Our story
The Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) covers an area with a population of 677,200 and a GDP of £16.1bn (2019). In 2021 there were 17,715 businesses in the Tees Valley, 99.5% of which are Small and Medium size Enterprises (SMEs).
In 2020 the TVCA commenced the “SME Energy Efficiency Scheme”, funded through the European Regional Development Fund, in order to support SMEs within the area save energy, reduce bills and cut carbon emissions. This scheme (now closed) was part of the support on offer from Tees Valley Business, which is the Local Growth Hub for the Tees Valley established by the Tees Valley Mayor and Combined Authority.
A comprehensive onsite energy efficiency and renewable audit helped businesses to identify ways to save energy and money in their day-to-day operations. What's more, businesses with an idea for a project which would result in significant carbon savings were eligible for a grant to claim back up to 45% of the upfront capital costs.
Example projects included the installation of LED lighting, the upgrading to heat pumps or investments in renewable energy sources. Local businesses could also access informative online factsheets and explainer videos to discover some of the most common energy efficiency and renewable improvements. These resources ran alongside regular CIBSE approved Continued Professional Development workshops on Easy Ways to Reduce Your Energy Costs and Environmental Impact.
In total, 168 SMEs were supported, over £735,000 capital grants were awarded and the total reduction of SMEs' energy bills was over £1,100,000.
Our advice
Being grounded in regional knowledge and industry sector insight, we were able to work with SMEs to understand their specific business needs and opportunities to be more energy efficient and low carbon. From there, we used our strong local links, networks and partners to make connections and implement changes that saved energy and money in day-to-day operations.
Our Changeprint
Our Changeprint can be measured by the number of businesses supported (168); tonnes of CO2e saved (1,176 tonnes); average reduction in energy bills (39% lower than previous); and by demonstrating the collective potential of SMEs to reduce overall carbon emissions in the Tees Valley (by increasing energy efficiency and reducing usage).
