Green companies in Coventry & Warwickshire urged to bid for Green Bridge funds

COMPANIES operating in Coventry and Warwickshire’s green economy have been the recipients of more than £500,000 in business support.

The money, awarded through the Green Bridge Supply Chain Programme, has helped to create 64 jobs and safeguard a further 10.

The £500,000 is part of the £7.5m grant awarded to the West Midlands from the European Regional Development Fund.

The Green Bridge programme has awarded grants to businesses that specialise in renewable energy, low carbon, building technologies, manufacturing, transport or logistics.

In Coventry and Warwickshire, a total of £522,850 has been allocated to help SMEs expand or diversify into green business initiatives.

Richard Seager, Business Development Manager at WMG, University of Warwick, who is part of the Green Bridge Investment Board that decides which projects to fund, said there had been five rounds of funding for businesses to submit their applications for funding.

“Renewable energy sources and energy efficiency measures is a growth area in business and the Green Bridge Supply Chain Programme has been a worthwhile scheme,” he said.

“It is great that SMEs throughout Coventry and Warwickshire have benefited from the programme to help them develop.”

The grants have been used by the various businesses to help purchase new equipment, move into new premises or expand their current base, develop new ideas, expand into new markets or provide courses to improve the skills of their staff.

“The Green Bridge Supply Chain Programme has the sole aim of helping environmentally-minded companies to expand or to give a helping hand to businesses that would like to diversify into this sector,” added Seager.

Round seven of the funding is now open, with grants of up to £1m available.

The Green Bridge Supply Chain Programme is run by Birmingham City Council alongside Local Enterprise Partnerships in Coventry and Warwickshire, Greater Birmingham and Solihull, Black Country, Staffordshire and Stoke, The Marches and Worcestershire as well as the Greater Birmingham Chamber Group and the region’s universities.

More details and application forms are available from www.birmingham.gov.uk/greenbridge