These support schemes and networks are available across the UK:

• BEIS Industrial Energy Efficiency Accelerator provides funds for companies willing to implement low carbon technology
• Business rates relief – some businesses in England are eligible for a reduction in their business rates bill. This is called ‘business rates relief’. The rules for business rates relief are different if your property is in Scotland, your property is in Wales or your property is in Northern Ireland.
• Capital allowances – businesses who are eligible can fully expense their plant and machinery costs and access 50% first-year allowances for special rate expenditure from April 2023 until 31 March 2026
• Clean Growth Fund invests in early stage UK companies seeking investment capital for low carbon activities
• Energy Bills Discount Scheme runs for 12 months from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024. The baseline discount provides some support with energy bills for eligible non-domestic customers and is applied automatically. The Energy and Trade Intensive Industries (ETII) discount provides a higher level of support to businesses and organisations in eligible sectors – you need to apply for this support. Eligible organisations will have 90 days from 26 April 2023 to apply for the higher support. New organisations or newly eligible organisations will have 90 days to apply from the date at which they become eligible.
• Energy Saving Trust’s ‘Transport for funding for businesses and local authorities’ for information on low carbon transport grants and loans available in the UK and Scotland
• Gigabit vouchers give up to £1,500 for homes and £3,500 for businesses to install high speed internet in rural areas
• Green Economy allows SMEs to buy and sell low carbon products and services to other businesses
• Green Skills Bootcamps are part of the Government’s Lifetime Skills Guarantee. They are designed to provide industry relevant training and sector-based skills for eligible individuals or those who are self-employed. Employers can use the list of Skills Bootcamps training providers to find local colleges and providers to work with.
• Industrial Energy Transformation Fund gives matching funds to businesses with high energy use from industrial processes matching funds – up to £30M for feasibility studies, efficiency measures and decarbonisation deployment. Phase 1 and 2 are completed, and IETF Phase 3 is planned for launch in early 2024. For queries about the IETF for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, contact IETF@beis.gov.uk. For queries about the Scottish Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (SIETF), contact IETF@gov.scot
• VAT will no longer be charged from 2022 to 2027 on some domestic energy saving measures in England, Scotland and Wales. Eligible measures include insulation, heat pumps, solar panels, wind turbines and more. In Northern Ireland, the list of qualifying goods and rate of VAT due on installations will remain unchanged. The Northern Ireland Executive will receive a Barnett share of the value of the relief until it can be introduced UK-wide.
• Workplace Charging Scheme gives businesses up to £350 per socket (up to a total of 40) to install electric vehicle chargepoints
• Wrap supports a voluntary agreement on food waste – the Courtauld Commitment 2030 – which enables collaborative action across the entire UK food chain to deliver farm-to-fork reductions in food waste, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and water stress that will help the UK food and drink sector achieve global environmental goals

You can also search GOV.UK’s list of active funds that help businesses become greener, or the UK Research and Innovation’s list of business competitions that award grants for green projects.

You can go to the Federation of Small Businesses or your local chamber for advice.

These support schemes and networks are available in England:

• Boiler Upgrade Scheme gives up to £6,000 for small businesses to install a heat pump or biomass boiler
• Environmental Land Management GOV.UK schemes provide funds for sustainable farming practices and land recovery
• Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) growth hubs provide advice on funding, growth and sustainability in 38 regions across England

These support schemes and networks are available in Northern Ireland:

Invest Northern Ireland offers advice on how to operate more efficiently. Support includes:

• consultancy for energy and waste management strategies and recommendations
• resource matching service to manage waste and reduce costs
• investment funding for energy saving equipment

These support schemes and networks are available in Scotland:

