Worcestershire Growth Hub
Worcestershire Business Central brings all aspects of business support into one place, making it clear and simple for businesses to access and find the help they need.
With access to a helpline, website, and one-to- one sector focused support, we can offer free support and guidance at any stage of your business life-cycle.
Innovate UK Business Growth
Innovate UK Business Growth provide a range of services to help ambitious, innovative SMEs scale and grow through:
- Exploiting innovation: By protecting and harnessing IP, improving innovation management and connecting to the innovation ecosystem globally. In addition to Sector Innovation Leads at Innovate UK, they have strong relationships with ecosystem players including Catapults, Laboratories, KTN, the investor community and universities
- Entering new markets
- Sourcing funding and finance
Funding
Grants and support are available to Worcestershire SMEs on a broad range of sustainability issues. We’ve listed just a few of these below:
BEEP – Business Energy Efficiency Programme: supports eligible businesses to become more environmentally friendly, and in doing so, save money on energy costs. The support on offer is twofold – firstly to assess your business premises, products and processes to see what improvements can be made with energy usage and secondly, to provide grants of up to £20,000 (up to 40% of the total cost of the project) to implement the recommendations from the assessment and make your business more energy efficient.
Climate Innovation Platform (CIP): The University of Birmingham, in partnership with the Energy Systems Catapult, is looking for businesses committed to driving energy technology innovation to join the CIP. Supported by HSBC UK and part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), CIP offers businesses a package of tailored support to drive the commercialisation of innovative energy products and services.
Decarbonisation Reviews: Free specialist decarbonisation support to help identify where emission reductions could be achieved across your business considering energy, waste, transport and products and services.
GrowAgri: GrowAgri is an innovative new project that offers support for businesses by encouraging growth and diversification into new markets through a combination of mentoring, seminars and one-to-one advice. Aiming to support businesses operating both outside and within the agri-tech, agri-food and related sectors to encourage business growth, increased productivity, introduction of new products, processes and services and diversification into new markets.
LoCOP – Low Carbon Opportunities Programme: LoCOP offers free renewable energy or low carbon innovation assessments and grants to SMEs to adopt renewable energy, with free feasibility support followed by grants to install a renewable energy system. Other SMEs will be helped to innovate and grow in, or diversify into, the low carbon sector. We want to help businesses working in the clean tech innovation sector or those who are developing low carbon solutions alongside their existing business activities. Our expert support can help you to work out the next steps for your product, process or service development. Grants are then available for projects. LoCOP also offers networking and events.
Natural Networks Programme: The Natural Networks Programme aims to create a natural network of wildlife-rich habitats across Worcestershire that will enhance the quality of our blue and green infrastructure. It offers grants and advice to projects which aim to create or restore wildlife-rich habitats. The programme offers professional Biodiversity surveys carried out by the Worcestershire Wildlife Trust who will assess your project site and make recommendations on how to create or enhance your land to maximise habitats for wildlife.