Clean Growth Accelerator Fund

What is the grant available for?

Building on the recently released UK Innovation Strategy we are inviting organisations and businesses to submit projects that will enable innovation or research and development led ideas focused on decarbonisation and clean growth within the Greater Lincolnshire LEP area to be further developed and progressed. Essential criteria for this fund will be as follows:

• Scheme proposals should be capital focused but can include a revenue element which should not exceed 10% of the project/programme cost.
• Schemes must be over £1,000,000 in overall value with a total grant available of up to £2m and minimum grant requested being £500,000.
• The funds must be spent by July 2024, and outcomes delivered by 2026/27, hence proposals submitted need to be well progressed in terms of design, planning and match funding. Match funding identified must be a minimum of 50% (further grant funding level restrictions may apply to SMEs according to government subsidy regulations).

 

Capital or Revenue or Both?

Scheme proposals should be capital focused but can include a revenue element which should not exceed 10% of the project/programme cost.

Percentage of project cost

The funds must be spent by July 2024, and outcomes delivered by 2026/27, hence proposals submitted need to be well progressed in terms of design, planning and match funding. Match funding identified must be a minimum of 50% (further grant funding level restrictions may apply to SMEs according to government subsidy regulations).

Any eligibility criteria

The LEP is seeking to consider a range of clean growth related, R&D and innovation driven projects through this fund, but they must relate to one of the following priority sectors:

• UK Food Valley
• Humber Freeport
• Clean energy
• Defence, space and security
• Visitor Economy sector
• Health and Care sector

Schemes must demonstrate direct public/private investment leverage and job creation and/or research & development outputs with clear clean growth-related outcomes.

For example:

• Innovation/research and development project focused on clean growth/net zero
• Level of reduced carbon emissions by 2027
• Nitrogen oxide and particulate emissions
• Contribution to Green Masterplan Net Zero Targets
• Decarbonisation of the Grid or Heat Production
• EV charging points created
• Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) demonstrated
• Introduction of new to the market products (clean growth related)

Please include your own outputs related to the intervention support within the outline business case and these must all be measurable. Any jobs created must be within the clean growth sector. We want to focus on Greater Lincolnshire’s distinctive specialisms and opportunities and how we can capitalise on these.

Please do not include projects that focus on application of existing technologies to your own premises.

Any required delivery targets / outcome required

Our principal objectives for this fund are as follows:

1. Help organisations/businesses to utilise their clean growth energy assets innovatively and effectively, thus contributing directly to decarbonisation of our area and beyond

2. Investing in cross sector local Research and Development and innovative project ideas to support our clean growth agenda.

What grant amounts are available?

Schemes must be over £1,000,000 in overall value with a total grant available of up to £2m and minimum grant requested being £500,000.

Who provides the grant?

Greater Lincolnshire LEP

How to apply for the grant?

Organisations including private sector businesses, public and third sector organisations operating in the Greater Lincolnshire LEP area are invited to put forward an Outline Business Case for any project they wish to be considered in response to the call criteria.

When completing the Outline Business Case, a clear description and a rationale for the proposed project is expected, particularly regarding:

• What the need for grant funding is and how investment will contribute to clean growth of the Greater Lincolnshire economy.
• Evidence to show why the market/private developers/operators cannot progress the scheme without the grant support.
• Available data to demonstrate there is demand/need for the project.
• Where relevant, the expected and realistic milestones for planning delivery and operation of the scheme.
• Does your project deliver jobs or improve skills provision related to our identified priority sectors.

Deadline for Outline Business Case submissions Monday 28th February 2022 by 5pm.

To find out more or to complete the Online Business Case please click here.