A new £400k green innovation fund has been launched to help Stockport SMEs transform their ideas into reality in the race to net zero.
Businesses, charities and social enterprises in the district can get up to 60% funding towards projects worth £25,000 to help them deliver sustainable products, processes or services.
The grant scheme is managed by Eco-I North West (NW), a £14 million research and development programme which gives SMEs access to a regional knowledge base, cutting-edge research facilities and skills involving six of the region's leading universities - Cumbria, Lancaster, Central Lancashire, Liverpool, Liverpool John Moores and Manchester Metropolitan.
Since its launch two years ago, more than 100 enterprises, including 27 in Greater Manchester, have collaborated with universities to test their ideas which could help solve global challenges such as water supply and quality, waste, energy, resource efficiency, natural capital, air quality, and food security.
Amongst them is Fibrestar Drums, based in Stockport, the UK's largest manufacturer of fibre drums and products for the chemical, pharmaceutical, food, and automotive industries.
Colin Pardoe, Managing Director, said: "For the last two years we have been innovating to produce Europe's first conical and nestable 100% fibre (kraft) container primarily for the agricultural sector which is edible by livestock with no waste, as well as having 66% less CO2 than a plastic pail and helping soil enrichment which also acts as a carbon sink.
"Working with Lancaster University through the Eco-I NW programme we are driving that innovation forward to explore how we can apply our product to other materials for applications in other sectors. It is an exciting opportunity to access world-class academic expertise and facilities for innovation and develop solutions which will have a lasting impact on the environment, while supporting the growth of the business."
These new grants will accelerate these low carbon innovations from research to commercialisation by match funding prototypes, pilots and demonstration systems.
Andy Pickard, Manager of the Centre for Global Eco-Innovation, which delivers the Eco-I NW programme, said: "Eco-I NW opens up such a huge academic regional resource to SMEs. It offers the opportunity for the North West to create an ecosystem which accelerates our transition to a low carbon economy. This is a scheme, which should allow businesses to access grants quickly and try new things.
"I would encourage leaders of SME enterprises in the North West to start a conversation with us about how Eco-I NW could help to reduce costs and their carbon footprint, improve performance, and future proof their business in a low carbon future."
"More than 100 enterprises from a wide range of sectors, disciplines and project themes are already collaborating with the partner universities and could double their potential return on R&D investment.
"These grants will further support those already working with the universities and expand the benefits Eco-I NW can offer to even more SMEs to bring to market even more sustainable products, processes or services."
Eco-I NW aims to work with more than 300 SMEs, supporting the development of 135 new innovative solutions which will save 3,850 tonnes of CO2.
To find out more about the programme, which is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), visit www.lancaster.ac.uk/eco-i-nw/capital-grant-scheme/