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£40,000 boost for climate change SMEs

Small businesses with ideas to tackle climate change are being urged to compete for awards of up to £40,000 each, as the Shell Springboard programme opens for its fourth year.

Shell Springboard wants UK SMEs to capitalise on the growing market opportunity by applying for a financial boost from the programme. James Smith, Chairman of Shell UK, said: “SMEs are a vibrant and creative sector of the economy, so they’re ideally placed to be climate change entrepreneurs. “Shell’s scenario planning suggests that in the future we will be reliant on a mix of a number of different energy sources and energy saving technologies. Grassroots innovation from small businesses could be a crucial factor in driving the development of this mix. I’d urge SMEs operating in this field to give serious consideration to the Springboard programme.”

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 five businesses from across the UK.

The deadline for 2008 entries is November 7th 2008. Full details and an online application form can be found at www.shellspringboard.org.

2007 Springboard winner, Dr Paula Carey of Carbon8 - a company whose ‘accelerated carbonation’ process turns everyday rubbish from landfill sites into building materials such as bricks or roofing - said: “Programmes like Shell Springboard encourage small and medium sized businesses to seize the issue of climate change as a commercial opportunity that should be embraced. Winning the award last year has enabled us to continue our research and development activity as well as initiate an all important pilot project in the local Council.”

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