivalent of 50 million Euros per annum or a balance sheet of less than 43 million Euros.
Other eligibility criteria can apply and please note some industries such as primary agriculture are not eligible. Other activities excluded are social welfare, education, banking, insurance and some retail.
Your business must be developing an innovative low carbon product or service.
For more information please contact the team on 01905 677 888 or email info@business-central.co.uk.
Low Carbon Opportunities Programme-
This project is receiving up to £1,624,328.00 of funding from the England European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020. The Department for Communities and Local Government (and in London the intermediate body Greater London Authority) is the Managing Authority for European Regional Development Fund.
Established by the European Union, the European Regional Development Fund helps local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support innovation, businesses, create jobs and local community regenerations. For more information visit https://www.gov.uk/european-growth-funding.
DOWNLOAD THE LOCOP REGISTRATION ASSESSMENT FORM
Find out more about the Low Carbon Opportunities Programme
Our Open for Business programmes are here to help get you started.