Organisations have until 27 May 2016 to apply for a share of £1.3m to improve the resource efficiency of Worcestershire businesses and help preserve and protect the environment.
Grants of £500,000 and above are available to promote ecosystem services, protect and restore biodiversity, soil, protected areas and blue waterway and green corridors. The call for funding will also promote innovative technologies that improve environmental protection and resource efficiency, for example, technologies in the waste and water sector, with regards to soil, or to reduce air pollution.
The call for funding will particularly focus on:
- Supporting businesses to adopt new innovative technologies for managing and re-using energy, materials, water and waste (including recycling)
- Supporting businesses to pilot and promote the take up of new innovative technologies
- Enabling business growth by enhancing natural capital including quality of soils and water
- Ensuring green practices and promoting environmental sustainability for the Gamechanger and other key employment sites and transport corridors.
Applicants will be assessed in two stages, the outline and full application stages with the deadline for the initial stage application being 27 May 2016.
The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) is part of the England 2014-2020 European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme (ESIF) which launched in March 2015. This call for funding is one of three separate ERDF currently available to Worcestershire businesses and organisations with the other two focusing on Small and Medium –sized Enterprises Business Support and Information and Communication Technology.
Gary Woodman, Executive Director of the Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership (WLEP), said: “I would encourage local businesses and organisations to apply for this latest round of funding which promotes resource efficiency and enhances the fantastic environment we enjoy in Worcestershire.
“The environment and resource efficiency funding will promote innovation and benefit the ecological impact of our local businesses and our green and blue corridors. I would urge any interested parties to apply for this call for funding before the 27 May 2016 deadline.”
For further information on European Structural and Investment Funds and to download the outline application form, visit www.gov.uk/european-growth-funding and for a direct link, visit gov.uk website. Information on all three funds currently open is available via Twitter @WorcsLEP and via www.wlep.co.uk Worcestershire.Business.Central. can also provide support and business advice, which includes funding opportunities available within the County.