To support and encourage low carbon efficiency in small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) local and county councils have established a grants and support programme which provides match funded grants of up to £10,000. The Low Carbon Across the South East (LoCASE) project will:
- Help cover the cost of energy efficiency measures for any small or medium business
- Enable businesses in the low carbon and environmental goods and services (LCEGS) sectors to expand and develop
As well as helping businesses to become more profitable, competitive and innovative, the project will reduce business-related carbon emissions across the region. It will do this by:
- Providing business support to 1,050 small or medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
- Cutting emissions by 6,510 tonnes of carbon dioxide
- Supporting 67 new businesses
- Introducing 80 new products
- Enabling knowledge transfer with 47 businesses
- Creating 270 jobs in the LCEGS sector
The offer
Grants of between £1,000 and £5,000 are available to spend on parts and installation costs for items including:
- Light-emitting diode (LED) lighting and controls
- Energy-efficient motors, drives and air compressors
- Heat exchangers
- Building improvements
If a business offers low carbon goods or services, grants of between £1,000 and £10,000 are available to be spent on:
- Purchasing equipment and machinery
- Research and development
- Marketing and website development
- Business development consultancy
Eligible area
Businesses in the South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP) region can apply for support from the LoCASE project. This includes:
- Thurrock
- Southend
- Essex
- Kent and Medway
- East Sussex
Who can apply
To be eligible for a grant, businesses must:
- Be considered an SME – employ fewer than 250 people, and have an annual turnover not exceeding €50 million or a balance sheet not exceeding €43 million
- Spend the full value of the LoCASE grant on a project taking place within the SELEP area
- Secure 60% of the costs of the project in cash from private sector sources before the LoCASE grant agreement is concluded
- Not be engaged in a restricted sector according to the state aid regulations and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) requirements – details covered in our eligibility test
- Not have already exceeded the de minimis state aid limit – €200,000 over 3 years – nor be in a position where the de minimis state aid limit would be exceeded were the application to be approved
How to apply
If you are interested in participating in the LoCASE programme contact .
For more information see here
Funding for the LoCASE programme
The LoCASE programme is funded by the European Regional Development Fund 2014-2020. It is a partnership between Kent County Council, East Sussex County Council, Essex County Council, Southend-on-Sea Borough Council, Thurrock Council and the University of Brighton. Essex County Council's Essex Innovation Programme is a partner of the LoCASE programme and can offer mentorship for eligible companies.
The government's Department for Communities and Local Government has authority for management of the European Regional Development Fund programme. The fund was established by the European Commission to help local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects that will support local businesses and create jobs.
