New green innovation fund to boost Lancashire SMEs in the race to net zero

Eco-I North West will match fund capital investment for new products, processes and services

A new green innovation fund has been launched to help Lancashire SMEs transform their ideas into reality in the race to net zero.

Businesses, charities and social enterprises in the county can get up to 60% funding towards projects worth £25,000 to help them deliver sustainable products, processes or services.

The £400,000 grant scheme is managed by Eco-I North West (NW), a £14 million research and development programme which gives SMEs access to a regional knowledge base, cutting-edge research facilities and skills involving six of the region’s leading universities – Cumbria, Lancaster, Central Lancashire, Liverpool, Liverpool John Moores and Manchester Metropolitan.

Since its launch two years ago, more than 100 enterprises, including 36 in Lancashire, have collaborated with universities to test their ideas which could help solve global challenges such as water supply and quality, waste, energy, resource efficiency, natural capital, air quality, and food security.

These new grants will accelerate these low carbon innovations from research to commercialisation by match funding prototypes, pilots and demonstration systems.

Andy Pickard, Manager of the Centre for Global Eco-Innovation, which delivers the Eco-I NW programme, said: “Eco-I NW opens up such a huge academic regional resource to SMEs. It offers the opportunity for the North West to create an ecosystem which accelerates our transition to a low carbon economy. This is a scheme which should allow businesses to access grants quickly and try new things.

“I would encourage leaders of SME enterprises in the North West to start a conversation with us about how Eco-I NW could help to reduce costs and their carbon footprint, improve performance, and future proof their business in a low carbon future.”

“More than 100 enterprises from a wide range of sectors, disciplines and project themes are already collaborating with the partner universities and could double their potential return on R&D investment.

“These grants will further support those already working with the universities, and expand the benefits Eco-I NW can offer to even more SMEs to bring to market even more sustainable products, processes or services.”

Arid Agritec, a crop manufacturer based at the University of Lancaster, is working with Eco-I NW to develop its algorithm-based technology to improve consumer safety and reduce waste in global fresh produce supply chains.

Dr Wagdy Sobeih said: “Every year between 2-2.5% of all fresh, high-value fruit and vegetable products fail maximum pesticide residue testing as they enter the EU-UK market. This represents millions of tonnes of food being destroyed at border checkpoints leading to food waste on a truly industrial scale every year.

“It occurs because meeting maximum residue limits is technically difficult due to the fact pesticide breakdown times are calculated for outdoor, open-field production whereas most modern cropping now takes place in complex greenhouse and glasshouse environments where pesticides can take days, weeks or even months longer to break down beyond their labelled time.

“We’ve been developing and testing a highly novel algorithm-based approach which will soon allow growers to predict the breakdown rate of their pesticide product for any crop at any location in the world in any and all growing systems via a simple, predictive app service.

“Eco-I NW has provided us with invaluable support via funding and coding expertise which has allowed us to build a demonstration app that will allow us to secure full investor funding and bring our technology to the global market within the next two to three years.”

The Wellbeing Farm, based in Edgworth, is a unique and sustainable wedding and events venue and has been working with Eco-I NW to further develop its sustainability practises.

Celia Gaze, Founder, said: “We are working with Eco-I NW to explore how hospitality businesses can practically reduce their carbon footprint by focusing on cultural change, food waste reduction and premises management to enable them to reach net zero carbon targets.”

National Air Quality Services (NAQTS), an expert in air quality monitoring technology and testing services based in Lancaster, is working with Lancaster University on a project aimed at simultaneously decarbonising buildings, promoting good indoor air quality and reducing the likelihood of airborne virus transmission.

Douglas Booker, Co-founder and CEO, said: “Air pollution is the world’s largest environmental health risk according to the World Health Organisation. Outdoor air quality is typically the focus, despite people spending 90% of their time indoors where the air quality can be worse, in part because energy efficiency initiatives have mandated high levels of air tightness that can trap air pollution indoors. However, COVID-19 has driven an emphasis on increased ventilation rates, potentially undermining energy efficiency gains.

“We are working with Eco-I North West and Lancaster University to design and test new networks of sensors to manage these equally important goals of energy efficiency and indoor air quality.

“A capital grant will de-risk the initial steps of developing a new innovative technology, and help us to accelerate our initial prototype development and testing.”

Silverwoods Waste Management, based in Altham, Lancashire, a specialist in the recycling of industrial waste, is researching the sequestration and capture of carbon within agricultural soils.

Julian Silverwood, Managing Director, said: “With the UK’s aim to reach net zero emissions by 2050, there is a need to establish negative emission solutions.

“Industrial waste spreading on agricultural land provides fertilising capabilities as well as pH neutralising values which enhances soil quality and provides a more sustainable alternative to other popular fertilisers.

“We are delighted to be working with Lancaster University to understand the full carbon sequestration potential of cement bypass dust when applied to agricultural soils.”

Eco-I NW aims to work with more than 300 SMEs, supporting the development of 135 new innovative solutions which will save 3,850 tonnes of CO2.

To find out more about the programme, which is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), visit www.lancaster.ac.uk/eco-i-nw/capital-grant-scheme