Introduction
Somerset Council is committed to tackling climate change and is working towards a carbon neutral Somerset by 2030. We are asking everyone who runs a business in Somerset to consider ways in which their business can help tackle climate change.
Learn about our Somerset Green Business Support Scheme, find tools for calculating your organisation’s carbon footprint, guidance for improving energy efficiency, funding opportunities and other useful resources.
Somerset ‘Go Green’ Scheme and Green Business Grants Round 3
The ‘Go Green Scheme’ and the ‘Somerset Green Business Grant Scheme’ offer practical help and financial support to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions. The schemes are available to Somerset based businesses with up to 250 employees.
This scheme is delivered by the Net Zero specialist consultancy Balanced Energy. It helps eligible micro, small and medium sized enterprises to understand their energy consumption and shows how this can be reduced. A Go Green Scheme audit will enable businesses to apply to Somerset Green Business Grant Scheme.
The Somerset Green Business Grant scheme offers between £2,500 and £25,000 as a contribution of 50% to total eligible project costs, with the remainder funded by the applicant. Grants can only be used for ‘capital’ investments.
The grant scheme provides funding to businesses to increase energy efficiencies and reduce energy costs, decarbonise business practice, process, and supply chains.
Examples of eligible activity include, but are not limited to:
- LED lighting and lighting controls
- Boilers, heating plant, equipment, batteries (power generation)
- Heating or cooling controls
- Specialist energy efficient equipment (for example, manufacturing tools)
- Increased energy efficient equipment (for example, refrigeration)
- Heat recovery systems
- Solar installations, wind turbine, heat pumps
- Electric vehicle infrastructure (for example, batteries, forklifts, lifting machinery)
- Smart energy monitoring systems
We are unable to fund electric vehicle charging points, staff costs, electric vehicles, or installations to, or which benefit, domestic properties.
This application round will close on 9 August 2024.
The Go Green Scheme and Green Business Grant Schemes are funded from the Local Growth Fund and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. You will be expected to fulfil all the steps below.
How to apply
Step one – Eligibility Check
To understand if you will be eligible for the Green Grant Scheme, check through the eligibility check. You will be required to supply evidence of this.
Green Business Grant
If you do not have a plan, register for a free energy audit at step two.
Step two – Sustainability audit
The Go Green Scheme provides an opportunity for SME’s to understand their energy consumption and see how this can be reduced. It will explain the costs and benefits, even if a business does not intend to apply for a grant but chooses to fund the improvements because of the predicted cost savings.
Since its launch in October 2023, there has been good uptake of the Go Green scheme meaning that there is a limited amount of free support available to develop individual, costed and prioritised sustainability plans.
Register for the ‘Go Green’ free energy audit on the Go Green Scheme website.
Step three – Green grant scheme
The grant application process is in two stages. The initial Eligibility Check (above) followed by a full application with supporting evidence, including an independent energy audit and sustainability plan which should detail a carbon or energy baseline and actions to reduce carbon emissions.
The grants of between £2,500 and £25,000 are to take forward ‘capital’ investments which reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions as recommended in an independently verified sustainability plan. The grant will fund up to 50% of eligible ‘capital’ project costs, with the remainder funded by the applicant.
To achieve the highest possible score, it’s crucial that you thoroughly read the guidance document for assistance with the application form. Make sure to complete all sections of the form and submit all requested documents.