What the grant is and what it can be used for, learning more about funding, who is eligible and how to apply.
What the grant is
The Greener High Street Grant scheme is available to small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) that are set up as Sole Traders or simple Partnerships and are operating their business from a property in Bristol's city centre or on one of Bristol's 46 designated high streets.
The grant can be used to:
- help purchase and install new products and equipment that reduce your carbon emissions
- cut your utility costs
- improve your energy efficiency
If eligible, you'll be able to apply for between £500 to £5,000 to cover up to 80% of your costs. The grant is paid in arrears once the project is completed.
Your application must be supported by an independent Carbon Survey that demonstrates that your proposed project is a worthwhile action to take.
The West of England Combined Authority (WECA) provide this advice free of charge. This survey must demonstrate that the purchase of specific products and equipment will achieve a measurable reduction in greenhouse gas emissions when compared to your current baseline emissions.
Grants are available on a first come, first served basis. A total of £275,000 will be made available. Applications are assessed on their own merit against set criteria and awards are made on a rolling basis throughout the grant window. Should all funds be committed before the application deadline date below, we'll not be able to accept new applications.
Application open date: week starting 10 June 2024
Application deadline: 11.59pm, 31 December 2024
Deadline for project work and invoices: The deadline to complete all work, purchase all items and submit all invoices for agreed costs is 11.59pm, 31 January 2025
You can contact us by email at business@bristol.gov.uk with your query and contact details. You must include your name, your business name, and the address of your premises.
Webinars
We'll be running the following webinars to talk through the Guidance Notes for the Greener High Streets Grant.
Webinar 1: Tuesday 20 August, 9am to 10am
Webinar 2: Thursday 22 August, 7pm to 8pm
To book a place on a webinar, email business@bristol.gov.uk with the subject ‘Greener Business Grant Webinar' and let us know which webinar date you would like to book on to.
We'll send you the link to join the relevant webinar.
Please read through the Guidance Notes before attending.
How much you can apply for
You can apply for a grant of between £500 and £5,000 to cover up to 80% of eligible capital costs of purchase and installation. Find more details in the pdf Grant Guidance Notes (492 KB) .
This is a grant and does not need to be repaid. Greener High Street Grants are paid in arrears, this means if you are successful in securing a grant, you must purchase and complete your project before claiming the funding you have been awarded.
You should aim to do this within the 1 to 2 month claim window. This can be extended in exceptional circumstances.
Eligibility
To be eligible, you must:
- be a Sole Trader or simple Partnership, any other business type interested in a grant of this kind should consider applying for WECA's Green Business Grant
- be a small or medium sized enterprise with fewer than 50 people, have a turnover of £10.2 million or less, and a balance sheet showing £5.1 million or less
- be operating a business from a fixed commercial address that you rent or lease in Bristol's city centre or on one of Bristol's 46 designated high streets, you can see the eligible areas and check property postcodes using our interactive map of Bristol's city centre and local high streets
- have at least 1 year remaining on your lease or rental agreement
- not have received more than £315,000 of public funds in the last 3 rolling years including the value of this grant if awarded, for example businesses must be compliant with Minimal Financial Assistance threshold
- be based on recommendations from a carbon survey, carried out by WECA or a third-party independent surveyor or consultant
- not have started any of the works that you are applying for funding for prior to a formal offer of grant funding being made and accepted
For full eligibility refer to the pdf Grant Guidance Notes (492 KB) .
What you can use the Greener High Streets Grant for
You can use a Greener High Streets Grant to purchase or install materials, products and equipment that will result in a measurable reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in your business.
Examples of what you can use the grant for:
- LED lighting and better lighting controls and sensors
- draft proofing, automatic door closing mechanisms.
- roof, wall, pipe and technical component insulation
- double or triple glazing
- updating inefficient electrical equipment, such as fridges, freezers
- solar photovoltaic panels
- solar film to reduce the need for air conditioning in the summer
- more efficient heating and better controls
Your application must be supported by an independent carbon survey of your business, with estimated savings calculated and alternative options identified where possible.
WECA's Carbon Surveys service provide this advice free of charge. You can also use a third-party consultant or assessor.
We'll assess your application on its own merit against our eligibility criteria and for its deliverability and financial viability. More information on eligible projects, supporting evidence and assessment criteria is available in our pdf Grant Guidance Notes (492 KB) .
How to apply
- Read our pdf guidance (492 KB) for full details on the grant requirements and how to apply.
- Check you're eligible and fill in our pdf Expression of interest form (137 KB)
- Arrange for your carbon survey to take place, WECA provide this service for free and you can see an example of pdf WECA's carbon survey report (522 KB)
- Once you have received your carbon survey, pdf download our form and apply (268 KB) with any required supporting evidence
- Once you have sent in your application form, you can fill out the Equalities Monitoring form
Contact us
Email business@bristol.gov.uk with your query and contact details. Make sure you include your business name and the full address of your premises.