Green Business Grant

These guidance notes have been put together to support applicants with the preparation of a Green Business Grant application. 

Schemes that will reduce energy bills and carbon reduction will be considered. Equipment could include:

• LED lighting
• low energy heating systems
• heat pumps
• solar/photovoltaic panels
• geothermal energy
• hydro power
• double/triple glazed windows and doors
• thermal insulations

It is recommended that a decarbonisation plan is obtained prior to applying for this grant.

Applicants who submit a decarbonisation plan or energy assessment of their business that shows their project resulting in a carbon and/or cost saving will score higher in the assessment process.

Funding decisions will be based upon receipt of a completed application with all sections and supporting information supplied.

• This scheme is open to all businesses located within the Teignbridge district area
• It is funded by the Rural England Prosperity Fund and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
• a limit of two items of equipment per application
• no amendments or changes can be made to an application once it's been submitted, unless otherwise agreed by the council in exceptional circumstances.
• applications for retrospective works are ineligible. If the works have already begun or been completed, you are not eligible to apply for this fund. Projects will be considered to be retrospective if undertaken during the period between submitting an application and entering into a grant funding agreement
• eligible projects must not begin until a Green Business Grant Funding Agreement has been entered into
• businesses are encouraged to submit joint bids for shared or adjoining premises e.g. offices sharing a single building or businesses operating as part of a single unit
• applicants can operate as a commercial business, community organisation, charity or social enterprise. Businesses and organisations that are in administration, are insolvent or where a striking-off notice has been made are not eligible for funding under this scheme.
• we will require applicants to inform us as to the number of employees within the applicant business, either full or part time. This will in no way affect the determination of the application, it is merely for monitoring purposes
• holiday lets and businesses operating from residential properties will not be eligible.

Applicants must:

• be UK taxpayers and provide their UTR numbers. Applicants who do not pay UK tax will not be eligible
• if you trade as a Limited Company be required to supply their company registration number (CRN)
• if registered for VAT must supply their VAT Number

Grant awards and intervention rate will be based on the net cost of goods and/or services. 

• the intervention rate for commercial applicants submitting solar panel applications is 50% net of VAT with a maximum grant amount of £10,000.
• the intervention rate for commercial applicants of all other projects is 80% net of VAT with a maximum grant amount of £20,000.
• Charities and Community Organisations such as CIC’s making applications will receive 100% net of the grant requested.

We suggest that applicant/s take advice from HMRC as to how to declare this grant amount in your next tax return.

• applicants can either be owners, occupiers or tenants of a commercial building. Any type of business will be eligible
• tenants must have at least 3 years remaining on their lease and receive the permission of their landlord, in writing, if they wish to make a material change to the fabric of the building. Landlords can also apply directly to us for their premise/s (although only one application per building from either the landlord or tenant will be accepted)
• where an applicant owns more than one property/business within Teignbridge they will be eligible to bid for any/all premises within their ownership. If the multiple buildings owned by a single Landlord are all let to different businesses, each business can apply under the fund.
• if you have applied for planning permission, please tick the relevant box. Where planning permission is required but has not yet been approved, please reapply once consent has been granted
• applicants must provide photographic evidence of the related area where works are proposed. Successful applicants will be asked to supply photographs following completion of the works
• if you are able to give a planned % reduction in energy usage, please include this e.g. ‘I wish to reduce heat loss to the office and workshop and reduce condensation within the building which affects the quality of the product I make. This will make the premises warmer and cut my heating bills. I plan to reduce my energy usage by 10% through these actions.’
• we will require detail of how many kWh of energy your business has consumed in the most recent 12 months for which you have invoices/bills
• it is a Central Government requirement that we monitor the effectiveness of the grant spend over the next three years we/our representatives will carry this out. We will ask you whether you have saved on energy costs and what additional plans you may have to continue decarbonising your operation
• we reserve the right to undertake site visits to the applicant/s premises
• applicants are encouraged to source advice or equipment locally where possible. Quotes must be supplied from businesses that are independent of your organisation. All quotes must be dated within the last 3 months and be on a ‘like for like’ basis. Please explain your rationale if you are proposing to not use the cheapest quote.
• applicants (and the Local Authority) must consider whether there is a subsidy and if so whether that subsidy will contravene the UK’s obligations on subsidy control, or the Subsidy Control Act 2022 (previously State Aid (Withdrawn)), e.g. where an organisation has been in receipt of a benefit (including EU and UK Grant payments) which would exceed £315,000 in total, across the last 3 years
• successful applicants can contribute as much of their own funds to the desired outcome/equipment costs as they wish without limit

We reserve the right to update this guidance at any time. Last updated 20 November 2024.