East Midlands Chamber subsidises SME access to Zellar sustainability platform

In a bid to support the net zero efforts of the region’s SMEs, East Midlands Chamber is subsidising the cost of 400 one-year licences to access the Zellar sustainability platform.

Zellar empowers SMEs to rise to the challenge of climate change by making sustainability simple and actionable. It supports UK businesses with a single view of their emissions and with step-by-step guidance on how to become a more sustainable business.

As well as helping them calculate and manage its carbon footprint, the platform helps a business understand its performance against its competitors, and create a decarbonisation action plan with measurable results.

The initiative is one of several being offered as part of East Midlands Accelerator; a £5.27 million project part-funded by the UK Government through the UK Community Renewal Fund (UKCRF), and which has received an additional £471k of match funding from the Chamber and its partners.

The project is being delivered in the seven areas of the East Midlands that the Government has chosen for UKCRF support, namely: Bassetlaw, Derbyshire Dales, High Peak, Leicester City, Mansfield, Newark and Sherwood, and Nottingham City.

The first 400 businesses to sign up from an eligible UKCRF area – regardless of whether they are a Chamber member or not – will be granted one year’s fully-subsidised access to Zellar.

Chamber deputy chief executive Diane Beresford, said,

“The importance of net zero to the East Midlands Accelerator project is reflected in the fact that it forms one of five key strands. In fact, it’s a condition of the Accelerator grants and growth vouchers that a business commits to a sustainability plan within six months of receiving the funding. By helping businesses gain green business skills, invest in net zero business practices, and access financial support to start their journey towards net zero or carbon neutrality, we’re building a much more sustainable East Midlands. The Zellar platform is at the heart of that ambition.”

Gary Styles, CEO and Founder of Zellar, added,

“As a proud Leicestershire resident, I know only too well the important role that East Midlands industry plays in the national economy. From the manufacturing powerhouses of our cities to the cottage industries of the Peaks and Dales, every business can, in some way, reduce their carbon footprint. Businesses need and want to stand up and be counted and change their energy-inefficient business practices, especially as energy costs are so high right now. The problem is they don’t always know how!

“East Midlands Chamber is our flagship Chamber project, and we’re delighted to be partnering in such an active, innovative region. We’ll be hosting dedicated drop-in sessions for eligible East Midlands businesses every Wednesday, and look forward to showing them how best to use Zellar to achieve their sustainability goals and build a forward-thinking sustainable business community.

Visit zellar.com to find out more about how Zellar can help your business save energy and costs. Use discount code 7GF7HSBAEWD4 for your one year free access when you checkout. Click here to sign up (discount automatically applied).

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Notes to Editors

i.  This project is part-funded by the UK Government through the UK Community Renewal Fund.
The UK Community Renewal Fund is a UK Government programme for 2021/22. This aims to support people and communities most in need across the UK to pilot programmes and new approaches to prepare for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. 

It invests in skills, community and place, local business, and supporting people into employment.  More information is available from:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-community-renewal-fund- prospectus

ii.            The East Midlands Accelerator project has received £5.27 million from the UK Government through the UK Community Renewal Fund. is being delivered under five strands:

1.    Net Zero Accelerator.

2.    Digital Transformation Accelerator.

3.    Start Up to Scale Up Accelerator.

4.    Kickstart Accelerator.

5.    Financial Accelerator.

iii.           Zellar empowers business leaders to rise to the challenge of climate change by making sustainability simple and actionable. It supports UK businesses with a single, actionable view of their emissions and step-by-step guidance on how to lead on sustainability.
https://zellar.com

For more information about this media release, contact Dan Robinson, Media and Communications Manager, on 07764 431028 or dan.robinson@emc-dnl.co.uk.