Nearly 800 Nottinghamshire businesses have benefitted from free support to improve their energy efficiencies and growth, thanks to the Accelerator project.
The project, which started last autumn and which is funded by UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, is already making a tangible difference to businesses across the county.
So far, 795 businesses have received an hour or more of business adviser support which guides them in accessing the most appropriate support, whether it be the raft of initiatives that make up the Accelerator project, or local authority or national grant funding.
A total of 65% of businesses supported so far are based in urban areas with the remainder in rural areas. Some 46 businesses have tapped into growth vouchers of up to £2,000 towards specialist training or consultancy advice and the same number have taken advantage of fully subsidised energy audits.
Of the grants so far awarded to participating businesses, it is anticipated that 73 jobs will be created or safeguarded as a result of this support.
East Midlands Chamber Deputy Chief Executive Diane Beresford said: “Accelerator is such a diverse programme. It offers business growth workshops, decarbonisation support and premises audits.
“There are dedicated forum meetings for manufacturers via the East Midlands Manufacturing Network and access to innovation and technology experts plus funding as part of the Made Smarter and Innovate UK Business Growth programmes.
“I truly believe Accelerator offers something for every business, regardless of size. We often think of grant funding being the catalyst for growth, and that is certainly the case, but an energy audit carried out by an expert can also make a sizeable difference to cost reduction.
“The fresh pair of eyes too from a business adviser too can identify valuable opportunities that those fully absorbed in the business might otherwise miss.”
Nottinghamshire County Councillor, Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Asset Management Keith Girling said: “Small and medium sized businesses are at the heart of our local economy and so it’s great to hear how successful this scheme has been. Ultimately it is helping businesses save money by paying less on energy bills. As a county council we are always keen to help local businesses and their supply chain as much as we can by spending money locally.
“We also offer a free, independent advice for those businesses just starting up or expanding. To complement the Accelerator programme, our expert business advisers can be booked for a one-to-one chat plus we have local business surgeries happening around the county.”
