SMALL retail and leisure firms in Bradford have been urged to go green for a chance to claim a grant as part of a £20,000 project.
First West Yorkshire has launched the Bradford Go-Greener Fund with £20,000 available to help small businesses in retail, leisure, hospitality, health & beauty and other consumer services encourage eco-friendly high street spending and boost customer-led sustainable growth.
The purpose of the fund is to support plans by independent owners and small firms in consumer sectors to build on environmental practices and products which appeal to customers.
We’ve launched the Bradford Go-Greener Fund with £20k available to help small businesses implement eco-friendly changes & encourage sustainable growth ♻️🌍 Visit https://t.co/JRuqopQL1W and apply today! 📲 pic.twitter.com/dd8BwzEqGm
— First West Yorks (@FirstWestYorks) May 23, 2022
It is backed by Green Street, an organisation helping small retailers to become more sustainable, pioneering its first project in Bradford, and also the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.
The Bradford Go-Greener Fund will make awards of £2,000 to 10 successful applicants.
First has teamed up with Green Street and the Combined Authority to draw up the criteria for applying and how money from the Fund should be used.
Green Street founder Victoria Robertshaw and Vincent McCabe, programme lead (Clean Growth & Innovation) at the Combined Authority will help in assessing and deciding successful entries in a panel including First West Yorkshire managing director, Paul Matthews.
Mr Matthews said: “Thriving, successful independent small businesses on the streets of the city and our outlying communities will always be essential to Bradford’s prosperity.
“We are really pleased that Green Street and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority have joined us in launching the Bradford Go-Greener Fund.
“Their guidance in creating a simple application to understand and identify strong business ideas on sustainability has been invaluable.
Paul Matthews and Victoria Robertshaw help launch the Bradford Go-Greener Fund in Bradford city centre
“I would encourage Bradford’s small business owners to get thinking how the Fund could help them and submit an entry quickly.
“There is not long to get applications in as we want to be able to make the awards in June so they can get started as soon as possible.”
Victoria Robertshaw said: “It is this type of partnership that will help support small businesses in Bradford to realise their full sustainability potential so we can all enjoy greener ways of working, living and shopping.
“Even small changes can have a positive impact on the environment and, thanks to First West Yorkshire, this fund will allow smaller businesses to explore some exciting possibilities to become more planet friendly.”
Applications are open until June 14, with entries submitted on a dedicated page of the First Bradford website Firstbus.co.uk/bradfordgogreenerfund