EEDA - East of England Development Agency

Resource Efficiency East launches "Business Clusters Project"

16 November 2009

Resource Efficiency East is launching an initiative to help collaborative groups of businesses become more resource efficient. Up to £40,000 per project is available through the new “Business Clusters Project”.

In a bid to increase the productivity and competitiveness of the region’s small and medium sized businesses (SMEs), Resource Efficiency East is launching an initiative to help collaborative groups of businesses become more resource efficient. The new “Business Clusters Project” is inviting funding proposals from applicants representing groups of at least 25 SMEs based in the East of England, with up to £40,000 being made available to each successful project.

Antony Gough, Director of the Resource Efficiency East (REE) programme, comments: “Whilst it is clear that small businesses benefit from one-to-one support, such as REE’s free on-site Business Resource Review, there is obvious potential to improve resource efficiency on a collective basis by working with businesses that are connected in some way.”

The Business Clusters Project aims to support projects where a ‘one-to-many’ approach can be tested to explore its potential to generate cost savings and environmental benefits such as reduced energy use and carbon emissions.  Examples of collaborative approaches include:  businesses co-located in the same geographical area, such as business parks; businesses from the same industry sector; or business groups facing similar issues such as waste disposal. In such instances there can be opportunities for joint approaches to resource management that offer significant efficiency gains.

It is envisaged that a total of four projects will be supported across the region, with up to a maximum of £40,000 being made available to each project. Successful applicants will contract with REE to deliver the project as part of the wider programme. Projects will run between 1 January and 31 December 2010.

Full details of the application process and criteria against which project proposals will be assessed can be found by visiting http://work.2cs.com/resourceefficiency/business-clusters-project.asp or by contacting  Business Clusters Co-ordinator Guy Robertson on 07827 322 535 or business_clusters@resourceefficiencyeast.org.uk.

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For further information please contact Kate Bowden Smith on
Tel: 01473 622263 or Mob: 07808 901387
or Email: kate.BowdenSmith@2cs.com