• Business Energy Scotland gives SMEs access to consulting, loans (up to £100,000) and grants (up to £20,000) for energy efficiency and renewable heat measures
• Circular Economy Investment Fund gives SMEs and non-profit organisations matching funds to reduce waste and develop green products
• Domestic charge point funding gives up to £700 toward the installation of an electric vehicle charge point
• eBike loans offer interest-free loans of up to £6,000 for the purchase of an approved electric bike – the repayment period is 4 years
• Electric vehicle (EV) loans gives interest-free loans up to £28,000 to buy a new EV or £10,000 for a motorcycle or scooter – the repayment period is 6 years
• Energy Investment Fund offers loans and investments for commercial and community-based low carbon energy projects
• Find Business Support gives customers an overview of all funding and services offered by public sector organisations across Scotland
• Highland Council Shared Prosperity funding supports these initiatives for SMEs as part of their strategic plan:
  • start-up rate, SME growth and sustainability
  • business development funding & support
  • specialist support for businesses
• Home Energy Scotland offers interest free loans and cashback for energy efficiency and renewable upgrades to a domestic property – maximum loan amount is £32,500 and cashback is £14,000. From Tuesday 27 June 2023, funding for solar PV and energy storage systems will only be available as part of a package together with a heat pump or high heat retention storage heaters. As a result, applications for solar PV and/or energy storage systems only will no longer be eligible.
• NESTRANS Sustainable Travel Scheme gives SMEs and community organizations up to £10,000 in matching funds for sustainable transport initiatives – must be based in Aberdeen or Aberdeenshire
• Private Rented Sector Landlord Loans lets property management businesses borrow up to £15,000 for energy efficiency and £17,000 for renewable systems – interest and fees apply
• Small Business Bonus Scheme provides rates relief to help owners of non-domestic properties, including businesses
• SME Loan Scheme offers interest-free loans from £1,000 to £100,000 to pay for energy efficiency and carbon reducing upgrades – up to £20,000 can be provided as a grant if installing eligible equipment
• Used Electric Vehicle Loan for Business gives interest-free loans up to £20,000 for businesses of all sizes to buy a used electric car, van or moped
• Vehicle retrofits and safe disposal of non-compliant vehicles funds are available from Energy Saving Trust – must be a SME with 9 employees or less and located within 20km of Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen or Dundee
• Zero Waste Scotland also offers free support and advice for businesses, including a free energy assessment and comprehensive report with actions you can take to reduce emissions

These support schemes and networks are available in Wales:

• Boiler Upgrade Scheme gives up to £6,000 for small businesses to install a heat pump or biomass boiler
• Business Wales is a government-funded organisation that offers specialist sustainability support in regional centres
• Caerphilly Enterprise Fund gives up to £2,000 in matching funds to SMEs for property improvements, website costs and more – must be located in Caerphilly County
• Media Cymru Greening the Screen Fund – UK registered SMEs in the film and HETV sectors and suppliers of energy, fuel, transport, production assets, information creation and dissemination can apply for a grant funding request between £75,000 and £250,000 for a 12-24 month project. The funding is to scale-up products, services or processes that will reduce the carbon footprint of the screen industry in the Cardiff Capital Region. Competition is live from 18 September – 1 November 2023.
• The Green Business Loan Scheme is delivered through the Development Bank of Wales. It offers incentivised funding packages to support to businesses in Wales looking to invest in going green. There is also consultancy support offered through Business Wales.
• Carmarthenshire Business Growth & Recovery Grant is funded by the UK Government via the Shared Prosperity Fund. The aim of the grant intervention is to strengthen local entrepreneurial ecosystems and supporting businesses at all stages of their development to start, sustain, grow, and innovate, including through local networks. Grants available between £1000 and £10,000. Grants of up to £50,000 can be considered on a case by case basis for applications which clearly demonstrate innovation, Research and Development and/or future proofing projects linked to the local innovation strategy

These support schemes and networks are available in the East of England:

