funding opportunities through local enterprise...

Funding Opportunities through Local Enterprise Partnerships

Dan Griffiths Warrington July 2015

—Independent not-for-profit company that brings together knowledge and technical expertise from all areas of the country and supports effective, practical, local responses to the challenges presented by climate change.

—Through strong and established links with government, Climate UK influences and helps develop and implement national policy.

—Climate UK has trusted and comprehensive local networks throughout the country, including CLASP, providing access to a wide range of assets and resources, from schools to businesses, and the ability to facilitate collaboration among them.

—Climate UK is building capacity on climate change across all sectors, with a strong focus on business and local government.

Climate UK


Resilient Growth Information Note

— Produced by Climate UK in collaboration with the Environment Agency’s Climate Ready Service.

— Input from Defra and LEPs.

— Designed to help LEPs embed climate resilience into their plans and strategies.

— Start of a conversation – we do not have all the answers.

— Mainly aimed at LEP support structures - outlines approaches for ESIF and Growth Funds, and signposts to resources and tools available.

— Can be tailored to signpost to local contacts.

— Available at www.climateuk.net.


http://www.climateuk.net/

Speak the Language of Growth

— ‘Reductions in emissions of greenhouse gases are not happening fast enough. Preparing societies for the impacts of climate change must therefore happen in tandem with mitigation efforts’. [World Economic Forum 2014]

— The climate is changing which no longer makes business as usual an option.

— There is uncertainty in the exact impacts, but businesses are used to operating in uncertainty.

— 40% of SMEs feel noticeably ‘weaker’ as a consequence of extreme weather due to loss of customers, reduced income, and problems with cash flow.

— It makes business sense to act now rather than later, with every £1 spent now saves £4 in investment down the line.

— The global market in adaptation goods is worth £70bn and predicted to grow at 7% pa.


What could a LEP Fund?

— 3 potential areas of activity:

— Resilient Infrastructure - Ensuring capital investment is resilient to climatic and other environmental shocks;

— Resilient Businesses - Embedding climate risk and resilience into business support activity;

— Resilience Opportunities - Capitalising on the growth in adaptation goods and services.

All are potentially fundable through ESIF and other Growth Funds – mainly PA5 (climate change adaptation), PA6 (Protecting the Environment), but also Sustainable Development cross-cutting principles, and Sustainable Urban Development.


Mark Waugh / Alamy

Resilient Infrastructure.

— Resilience of Key Sites, including Building-Level Resilience (PA5 – Climate Change Adaptation)

— Working with climate specialists and local planners to assess sites early and embed in specifications.

— Public Realm (PA6 – Protecting the Environment)

— Integrate green and blue infrastructure.

— Transport Infrastructure (?PA4 Low Carbon?).

— Networks are critical to local resilience – ensure specifications factor in climate – HIRAM tool.

— Interdependencies (?PA4 Low Carbon?).

— Understand how the resilience of utliities and services impact on your investments.


Resilient Infrastructure – Case Studies.

CHESHIRE & WARRINGTON STRATEGIC SITE ASSESSMENT

— The Cheshire & Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership has assessed all of its strategic development sites for both climate risk and opportunities for carbon reduction and renewable energy. This will inform future priorities and has provided a platform for discussion with local businesses to build their adaptive capacity.

LOWER DOVE, DERBYSHIRE

— The Environment Agency worked with local stakeholders and a major employer, Nestle, to raise and extend existing flood defences along the River Dove. The £9.33m scheme, including a partnership contribution from Nestle, safeguarded 400 local jobs and created an additional 400 jobs.

ANYTOWN PROJECT.

— London Resilience brought together more than 100 experts from some 50 London organisations to discuss the potential implications of disruption to electricity and water supply, and map out the knock-on effects.


Resilient Businesses

— Business Level Risk and Resilience Assessments (PA3 – Competitiveness)

— Embed resilience into your business support offer.

— Sector-based approaches (PA3 – Competitiveness)

— Work with your sector support organisations

— Supply Chain Approaches (?LEP Lead?)

— Work with large businesses and clusters to maximise impact

— Supporting leadership (?LEP Lead?)

— Develop management and

leadership skills to capitalise

on future opportunities and

minimise risk.


Resilient Businesses – Case Studies

WEATHERING THE STORM

— Climate UK’s local climate change partnerships have worked with a number of local areas and LEPs to produce a practical guides for businesses to embed climate resilience.

BRIGHTON MARINA

— Staff at Brighton Marina undertook a Level 3 Business Resilience qualification, which they felt they helped them to weather last winter’s storms because of the knowledge they gained.

BUSINESS ADAPTATION SUPPORT PROGRAMME

— Sustainability West Midlands provided support to hundreds of local businesses on adaptation, including Severn Trent and Birmingham Airport supply chains using the Business Health Check Tool.


Resilience Opportunities

— Encourage innovation and knowledge transfer. (PA1 Innovation)

— Support SME’s to adapt products and services and collaboration with universities.

— Engage your key sectors – especially:

— Climate Change & Risk Management

— Drainage, Water Management & Irrigation

— Finance

— Transport

— Construction and Architecture

— Build the Adaptation Market Locally through specifications (?All PA’s?).

— Embed Adaptation Skills (?LEP Lead?)


Resilience Opportunities – Case Studies.

UK FLOOD BARRIERS

— Based in Worcestershire is one of fastest growing companies in UK over the last 4 years. A local business owner was flooded, developed an innovative flood barrier technology, and is now exporting around the world from Thailand to the United States

WATER MANAGEMENT FOR GROWTH

— The Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) supported the creation of 5,440 jobs through 11 water management and flood resilience projects funded by £20.5m of Growth Funds.

WATER INNOVATION FOR GROWTH

— Liverpool City Region LEP has investigated its water innovation capacity to explore the potential for leveraging excellence in water management for economic development.


http://www.ukfloodbarriers.co.uk/Default.aspx

http://www.enworks.com/ESTA-project-outcomes

Dan Griffiths

[email protected]

07968434518


funding opportunities through local enterprise...

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