These support schemes and networks are available across the UK:

• Apprenticeships – explore the different funding opportunities available to support you when hiring apprentices.
• 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
• Electric vehicle chargepoint and infrastructure grant guidance provides information on grants to help with the costs of purchase and installation for businesses, commercial and residential landlords, and in residential carparks and on-street parking
• 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. 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 (apply before 31 March 2026)
• 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:

• The Boiler Upgrade Scheme gives £7,500 grants towards the cost of an air source heat pump or a ground source heat pump (including water source heat pumps and those on shared ground loops), or £5,000 towards a 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
• Climate Springboard: Edinburgh Climate Change Institute runs a free online programme for Scottish businesses approximately every six weeks. Open to any SME, the programme helps companies to reduce their carbon emissions
• 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
• 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
• 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 – Business Energy Scotland offers interest-free loans from £1,000 to £100,000 to pay for energy efficiency and carbon reducing upgrades – up to £30,000 can be provided as a grant if installing eligible equipment
• 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:

• The Boiler Upgrade Scheme gives £7,500 grants towards the cost of an air source heat pump or a ground source heat pump (including water source heat pumps and those on shared ground loops), or £5,000 towards a 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
• 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:

• Central Bedfordshire Scholarship and Grant Programme: businesses based in Central Bedfordshire can apply for fully funded scholarship places on a variety of Cranfield University’s prestigious courses for business leaders. Participants who attend will then have the opportunity to apply for grant funding to implement their business growth and decarbonisation plans.
• East Suffolk UK Shared Prosperity Fund aims to provide small grants to local SME businesses to become more environmentally sustainable and energy efficiency grants.
• Net Zero Business Advisor Service – free advice for Suffolk-based businesses is provided by a team of expert and impartial advisors. Support matches the business needs and covers everything from carbon reduction plans to accessing funding, and is highlighted alongside Suffolk County Council’s Climate Change Commerical Ask.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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
• Visit Peak District and Derbyshire has links to grants from local authorities and UK Shared Prosperity Fund Business 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
• Brent Business Climate Charter – as part of the Brent Business Climate Charter, participating organisations can gain 6 month’s free access to Climate Essentials’ online tool to measure your energy usage and carbon emissions (first come first served).
• 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.
• 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.
  • 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:

• 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
• 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
• EMphasis3 CO2 Reductions Project gives SMEs up to 36% in matching funds to improve energy efficiency and commercialise green products
• 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
• Greentech South’s Low Carbon Solent gives free business support from postgraduate students at the universities of Portsmouth and Winchester
• Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF) offers micro or small businesses (less than 50 employees and annual turnover under £8.5 million) in the rural areas of Tandridge, Guildford & Waverley can apply for a Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF) grant. The minimum grant is £2,500 and the maximum grant is £50,000. Grants are up to 50% of the project costs. The programme is financed by Defra as part of the levelling up agenda via the district and borough councils. The objectives of the grants are to support rural development, jobs, growth and community enterprise.
• Test Valley Rural Net Zero Business Support programme: Test Valley Borough Council has been awarded funding from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF). The IncuHive Group Ltd have partnered with net zero experts Accelar to deliver the Rural Net Zero Business Support programme which is specifically intended for businesses seeking to implement greener solutions aimed at reducing their carbon footprint and improving their energy efficiencies. Grants can be used for capital investment, for example LED lighting, renewable energy systems, low carbon measures and energy efficient machinery. The maximum grant value is £3,750 and doesn’t need to be match funded, so can be used to completely cover a project of up to £3,750, or can be put towards the cost of a more expensive project.

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
• Forest Business Climate Charter provides an opportunity for Forest of Dean businesses to take action on the climate emergency, learn strategies to reduce emissions, and get information on funding and grants.
• 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
• Prosper Business Support offers businesses in East Devon, Mid Devon and Exeter specialised support with an experienced business advisor and carbon auditing from a profession carbon accountant to measure the impact of your business, and provide tailored advice on how to reduce your carbon footprint.
• 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
• Wiltshire towns small business energy efficiency: fully funded business energy efficiency surveys for SMEs in a qualifying towns to help SMEs in 22 towns across Wiltshire to decarbonise and save money.
• 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
• Business Energy Advice Service (BEAS) is offering 4000 free energy assessments to small businesses across the West Midlands, including Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall and Wolverhampton, as well as Worcestershire and the Marches, Warwickshire and Stoke and Staffordshire. The assessments will provide recommendations for energy reduction, helping to reduce costs.
• 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
• Net Zero Worcestershire support and grants – Worcestershire County Council offers free assessments and gran funding to help businesses save energy and reduce carbon and develop low carbon technologies
• Sustainability West Midlands offers support and funding sustainable business on their regional hub
• West Midlands Innovation Programme provides targeted support to SMEs to access more national innovation funding
• Worcestershire Decarbonisation Portal Worcestershire County Council has partnered with Climate Essentials to offer free access to their carbon management platform for one year, alongside onboarding sessions to help get your Worcestershire organisation started.

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

• 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.
• 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.
• UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) in North Yorkshire – North Yorkshire has been allocated £16.9million to spend on programmes and projects through UK Shared Prosperity Fund as well as £5.4million from Rural England Prosperity Fund.
• UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) in South Yorkshire – If your business is based in Sheffield, contact Sheffield City Council’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund Low Carbon Project. If your business is based in Barnsley, contact Enterprising Barnsley. If you are based in Doncaster, contact Business Doncaster (phone: 01302 735555 email: info@businessdoncaster.com). If your business is based in Rotherham, contact Rotherham Investment and Development Office (phone: 01709 331111 email: info@rotherham.gov.uk).