Small and medium-sized enterprises in Trafford have been invited to apply for a new Energy Efficiency Grant to support delivery of energy efficiency improvement projects.

A grant of up to £5,000 is on offer from Green Economy, who have been commissioned by Greater Manchester Combined Authority to deliver business support programmes funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund Levelling Up project, in order to support the local ambition to be a net zero city-region by 2038.

Alasdair Dalzel-Job, technical lead at Green Economy, said: “We have seen time and again that the key barrier to net zero for businesses is accessing cashflow and capital investment to take those ‘nice to do projects’ to the top of their to do list.

“This grant presents a real opportunity for businesses in Trafford to prioritise energy efficiency improvements in 2024.

“We have delivered a number of grants for businesses over the years, awarding over £1 million since 2018, which has helped businesses to save £2.3 million in overheads, with annual carbon savings of 5,773.63 carbon tonnes.”

The Energy Efficiency grant is available to small and medium enterprises based in Trafford, providing 50 per cent of the cost to deliver projects worth up to £5,000.

Eligible projects include heating equipment upgrades, replacement motors, process efficiency investments, and lighting efficiency.

To qualify for the grant, projects must specify the scale of CO2e savings expected from the project.

Trafford manufacturer saves £15,781 on energy bills each year with energy efficient installations

Anderton Board and Packaging supply board and packaging to a range of sectors including furniture manufacturers and food and beverage suppliers from their factory on Trafford Park.

The business has received fully-funded support from Green Economy’s Sustainability and Net Zero consultants over the years.

They have been awarded two grants, the first to install new, energy-efficient LED lighting and heating units, and latterly to install a high-speed roller shutter door, replacing the existing door which was open for around two hours per day, and contributing to significant heat loss.

This has saved the company £15,781 on energy bills each year.

Richard Gregg, managing director at Anderton Board and Packaging, said: “Without that financial support, we would have struggled to get those investments off the ground because of the difficult economic climate.

“Thanks to the grant, we were able to reduce our running costs and carbon footprint.

“In addition, our advisor helped us to find a suitable local supplier for the upgrades.

“The new roller door increases our premises’ energy efficiency and we saw a return on investment within six months.”

Eligible businesses can find out more about the grant and the application process by visiting Green Economy's website.