Member Article

Small businesses urged to grasp climate change market

Small businesses with ideas to combat climate change are being urged to compete for awards of up to £40,000, as the Shell Springboard programme opens for its third year. Shell Springboard offers a financial boost for UK businesses with compelling ideas for tackling climate change. These must be ideas which:

• Will lead to greenhouse gas reductions
• Are commercially viable
• Are innovative

Lord Oxburgh, chair of the national judging panel and former chair of the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee, said: “Cutting greenhouse gas emissions is something that every business can contribute to. “The markets offered by tackling climate change are an important opportunity for the four million or more small businesses in the UK. We hope that Shell Springboard helps to inspire an entrepreneurial approach to the urgent challenge of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”

Up to six awards of between £20,000 and £40,000 are on offer in each of three UK regions. Last year awards of £40,000 were made to eight businesses from across the UK. The deadline for applications this year is 9 November. Full details, and an online application form can be found at www.shellspringboard.org. The website has details of all the shortlisted and winning businesses.

Judging will be carried out by three regional panels of independent experts, who will be looking for ideas that balance innovation with sound financial planning and market insight. Up to two winning businesses from each region will then meet a national panel of judges, as they compete to be named the UK winner.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .