Bus operator launches £20,000 fund to boost eco-friendly sales for small businesses
- York Go-Greener Fund will make single awards of £2,000 to support growth ideas
- Applications open until 31 May 2022
First York has launched the York 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 that directly appeal to customers, helping them to consider sustainable choices in what they buy and the services they use.
It has the support of the FSB (Federation of Small Businesses) in North Yorkshire and the York & North Yorkshire Growth Hub.
The York Go-Greener Fund will make awards of £2,000 to 10 successful applicants. Videos showcasing these businesses will then go to a people’s vote with the winner getting the chance to be featured in a film about the region’s sustainable achievements and businesses which is being made by the York & North Yorkshire Growth Hub and includes some of the world’s leading voices on climate change.
Applications open today (9 May 2022) until 31 May 2022 with entries submitted on a dedicated page of the First York website firstbus.co.uk/yorkgogreenerfund
The bus company has teamed up with the FSB and the York & North Yorkshire Growth Hub to draw up the criteria for applying and how money from the Fund should be used. The FSB’s Development Manager Carolyn Frank and Sue Jefferson, Chair of the Business Board at York & North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership will help in assessing and deciding successful entries in a panel including First York Managing Director, Ian Humphreys.
He said: “Thriving, successful independent small businesses on the streets of the city and our outlying communities will always be essential to York’s prosperity. We know one of the challenges for them and others of all sizes, is how to achieve growth at the same time as helping to reduce the carbon footprint of operations and customers to meet regional and national environmental targets.
“Sustainability in products and services is increasingly valued by customers and we want to help small business owners by giving them a financial boost to build on what they’re doing and put new plans into action.
“We are really pleased the FSB and the York & North Yorkshire Growth Hub have joined us in launching the York Go-Greener Fund. Their guidance in creating a simple application to understand and identify strong business ideas on sustainability has been invaluable.”
Ian added: “I would encourage York’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.”
Carolyn Frank, Development Manager for York & North Yorkshire at the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), said: “We know that small businesses are keen to play their part in achieving net zero. Many are already making good progress, by mitigating their environmental impact, but they often don’t have the funds or resources to take bigger steps towards greater sustainability.
“It is fantastic to see First York supporting York businesses with cash prizes to help them move forwards with innovation in sustainability. At FSB we are supporting small businesses to accelerate their progress, with resources to empower them including our new sustainability hub, and research into what barriers they face to achieve a successful small business transition to net zero.”
She added: “First York are really demonstrating their ongoing commitment to York’s independent high street and city centre sustainability with this exciting and generous fund and we are delighted to partner with them once again, supporting York’s small businesses together.”
Sue Jefferson, Chair of the Business Board at York & North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership, which coordinates the York & North Yorkshire Growth Hub, said: “Having a sustainable business model makes sense. Employees, shareholders and customers want businesses to be actively tackling environmental issues. This initiative is in line with York and North Yorkshire’s ambitions to become the UK’s first carbon negative region and will showcase new ideas on how local businesses can achieve a greener, fairer and stronger future.”
Photo captions:
John Godfrey, Marketing Manager of First York flanked by Carolyn Frank and Andrew Raby, York & North Yorkshire Growth Hub Manager.
Notes to editors
ENDS
Media enquiries to Richard Harrison, First York on 07973 668116 or email richard.m.harrison@firstbus.co.uk
NOTES TO EDITORS
The York £20k Go-Greener Fund follows on from the creation last year of the Restart Fund to help small business recovery from the pandemic lockdown, which attracted more than 100 entries.
- York’s Park & Ride fleet is the biggest in the country, saving 1,600 tonnes of carbon a year.
- The carbon saving for all bus journeys on the Park & Ride is the same as removing over 15,300 cars a week from York’s streets.
- First York is investing a further £10m to support City of York Council in adding another 44 all-electric buses to the network.
- First Bus is committed to have a zero-emission fleet nationally by 2035.
For more information on First York please visit firstbus.co.uk/york
FSB
As experts in business since 1974, FSB offers members a wide range of vital business services, including advice, financial expertise, support and a powerful voice in Government. Its aim is to help all smaller businesses achieve their ambitions. More information is available at www.fsb.org.uk. You can follow us on twitter @FSBNorthYorks for the local area team.
FSB’s sustainability hub can be found at https://www.fsb.org.uk/campaign/small-business-sustainability-hub.html and a report is available at Accelerating Progress: https://www.fsb.org.uk/resource-report/accelerating-progress.html
York & North Yorkshire Growth Hub
By its very geography, York and North Yorkshire is home to a diverse range of businesses. Regardless of size or sector, we are here to provide free and impartial business support. We are government-funded but locally based, which means that we provide tailored support based around the needs of our unique region. We are one of 38 Growth Hubs in England and are coordinated by the York & North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership.
Further information about the York & North Yorkshire Growth Hub is available at www.ynygrowthhub.com