The green grant

Neil McManus, owner of telecoms provider GHM Communications, won a business grant of £1,000 from Sustainable Routes, an environmentally-friendly project that helps businesses in reduce the cost of business travel.

Where did you find out about the business grant?

I discovered the grant through Business Link and after looking at the Sustainable Routes website realised that as we are a business with a social conscience it would be a good thing to apply for.

How do you apply for the Sustainable Routes grant?

The process is simple; I initially filled in a simple form on the Sustainable Routes website, after which they sent me a form to complete highlighting what we were trying to achieve. I sent it back to them with an efficiency plan and how that would save money. They then approved it and we received the grant funds.

Were there any specific criteria in regards to what you could spend the money on?

It’s got to be something that improves working practices and reduces CO2 emissions. We put the money towards remote working functionality for our staff and bought equipment in house to enable us to use web conferencing. The solution cost a total of around £5,000 but any help is always appreciated.

What are the conditions of the Sustainable Routes grant?

We had to do a travel efficiency plan showing that by implementing this solution it will improve our travel efficiency by X amount. We reviewed our staff travel patterns and measured where we were against where we are now in terms of travel savings. The company must be located in the South East of England and turn over at least £75,000.

What type of business is suited to the Sustainable Routes grant?

Businesses that are looking to improve their carbon footprint and understand that SMEs can make a positive impact on the environment. Grants are a rarity these days but this will both help your business and has green credentials as well.

Further reading:

Ben Lobel

Ben Lobel

Ben Lobel was the editor of SmallBusiness.co.uk from 2010 to 2018. He specialises in writing for start-up and scale-up companies in the areas of finance, marketing and HR.

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