• Business Energy Efficiency gives enterprise SMEs up to £10,000 in matching funds for energy efficiency improvements, electric vehicles and new machinery – must be located in Suffolk or Norfolk counties
• The Suffolk Business Grant Scheme is funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. This is delivered by Babergh District Council, East Suffolk Council, Ipswich Borough Council, Mid Suffolk District Council and West Suffolk Council. These district councils are looking to provide support to local SME businesses with grants between £5,000 and £10,000, with a maximum grant intervention of 50%. Businesses wishing to apply or for further guidance and support can contact the New Anglia Growth Hub to discuss their project or call: 0300 333 6536.
• West Suffolk grants through the Growth Hub – grants of between £5,000 to £10,000 are being made available to SMEs in West Suffolk through the Growth Hub. The grants, which require businesses to match fund what they are applying for, are available on a first come first served basis and can be used to support businesses in their development, such as through marketing, web design or the purchase of new equipment. They are funded by West Suffolk Council, using part of the money it was allocated from Government under the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF). SMEs can contact the New Anglia Growth Hub at www.newangliagrowthhub.co.uk/contact-us or by phoning 0300 333 6536.

These support schemes and networks are available in East Midlands:

• Green Entrepreneurs Programme has a small grants from £10,000 to £20,000 and a large grant that starts at £100,000 – must be located in Derbyshire County
• Grants4Growth for the South and East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership area, consisting of the 3 districts of Boston, East Lindsey and South Holland, has secured over £2m of UKSPF funding to deliver practical business support to local companies. The Grants4Growth project, launched in early July 2023, will support local businesses to invest in their future awarding both capital and revenue grants to Small & Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) looking to grow.
• University of Derby’s Invest to Grow programme gives grants and loans from £15,000 to £250,000 to B2B companies in the East Midlands that create jobs in different sectors, including low carbon
• Workplace Travel Service Grants give SMEs up to £25,000 for travel improvements such as electric vehicle chargers, showers and bicycle parking – must be located in Nottingham city
• UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) Business Sustainability Grant for North Lincolnshire supports businesses in reducing their energy related overheads whilst also seeking to reduce the regions CO2 emissions as a direct result. Businesses must be based within North Lincolnshire. The maximum grant per business is £5,000 and the minimum grant per business is £500.
• UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and Rural England Prosperity Fund Business Grants in West Lindsey is specifically intended for businesses in West Lindsey aiming to reduce their carbon footprint and improve energy efficiency. Key priorities for this scheme are (1) clean and green productivity; (2) sustainable rural growth and (3) the transition to a circular economy.
• Peak Innovation SME Innovation grant and  is available for small and medium-sized businesses within the High Peak Local Authority area. This targeted support aims to help them undertake new-to-firm innovation; adopt productivity-enhancing, energy efficient and low carbon technologies and techniques; and start or grow their exports. The maximum grant per business is £10,000 and the minimum grant per business is £1,000. A larger grant may be considered in exceptional cases where grant funding is necessary for the project to proceed and deliverables are substantial.
• Staffordshire Moorlands UKSPF funding is available for the Staffordshire Moorlands Local Authority area. Visit their site for information on grants and funding opportunities available as part of the UKSPF funding awarded to the council.
• Derbyshire Dales District Council for SMEs is funded by Government, the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF). It includes business advice, a business start-up programme and rural innovation grants.

These support schemes and networks are available in Greater London:

• Better Futures+ provides up to £1,000 in free business support for London-based businesses with at least two full-time employees and turnover between £100,000 and £43M
• Greater London Fund invests in early stage companies with an average investment of £400,000 to £1M – part of the fund is set aside for companies that reduce waste
• Greater London Investment Fund offers loans from £100,000 to £1M to limited company SMEs – repayment term is 3 to 5 years and interest rates vary
• Heart of the City helps SMEs with the fundamentals of net zero, measuring carbon footprints, setting targets and disclosing progress. They have a free climate action toolkit, and in-depth course that’s free if you have less than 250 based in, or with more than 50% of your operations in the Square Mile, or you’re an SME supplier or tenant of the City of London Corporation
• Climate Essentials for Business – Climate Essentials has partnered with Westminster Council to offer free tools and support to help businesses’ reduce their carbon footprint. The programme includes access to a carbon calculator, a customised reduction strategy, 1:1 support from Climate Essentials’ expert team, and detailed reports outlining emissions and progress. This support is available for Westminster-based businesses with fewer than 250 employees, turnover less than £36m, and a total balance sheet less than £18m.

