- By Buckinghamshire Business First
- 30 January, 2018
Share by email
Whether you want to up-skill, cut your energy bills, fund a specific project or grow your enterprise, you will find grant funding to help.
Up-skill with a £150 training voucher
The Buckinghamshire Skills Brokerage is a partnership between Buckinghamshire Business First and Adviza that helps charities and businesses identify any areas for improvement within their team or processes, and then delivers a £150 voucher to help deliver training to plug the gaps.
There are 3 steps to take:
- Use the Virtual Adviser® tool to diagnose any areas for improvement
- Follow the guidance of Adviza’s specialist skills advisers on what training solutions are available for you
- Claim a £150 training voucher to use against the cost of the training
Get started with the Virtual Adviser® now. If you have any questions before starting this process, or if you have any queries while completing the Virtual Adviser®, contact our business support team on 01494 927130 or at BusinessSupport@bbf.uk.com.
The Buckinghamshire Skills Brokerage is co-funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) and the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA).
Cut your energy bills or save on green technology
The Low Carbon Workspaces grant programme helps charities and businesses identify ways they can save on their energy bills and helps them invest in green technology like electric vehicles.
Grants of between £1,000-£2,500 are available to organisations in Buckinghamshire. Potential items/projects that can be funded include: electric and plug-in hybrid electric fleet vehicles, fleet management systems, water efficiency measures, waste reduction measures, renewable heat and electricity generating technologies, battery storage systems, double glazing, efficient boilers, LED lighting, wall and ceiling insulation.
Action4 Youth saves on a new boiler thanks to Low Carbon Workspaces
Youth charity Action4Youth replaced an old boiler with a ‘A’ rated 80kW boiler, predicted to save them £1,400 a year,
Action4Youth runs the Caldecotte Experience, an outdoor centre where young people can undertake outdoor experience. The venue includes an accommodation block with sleeping quarters, a kitchen and dining facilities. The boiler in this accommodation was installed approximately 15 years ago and broke down in early 2017, and with the charity using electric heaters in the interim, a new efficient boiler was required as a long-term solution.
Low Carbon Workspaces provided a £4,000 grant for an ‘A’ rated floor standing 80kW boiler to be installed, something that is estimated to save £1,400, 17 tonnes of CO2e, and 95,000 kWh of natural gas per year. New thermostatic controls were also installed, bringing estimated savings of £1,200 a year.
Contact the team to find out if you are eligible for a grant. Call 01494 927150 or email info@lowcarbonworkspaces.co.uk.
Grants for community projects
The LEADER Programme funds rural-based community projects, as well as a wide range of business projects, throughout the Chilterns, Aylesbury Vale, and rural Milton Keynes.
LEADER has six priority areas for funding:
- Support for Cultural and Heritage Activity
- Support for Rural Tourism
- Support for provision of Rural Services
- Support for Increased Farm Productivity
- Support for Micro and Small Enterprises and Farm Diversification
- Support for Increasing Forestry Productivity
If you want more information on whether your project is eligible for LEADER funding, contact the team on 01494 927167 or at leader@ngagesolutions.co.uk.
Grow your social enterprise with support or funding
The Growth Programme supports social enterprises and businesses to grow with a £1,000 grant or tailored support including face-to-face meetings.
Charities are not eligible for the Growth Programme, but social enterprise are, as long as they can demonstrate that more than 50% of their income is generated by selling goods and services.
You could apply for a £1,000 grant to help fund investment in a specific project that will help deliver growth…
OR
You could receive tailored support from our team of experienced advisers. Through the following services, your dedicated adviser can assist you to plan and implement your growth strategy:
- Face to face meetings, telephone and email backup
- Growth-focused workshops
- Investment readiness support
- Referrals to other specialist advice and services
Call us on 01494 927130 to find out more, or book a chat here.
The Growth Programme is part funded by European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and therefore eligibility criteria apply.
M&S Energy Fund
The M&S Energy Community Energy Fund 2017 offered community groups the chance to win a slice of £300,000 in grants to install renewable technology and energy efficiency measures.
The fund will be back in 2018 and will be looking for more amazing projects to support across the UK.
