County council given £672,000 to help boost local businesses (From Redditch Advertiser)

County council given £672,000 to help boost local businesses

8:30am Wednesday 19th September 2012 in News

WORCESTERSHIRE County Council has been awarded £672,000 to help boost local businesses.

The cash comes from the West Midlands European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) programme, to help support small and medium size enterprises to become more resource efficient.

Businesses can expect grant support and advice on how to improve energy and water efficiency, reduce waste and increase profitability.

The grants will be for the installation of energy efficient equipment such as boilers, compressed air pumps, heating, lighting, ventilation and air conditioning.

Councillor Anthony Blagg, the county council's cabinet member for environment and waste, said: "High and fluctuating energy cost can seriously affect small and medium sized enterprises’ ability to operate profitably, so this project will help them to reduce and take control, while also tackling their carbon emissions and boosting their green credentials.

“Over the coming months the county council will be producing more information to let businesses know more about the project and how they can access all the support that is on offer."

The  project is being run in partnership with Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce.

Nicky Griffiths, from the Chamber of Commerce, said: "Many small and medium sized enterprises are keen to focus on resource efficiency and acknowledge that they could make savings.

“This will provide companies with focussed solutions that could generate significant cost savings, impacting positively on the profitability of businesses across the county."

For more information, email sustainability@worcestershire.gov.uk or call 01905 822803.