These support schemes and networks are available in North East England:

• Durham’s North East Business Support Fund gives SMEs up to £3,200 in matching funds for business improvements
• Northumberland’s North East Business Support Fund gives SMEs up to £2,800 in matching funds for business improvements
• North of Tyne Growth Fund gives SMEs up to 30% in matching funds when they plan to invest at least £67,000 in premises improvements and other capital costs. Must be located in Newcastle, North Tyneside or Northumberland.
• Tyne and Wear’s North East Business Support Fund gives SMEs up to £2,800 in matching funds for business improvements
• Newcastle, North Tyneside and Northumberland’s Business Energy Saving Team (BEST) offers free advice, energy efficiency audits and grant support to help SMEs to reduce energy use and costs

These support schemes and networks are available in North West England:

• Chamber Low Carbon gives SMEs free ‘1-2-1’ consulting to improve energy efficiency and develop low carbon products. Must be based in Lancashire.
• Cheshire West’s UKSPF Business Support Programme is funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, supported by Cheshire West and Chester Council and 4 delivery partners. The ‘Let’s Talk Business’ programme aims to support Cheshire West and Chester businesses to increase productivity by creating the conditions for businesses to start-up, scale-up and innovate and building a stronger business base. The UKSPF Business Support Programme is a mix of support activities, 121 guidance and grants for eligible businesses.
• Cumberland Council Rural England Prosperity Funding funds capital projects for small businesses (micro and small). Beneficiaries must be located within the areas covered by the previous Allerdale, Carlisle (excluding Carlisle city) and Copeland Council areas.
• Eco-I North West offers SMEs R&D funding, capital grants and collaboration with universities to help transition to a low carbon economy – must be located in Cumbria, Lancashire, Liverpool City Region, Cheshire & Warrington or Greater Manchester
• GC Business Growth Hub provides fully funded resource efficiency support to SMEs located in Greater Manchester – includes a virtual Journey to Net Zero programme for SMEs that are at an early stage on their path to net zero emissions
• Greater Manchester Combined Authority UKSPF funding has been allocated to:
  • Cost of living support for businesses: £0.5m was allocated to provide support for Greater Manchester businesses dealing with the increased cost of doing business over winter 2022-23.
  • Core business support: £7.5m was allocated by UKSPF Partnership Board and GMCA in March 2023 to commission a core programme of business support for GM’s diverse business base, running from June 2022 to March 2025.
  • Build a Business: £1.4m is proposed to be allocated to fund hyper-local micro-business start-up and development support, similar to that already funded via ERDF.
  • Reducing inequalities: £0.5m is proposed to be allocated to fund experimental business support, enabling a test and learn approach around specific issues affecting Greater Manchester’s businesses. This programme is in the early stages and a Call for Evidence to key stakeholders is underway.

These support schemes and networks are available in South East England:

• East Sussex Council free energy audits and grants gives SMEs up to £10,000 to invest in carbon reduction – must be located in East Sussex
• Energy Efficiency Grants for East Sussex gives SMEs £200 to £1,000 in matching funds to improve energy efficiency – must be located in East Sussex, excluding Brighton and Hove
• EMphasis3 CO2 Reductions Project gives SMEs up to 36% in matching funds to improve energy efficiency and commercialise green products
• Greentech South’s Low Carbon Solent gives free business support from postgraduate students at the universities of Portsmouth and Winchester
• Climate Essentials for Basingstoke and Dean– Basingstoke and Dean council has partnered with Climate Essentials to offer local businesses, charities and social enterprises a year’s worth of one-to-one support to measure their carbon footprints, audit their operations and make realistic plans for reducing their emissions 

These support schemes and networks are available in South West England:

