LoCASE grant funding for IT and more

This is your last chance to fund your business’s carbon reduction using a LoCASE grant. Did you know, in addition to providing funding to SMEs for energy-efficiency upgrades to their operations, LoCASE grants can also fund business growth in the low carbon and environmental goods and/or services sector?

This could include funding for marketing, consultancy, equipment, IT software, product/process development and green credentials certification.

Why use LoCASE grant funding in Surrey now

Some of the uses of the LoCASE grant can be to fund software, hardware and cloud projects.
It can enable SMEs to reduce their carbon footprint even when they’re under pressure due to financial challenges. Carbon reduction may be something on your wish list but not a priority right now. The thing is, reducing your carbon footprint might be obligatory for your business sooner rather than later and doing it with a grant might actually save you money … numerous SMEs are already having to report on their carbon footprint and many more will find themselves needing to do this if they supply larger companies.

But hurry – you need to take advantage of this before LoCASE ends this April … talk to us about how it can help with your IT projects.

LoCASE grant explained

The Low Carbon Across the South and East (LoCASE) programme is supported by the European Regional Development Fund to provide a free business support programme in the South and East.

LoCASE provides grants for SMEs from £1,000 – £20,000, up to 40% of eligible costs, based on CO2e savings and additionality of projects. There are two grants offered:

1. Greening grant to implement energy-efficiency measures.
2. Business Development grant for SMEs providing green product or services.

Free courses and events
LoCASE also provides targeted business support for companies who offer “green” or low carbon goods and services, including free courses, training workshops, an environmental training scheme and fully-funded events. For example, free courses include environment management and Carbon Net Zero. View the remaining available courses and book here.

Greening grant for energy-efficiency projects

Types of projects supported include:

You might have read about one of our clients recently – Ashtead Engineering – who installed LED lighting in their business using a LoCASE grant and they also have recently added solar panels.

Business Development grant

SMEs can apply for a Business Development grant to help with projects in areas like Low Carbon and Renewable Energy, Economy/Environmental Goods, Services. For example, for green products or services such as plumbing, electrical, waste, landscaping, environmental management and assessment, architecture and water processing.

Types of project supported by the Business Development grant include:

SMEs which supply larger businesses

You may know that in 2023 more public companies will be required to report on their carbon emissions by financial regulators. Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR) is a mandatory UK government framework under which all large UK companies and large LLPs, as well as all quoted companies, must report on their annual energy use, greenhouse gas emissions and energy-efficiency actions they have taken.

If you are an SME supplying these larger companies, they will be looking to their supply chain partners, including you, to reduce carbon emissions too, in order to help them achieve their targets.

Who is eligible for a LoCASE grant?

SMEs, social enterprise and charities who sell products or services and are based and trading in Surrey can apply to LoCASE.

Your business must have:

under 250 employees
an annual turnover of less than €50million (approximately £44million)
an annual balance sheet under €43million (approximately £39million)
received less than €200,000 (approximately £160,000) in State Aid, if applicable.

Note: If another firm owns more than a quarter of your company or you own more than a quarter in another firm, they must meet the above criteria.