Sustainable transport grants available for Derby businesses

Derby Council is encouraging local businesses to use greener travel by providing grants to help promote walking, cycling, public transport, and car-sharing.

The Connected Grants can award businesses, voluntary and community groups up to £15,000 to meet the costs of workplace or community-based travel improvements.

The funding can be used to improve infrastructure, to make it easier for people to adopt greener travel, or to provide incentives for staff or visitors, promoting active travel and smarter working practices.

Successful applications will need to demonstrate how the initiative will make travel easier, cheaper, healthier, or greener for employees and visitors, reduce the costs and time delays associated with essential business travel, and ensure customers, suppliers and visitors can easily access local businesses and group sites.

Cllr Matthew Holmes, deputy leader of Derby City Council and cabinet member for regeneration, decarbonisation, strategic planning and transportation, said: ‘I am pleased that we are able to offer the Connected grants. It’s vitally important that we encourage greener and healthier travel, and so we’re keen to help as many local organisations as possible to make that switch.

‘I would urge all businesses, community, and voluntary groups to consider what the Connected grants can offer them, as well as the possible benefits to the city and their employees.’

The funding could be used to introduce a range of measures including access to pool bike schemes, the use of e-cargo bikes, creating cycle parking and storage facilities, installing electric vehicle charging points, and improving site access for walking and cycling.

Applications for the Connected Grants will close on 31 October 2021.

In related news, work to install a high-powered underground cable that will deliver electricity to a new public electric vehicle (EV) charging hub at Redbridge Park & Ride in Oxford will begin next week.

Photo by Michael Fousert