Free specialist support to help Worcestershire SMEs and organisations identify where existing energy consumption can be reduced and energy efficiency improved. Assistance can vary from a short telephone consultation to more in-depth decarbonisation reviews.
To help easily monitor your carbon emissions, organisations can gain access to the Worcestershire Decarbonisation Portal, a web-based application that enables you to collate and analyse your organisation’s energy, transport, waste, and supply chain emissions, making climate action easy and engaging.
To further help you achieve your business’s sustainability goals, £1,000 to £10,000 in grant funding is available to implement energy-saving initiatives including LED lighting, heating and insulation and renewables.
Benefits to your business
With increasing pressures from clients and supply chains to make a change, along with rising energy costs, now is the time to begin your decarbonisation journey.
At the end of the assessment, your business should:
- gain a better understanding of your carbon emissions
- have an outline of where cost savings can be made
- get a clearer idea of your challenges and opportunities
- receive expert advice on your best steps forward
- be in a better position to put goals in place
The level of support available
Telephone consultation
Providing up to 2 hours of support and advice.
Desktop decarbonisation support (4 to 6 hours)
A specialist will complete a desktop review and provide a summary of the support/ advice.
Decarbonisation review (7 plus hours)
A specialist will visit your premises to carry out the review. For this level of support, your business or organisation must have a minimum energy spend of £5,000.
Extended decarbonisation support (7 plus hours)
This level of assistance supports more complex and specialist decarbonisation projects that require feasibility, specification and project management or decarbonisation reviews of large sites.
Am I eligible?
To receive support through the programme, businesses/organisations must be:
- operating within Worcestershire and have a Worcestershire business address
- for the 7 plus hours Decarbonisation Reviews: A minimum annual energy spend of £5,000
And either:
- an organisation responsible for a community building*
Or :
- a small/ medium size enterprise* including limited businesses
- a sole trader or partnership
- trading over 12 months
- below the Subsidy Control threshold of £315,000 over the previous three years, including the value of the support
*A community building is a building with the primary objective to improve the area, neighbourhood, and/ or community and its social welfare and recreation (it can include village halls, community halls, places of worship and youth centres but excludes schools.)
*The definition of an SME is as follows:
- has fewer than 250 employees
- has either (a) an annual turnover not exceeding €50 million or (b) an annual balance sheet total not exceeding €43 million
- 25% or more of the capital or the voting rights are not owned by one enterprise, or jointly by several enterprises falling outside this definition of an SME
- does not own more than 25% of the capital or voting rights in an enterprise falling outside of this definition of SME
Excluded sectors not eligible for support include:
- Primary agriculture
- Schools
- Public sector funded organisations (unless parish or town councils)
How to apply
Registering for the programme is simple, all you need to do is follow these steps:
- submit an expression of interest via email to netzero@worcestershire.gov.uk
- you will then receive a unique link to the online application portal via email and instructions on how to complete your application
- a member of the team will be in touch to let you know the outcome of your application or if further details are needed
How this project is funded
This project is part-funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, Bromsgrove District Council, Malvern Hills District Council, Redditch Borough Council, Worcester City Council, Wychavon District Council and Wyre Forest District Council and Worcestershire County Council.
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is a central pillar of the UK government’s Levelling Up agenda and provides £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills. For more information, visit UK shared prosperity find prospects.
What clients say
Changing to LED lighting, programming machinery more effectively and investing in an electricity sub-meter are among some of the changes Vision Labs implemented after receiving a fully funded Decarbonisation review.
Watch the video to learn more:
