February 2023

ReLondon are developing a circular economy neighbourhood demonstrator project- Heston in the Loop, in partnership with the London Borough of Hounslow in the neighbourhood of Heston Village. The first-of-its-kind project aims to create a circular, low waste neighbourhood. The project is on the look for established small and medium sized circular businesses seeking to strengthen and scale their pre-existing circular offering by bringing their activity to Heston Village and giving the community increased access to sustainable consumption choices and, as a result, help reduce waste production and increase recycling, reuse, repair and sharing.

ReLondon is a partnership of the Mayor of London and London’s boroughs to improve waste management in the capital and accelerate our transition to a low carbon circular city. ‘Heston in the Loop’ is a project in which multiple, assorted circular economy solutions will be introduced to a localised area that empowers local residents, schools and businesses to change their relationship with stuff.

By introducing these interventions the project aims to,

  • Reduce waste and increase recycling rates, reducing carbon based consumption
  • Increase awareness of circular economy
  • Improved community cohesion, centered around circular principles that combat climate change
  • Promote a green economic recovery from the impacts of the pandemic and current cost of living crisis

Small and medium-sized London-based circular businesses are invited to apply to become a partner and introduce their circular solution to the Heston Village area as part of the Heston in the Loop Project. If selected, you will be part of a pioneering and collaborative circular neighbourhood project, working closely with a local community to help them on their transition to a circular economy, while scaling your business.

The benefits of being a partner include:

  • Benefit from joint promotional activity carried out by the team to encourage behaviour change within the community in the Heston Village
  • Receive support from the project team at ReLondon and London Borough Hounslow to make your activities a success in the area
  • Be able to publicly demonstrate the alignment of your circular solution with the aims of London Borough Hounslow and other London Boroughs
  • Develop a relationship with the Local Authority Support Team at ReLondon who have ambitions to replicate this project in neighbourhoods across London in future

To be eligible for the program, you must be:

  • Be a legally registered entity with a registered or trading address within a London borough 
  • Meet the criteria for a small and medium sized enterprise
  • Provide a solution that falls under at least one of the 5 circular business models 
  • Deliver a circular economy intervention within Heston Village that will contribute to the project aims and ambitions 
  • Plan to start your activity between Apr-Jun 2023 and complete it by Dec 2023-Mar 2024
  • Submit the partner application form below by Tuesday 28th February 202

Visit ReLondon to ensure you are invited to join the ReLondon business transformation community of circular SMEs where you’ll have priority access to our SME services including promotional opportunities, networking events, and connections with peers, partners and investors.

For more information about the project and to see if you fit the eligibility criteria and partnership requirements, refer to the partner guidance.

 

 

 

 

 

The UK’s race to decarbonise the maritime sector has been given another vital boost, with a £60 million funding to be distributed to companies across the country developing futuristic green technology. This project is part of the UK government plans to back innovative businesses and reach net zero by 2050.

The government will be funding the development of new clean maritime technology across a 2-year period. Companies in 12 regions across the UK can benefit from the cash, generating highly skilled labour in the nation and will position the UK as a world leader in green solutions.

The funding comes from the third round of the government’s Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC3), which focuses on developing a range of clean maritime technologies including hydrogen, ammonia, electric and wind power.  The CMDC is one of the many initiatives from UK SHORE to fund green technology. Last week the government launched the Zero Emission Vessels and Infrastructure competition to support projects in the latter stages of development and the clean maritime research hub. The is aimed at the early science and research behind green technology.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said,

Our maritime sector imports 95% of goods into the UK and contributes £116 billion to our economy – more than both aviation and rail combined. With growing the economy one of the Government’s top priorities, we must continue our efforts to ensure the UK remains a pioneer in cutting-edge clean maritime solutions. The funding we’re awarding today will help to do just that, bringing emission-free concepts to life and fuelling innovation.

During the 2-year investment period, successful companies will be required to demonstrate that their projects will work in the real world, helping them to progress towards becoming an everyday reality.

Learn more about how you might be eligible for the funding and also explore some of the existing winners of the programme.

Start Up Loans, part of British Business bank, announced that its program has facilitated over 100,000 loans worth more than £941 million to businesses throughout the UK. The programme supports viable start-ups and early-stage businesses access the finance and support they need in order to thrive.

British Business Bank is a government-owned business development bank devoted to ensuring finance markets work better for smaller businesses, at different stages of their journey, helping them grown, prosper and build economic activity. The Start-Up Loans Scheme is a government backed programme available to individuals looking to start or grow a new business in the UK, providing personal loans of up to £25,000 at a 6% fixed interest rate per annum and free dedicated mentoring and support to each business.

Since its launch in 2012, Start Up Loans has delivered over 100,000 loans worth more than £941 million, to businesses across the UK, with London receiving 20,937 loans, a 20.8%, worth more than £192 million. The economic impact of the same is estimated to be more than £5.3 billion, with the economic benefits of the programme being almost six (5.7) times more than its economic costs.

The program also has a focus on equitable distribution

The announcement also follows the recent news that Start Up Loans has become an official partner of the Start Up Award Series 2023 , as well as the launch of the British Business bank’s guide to Business Resilience, a  guide created in response to the economic challenges faced by small businesses in 2023. The guide provides practical and actionable guidance for start-ups on areas like reducing the costs, boost profitability, and increase the resilience of your business for the future.

Richard Bearman, Managing Director, Start Up Loans said: “Start Up Loans supports people across the UK who are looking to start their own businesses, and passing our one hundred thousand loan milestone is an amazing achievement that has been ten years in the making. We could not have achieved this without the dedicated support of our UK Network of delivery partners, and in-house team and I’d like to take this chance to thank them for everything they do to make our work possible.”

 

The Innovate and Grow 4.0 Business support programme aims to support Hounslow-based businesses and residents to adapt, survive and thrive against ongoing challenges facing business owners.

The programme aims to ensure Hounslow remains a borough of innovate entrepreneurs and a place where businesses choose to relocate. The programme, available to borough-based businesses and residents in the following areas:

  • Small grant for Growth and Green energy saving

The scheme offers grants of up to £4000 alongside specialist one-to-one support to local small and medium enterprises and start-up businesses. It is designed to help local businesses overcome the impact of the cost of living crisis, supporting growth and investment in low carbon business. The closing date is the 10th February at 17:00. Learn more here.

  • 1:1 Growth Mentoring

Sign up for a mentoring session with experts who will help you develop and grow your small business.

  • Digital Support

The digital support is a free and inclusive programme of support aimed at all businesses who are members of Digital Dock Brentford. The scheme offers specialised support for small businesses to audit digital performance and skills, capacity build and advise implementation of digital tools for growth.

  • Writing and Winning bids

The scheme offers support to master the art of bid writing, and helps connect with key buyers and suppliers at Local Authorities and access live tenders and submit winning bids and proposals. Sign up for a series of related events:

  • The Loft

The Loft will support micro businesses to set up in an exciting new marketplace in the Treaty Centre, Hounslow.

  • Digital Dock

Sign up to Hounslow Council’s flexible and affordable coworking space. It offers great new membership plan offers to Hounslow businesses and resident.

Visit the Innovate & Grow Business Support Programme website to learn more about each programme and to ensure you don’t miss out on the support you need.

Innovate UK, the UK’s national innovation agency, supports business-led innovation in all sectors, technologies and UK regions. It helps businesses grow through the development and commercialisation of new products, processes and services. They have announced a list of their current funding opportunities targeting UK registered businesses, Small and Medium enterprises, research communities and local authorities. Please check individual competition dates as they may have been extended.

While here are a few of the opportunity calls, please visit Innovate UK New Funding Opportunities to know more and for further details.

UK-Germany bilateral: collaborative research and development
UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to £4 million for collaborative research projects resulting in innovative solutions.

Innovative technologies for intracellular drug delivery
UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to £5 million for projects that support innovation in intracellular drug delivery formulations.

Net zero living: fast followers
Local authorities can apply for a share of up to £6 million to build skills and capabilities to accelerate local progress towards net zero.

Develop a UK digital twinning research community
Apply for up to £3 million to establish a multidisciplinary research community in digital twinning, complementing the existing industry-led multi-sector digital twins community.

SBRI funded competitions
SBRI supports a range of competitions with public sector organisations and departments.

Creative Catalyst 2023
UK registered micro and small businesses in the creative industries sector, can apply for funding up to £50,000 with a package of support to grow their business.

Innovation loans future economy competition: round 8
UK registered businesses can apply for loans for innovative projects with strong commercial potential to significantly improve the UK economy.

Better Food for All: innovation for improved nutrition, early-stage 
UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to £20 million for projects that support the development of innovative solutions to address significant nutrition challenges.

Advancing precision medicine
UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £20 million to fund projects focusing on developing digital and data-enabled tools as well as multi-modal approaches in medicine.

Biomedical catalyst 2023 round 1: industry-led R&D
UK registered micro, small or medium-sized enterprises can apply for a share of up to £25 million to develop innovative research and development (R&D) solutions to health and healthcare challenges.

Made smarter innovation: industry ready robotics and automation
UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to £6 million for late-stage robotics and automation projects to develop deployable solutions within manufacturing processes in factories.

Visit the Innovate UK website to explore the different forms of support, resources and funding available for business innovation.