New funding for business decarbonisation project

LJMU has secured new funding to support businesses across the Liverpool City Region to decarbonise.

The Low Carbon Eco Innovatory (LCEI) has received backing for a further 12 months to help reduce carbon emissions and drive inclusive business growth across the region.

The funding from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority will see the LCEI focus on delivering research collaborations between the university and industry, connecting academics and students with businesses and their sustainability challenges. 

This next stage of LCEI will build upon the positive reputation the project has gained over the past decade. We are generating real impact across the region and demand for our support remains high. Businesses are ready to grow and want to do that sustainably but need the right kind of support.

Lesley Lambert, LCEI Strategic Manager

Lesley added: “By linking companies directly with academic expertise, we can encourage them to innovate, reduce costs and bring new low carbon products and processes to market, while providing real-world challenges for academics and students.

“We would encourage LJMU academics and researchers to engage with us, helping create exciting collaborations and impact business growth across the region.”

LCEI successes so far

LCEI is a partnership between LJMU and the University of Liverpool. It was previously funded by the European Regional Development Fund (2015-2023) and, during this phase, the project helped more than 500 city region SMEs to reduce their carbon emissions, saving more than 45,000 tonnes CO2e.

The project has just completed a successful phase of delivery under the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), offering grants to help businesses adopt low carbon technologies and processes.

Over the past two and a half years, LCEI has paid out 73 grants at a total of just under £1m, funding solar panels, EV forklifts, LED lights, heating systems and carbon-saving machinery, working with 157 businesses to reduce their carbon emissions, streamline processes, boost innovation and make significant financial savings.

The grants have attracted private sector match investment in the region of £1.7m.

New jobs, technologies and carbon savings

Under UKSPF, LCEI achieved carbon savings of 1,134 tonnes CO2e, supported the creation of 55 jobs, and the introduction of 69 new technologies or processes to business operations.

LCEI’s mission is to reduce carbon emissions, supporting the Liverpool City Region’s ambition to achieve Net Zero 2040, while increasing business growth. The project will be working across all sectors.