Bristol’s small and medium-sized businesses are being urged to take advantage of grants which can make them greener while also saving them money. But they need to hurry as applications for the grants close on June 25.
The Green Business Grant scheme is run by the West of England Combined Authority (WECA), which covers Bristol, South Gloucestershire and Bath & North East Somerset. 
So far just £282,000 of the £1.7m fund has been awarded to 33 businesses. Projects funded included lighting, heating, insulation and glazing.
On average, these businesses are expected to reduce their annual energy bills by £1,700 while also cutting their greenhouse gas emissions by 7 tonnes a year.
Green Business Grants are available up to £15,000 to help small and medium-sized businesses make energy saving improvements to their buildings and business operations.
The grant pays for between 50% to 80% of costs depending on the business size, location and project.
Metro Mayor Dan Norris, who leads WECA, saw for himself the scheme can benefit businesses when he visited a children’s playground equipment firm.
Pentagon Play, which designs and installs high-quality playground equipment for schools and nurseries from its base in Bradley Stoke, is using its £3,000 grant to fit eco-friendly LED lighting with sensors to its building to help save energy.
Mayor Norris, pictured above with Pentagon Play owner and managing director James Collis-Pritchard, and the Pentagon Play team, below, said: “Protecting our planet whilst saving businesses money shouldn’t be complicated, it needs to be child’s play.
“I’m urging businesses across the West of England to answer the call – decisions taken now will determine what sort of world our children and grandchildren inherit.
“Thank you to James and the team for showing me around Pentagon Play’s HQ. I loved the obstacle course and the sturdy wooden mud kitchen. The team was really enthusiastic and clearly proud of their work.”
James Collis-Pritchard added: “Our business focuses on developing learning and play environments for children of today to make the world a better place for the adults of tomorrow.
“We believe we have clear responsibilities to make changes to our practices which support sustainable and green trading.
“As well as our lighting improvements we have also purchased electric vehicles to reduce our emissions and are constantly reviewing our methods and implementing changes to the way operate with the focus on reducing our carbon footprint to zero.”
The grants, which are funded by the WECA’s Recovery Fund and the European Regional Development Fund, are aimed at helping deliver the authority’s Climate Emergency Action Plan and commitment to achieving net zero in the region by 2030.
They are also a key element in helping the region’s businesses recover from the effects of the pandemic by reducing their costs and supporting the low carbon economy.
Businesses interested in a Green Business Grant should click here for an application pack from WECA’s West of England Growth Hub.