• Clean Growth UK (South West Hub) offers SMEs funding, coaching and grant application support
• Climate Essentials for Business – Climate Essentials has partnered with Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council to offer free tools and support to help 80 businesses reduce their carbon footprint for a year. The programme includes access to a carbon calculator, personalised reduction plan and 1:1 support. It is aimed at SME businesses with up to 80 employees
• Low Carbon Dorset gives SMEs with free technical advice for energy efficiency and renewable energy project ideas – must be located in the Dorset and BCP Council areas
• Low Carbon Devon gives SMEs access to research, business support, free events and fully funded internships – must be located in the Devon area
• Low Carbon Business Support (West of England Combined Authority) provide SMEs and SME charities with free expert advice and guidance as well as capital grants to take action to reduce carbon emissions and energy bills. Sign up for a free Carbon Survey and apply for a Green Business Grant of up to £15,000. Must be located in Bath & North-East Somerset, Bristol and South Gloucestershire
• Somerset Rural Prosperity Grants – applications for the next round of funding begins on 1 April 2024
• Somerset Green Business Grants are available to support Somerset micro and SME businesses – up to 250 employees – to take forward measures to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions. The closing date for full applications is 31 October 2023.
• West of England Green Business Grant gives SMEs up to £15,000 to improve energy efficiency and install solar panels – must be located in Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, North Somerset or South Gloucestershire
• UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) for Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council – the Economic Development team’s Investment Plan sets aside a budget of £2.5 million to support the local business economy in the following areas: start-up and growth, exporting, research and development and innovation, decarbonisation and improving the natural environment, town and district centres, development and promotion of the visitor economy

These support schemes and networks are available in West Midlands:

• Agri-tech Growth and Resources for Innovation (AGRI) gives SMEs free innovation support from experts at local universities – must be located in the Marches region
• Alternative Raw Materials with Low Impact (ARLI) gives free energy efficiency advice and technical support to SMEs in the Greater Birmingham and Solihull areas
• Birmingham & Solihull Industrial Symbiosis Project (BASIS) gives SMEs 12 hours of free consulting to transition waste products into useful resources for other businesses – must be located in the Greater Birmingham and Solihull areas
• Energy & Bioproducts Research Institute (EBRI) gives SMEs expert advice and research support to develop low carbon products and services
• GrowAgri gives SMEs 12 hours of expert support to adapt products for the horticulture and agriculture sectors – must be located in Worcestershire
• Low Carbon Opportunities Programme (LoCOP) – gives SMEs free energy assessments and matching grants up to £100,000 to install renewable energy systems – must be located in Worcestershire
• Low Carbon SMEs gives free energy audits and matching funds up to £12,250 for energy saving equipment or new business processes – must be located in Black Country, Greater Birmingham and Solihull
• Smarterials provides free expertise from Aston University for research and testing in material science
• Sustainability West Midlands in the regional hub for support and funding sustainable business
• West Midlands Innovation Programme provides targeted support to SMEs to access more national innovation funding
• The West Midlands Small to Medium Enterprise (SME) Grant Programme (WMGP) funding is available for:
  • start-up SMEs based in the West Midlands Region (grants of £2,500 to £7,500 are available for Birmingham, Cannock Chase and Solihull based businesses only)
  • existing SMEs based in the West Midlands Region (grants of £5,000 to £100,000 are available for Birmingham, Cannock Chase, Solihull, and Shropshire based businesses)

These support schemes and networks are available in Yorkshire and the Humber:

• Enterprising Barnsley gives information on these approved new UK Shared Prosperity Funding (UKSPF) projects: Business Productivity and Digitisation Grant, Low Carbon Grant Project,  The Launchpad Project (for SME’s that have been trading for less than three years and for micro businesses with 10 staff members or less of any age). You can also find information on the Barnsley Rural & Visitor Economy (capital) Grant Project to support those rural areas that often face specific challenges, specifically lower productivity rates.
• Green Port Hull gives SMEs a minimum of £10,000 to businesses in the low carbon and renewable sectors – must be located in Hull or the East Riding of Yorkshire
• Business support sustainability Free advice, consultancy and grant funding to help SMEs achieve net zero and prepare for the impacts of climate change. SMEs of up to 100 employees in West Yorkshire (Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds, Wakefield) are eligible for this support.