Coventry City Council’s Cabinet is set to discuss accepting over £1.6m to deliver a programme called the Business Energy Advice Service (BEAS).
If approved, the BEAS programme would see the Council take advantage of the external funding to help business across the city achieve their sustainability goals.
Funded by Government and channelled through the West Midlands Combined Authority, the programme will enable businesses across the region to access expert advice and financial support.
Central to the scheme will be energy audits that will help firms pinpoint key areas in which they can improve their energy efficiency and reduce costs.
In addition, following the audits, grants will be available for qualifying businesses. The grants can be used to help ensure buildings and equipment become more energy efficient and sustainable.
The programme ties in the Council’s wider aims to tackle climate change and ensure that the city is a thriving place for businesses to invest in.
Cllr Jim O’Boyle, Cabinet Member for Jobs, Regeneration and Climate Change, said:
“This project has the potential to have an impact on our city. Not only will it help improve the energy efficiency of these firms, but it’ll also help them save money now and in the future.
“Everyone across the country has been affected by spiralling energy costs and it represents a real challenge to the growth of many SME’s. By providing real, tangible savings to these businesses through this programme we will help remove that barrier which in turn will help encourage growth and provide jobs for Coventry people.
“Improving the energy efficiency of buildings, both commercial and residential, in the city is also crucial to our efforts to tackle climate change. This project is a step in the right direction however it’s just the start, with much more to do.”
The plans for the programme will be discussed at the Cabinet Meeting on 13 February. Read the BEAS report.