anne miller's blog

Check out this interesting EU scheme to help early stage low carbon entrepreneurs.  You can get 20,000 Euros + mentoring to help you develop your low carbon idea, and further help in later stages

Green Alliance reports here on the success of the green economy

There are some useful list of grants and other EU funded help for small businesses on the Anglia Ruskin "low carbon KEEP" website here and here

Win up to £40K for your low carbon business idea.  Application deadline Jan 2013. Details here

Now in its second year, the Enterprise Fellowship Scheme is run by Anglia Ruskin’s Centre for Enterprise Development and Research (CEDAR) and is open to anyone in the county who has a bright business idea and is looking for financial backing.

This is an interesting looking conference at Murray Edwards college, with an impressive range of speakers from Satish Kumar to Juliet Davenport.

The cost for local residents is very reasonable £160 or £70 for students

The Carbon Trust is launching an ‘Entrepreneurs’ Fast Track’ scheme. Applications open in September 2010

This looks as if it will be more useful for most Green Enterprise members than the previous scheme, as it's giving more emphasis to supporting early stage proof of concept and prototype development, rather than just focussing companies that are nearly ready for major VC investment. The scheme will also consolidate its existing Applied Research Grants and Business Incubation products into one service.

The Ordnance Survey is keen to encourage the use of their (newly released) open mapping data, so is running 3 competitions to find the best ideas that use this. The first "GeoVation Challenge" for 2010-2011 is “How can Britain feed itself?” The closing date is 3 September (12:00 noon)

The prize is

The Technology Strategy Board is launching an SBRI (Small Business Research Initiative) programme to retrofit government buildings in London so they are more energy efficient and have lower carbon dioxide emissions.

They particularly welcome applications from small businesses, with innovative ideas.  Successful applicants get £20K phase1 funding  for a design proposal, followed by phase 2 funding for  a demonstration

Renewables East are putting on a conference on feed-in tarriffs in Cambridge Wednesday 3 March. Details here

It looks very interesting for Green Enterpreneurs.  Normal entry price is £50, but its FREE for Green Enterprise Community  Members if you email nigeldent@renewableseast.org.uk

Anne