Green business support in the West of England

As small and medium enterprises (SMEs) continue their journey to tackle climate change, there is added pressure of the Government’s target to achieve net zero emissions before 2050. While many businesses understand the importance of their role in this journey, many remain aware of the business support available to them.

In this blog, we outline the potential grants that are available to businesses in the West of England to help reduce your greenhouse gas emissions as well as cut your utility costs.

(Businesses in the West of England: trading address in the Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol or South Gloucestershire local authority areas).

Overview of green business support

Green Business Grants

These grants are to assist the purchase and installation of new products and equipment that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, cut utility costs and improve energy efficiency.

More information can be found here.

• You can apply for grants ranging from £500 to £15,000
• The grant covers 30% to 60% of eligible costs for purchase and installation
• The specific grant amount depends on the items being purchased
• A total of £2million is available up to March 2025, with grants awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.

Rooftop Solar Grants

Encourages small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and registered charities to embrace sustainable practices by installing solar panels on their larger commercial and industrial roofs. These installations can be on warehouses, factories, or larger office buildings.

Project Requirements:

The generation capacity of the solar project must be at least 50 kWp DC within a single array.

The inverter output should be a minimum of 40 kW AC.

• You can apply for a grant of up to 30% of eligible capital costs for the purchase and installation of solar PV panels
• The minimum grant request is £15,000, and the maximum is £50,000
• 70% match funding from the business is required
• A total of £500,000 is allocated, and you must register by Friday 3 May to receive an application pack
• Grants will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.

Heat Pump Grants

Grants available to replace old, inefficient heating systems with air-to-water, ground-to-water or water-to-water heat pumps.

• You can apply for a grant of up to 60% towards eligible capital costs of purchase and installation of air-to-water, ground-to-water or water-to-water heat pumps
• £198,000 is available and grants will be on a first come, first served basis
• Minimum grant request is £500 and maximum is £30,000

More information

In all cases, your grant application must be supported by an independent carbon assessment of your business. If you don’t have one already, the West of England Growth Hub will carry out a Carbon Survey for free. You can find more information here. For queries, please either email or call 0117 332 1520.