How To Get Green Business Grants.
Green business grants are a relatively new phenomenon and have proliferated as sustainability becomes more and more popular within the business world. Ensuring the future of the planet takes a collective effort and promoting sustainability in existing and new companies is critical. To that end, many governments, organizations and private individuals are offering green business grants to entrepreneurs who have viable ideas for starting businesses designed to boost environmental sustainability. Entrepreneurs just need a solid business plan and a vision of the role their business can play in helping to jump-start the green economy. Once these business people can clearly demonstrate that their venture is sustainable and has a significant positive impact on the environment, then they may well qualify for green business grants to start or expand their green business.
If you are thinking about starting a new business that will boost the environmental sustainability, then we strongly suggest reading this article because it is very helpful and educational. We believe that you will find all the answers to your question that you might have about green business grants.
Even if your idea for a green business entails retrofitting an existing company to make it eco-friendlier you may qualify for a grant. Organizations are offering grants for green construction projects, renewable energy sources or businesses working to create and market green products. With vision, a solid business plan and a commitment to environmental sustainability businesses can qualify for funding from a great many sources. Whether your company is involved in producing green technologies like bio-fuels, waste recycling, alternative energy sources or green nanotechnology, government and private sources of funds for start-up or expansion are available.
Who Qualifies for Green Business Grants?
All manner of businesses qualifies for green business grants. However certain types of businesses may find funding from a wider variety of sources. If your company is involved in the production of alternative energy sources you can qualify for grants. It does not matter if your company is focused on transforming solar, wind or water energy into power people can use in their homes and businesses, funding is available to you. Are you building a company which will turn waste products into usable materials and energy? Then, chances are that you can qualify for a green grant. Even businesses like organic farming can qualify for grants if they use sustainable farming practices and sell their products locally. Indeed, this is an ideal time to seek funding for organic food and local production and distribution as these types of ventures become increasingly popular due to consumer demand. Eco-travel is a burgeoning field. Each year more and more people are opting to spend their vacation time on eco-friendly activities and at resorts and hotels that have some form of sustainability certification. If your company organizes and runs these activities there is money available to help you to do it bigger and better and have more of an impact. Even if your company just uses recycled materials or uses renewable or green energy in its production or makes a product which is 100% recyclable, there are organizations willing to help you by giving you some funding.
The grants come from many different sources. Governments all over the world have set aside significant amounts of tax free dollars for entrepreneurs interested in participating in the green economy. State and local governments also offer grants for green businesses. Corporations offer them too. For example, the media giant, CBS has also set aside fund to support green businesses. They recently awarded a grant to a California company to put solar panels on the houses and businesses on Telegraph Hill in San Francisco. CBS also funded an energy efficient retrofit including solar panels for Miami City Hall, green makeovers for schools in San Francisco, Miami and Illinois and the installation of solar panels at the Long Beach Airport.
Numerous other non-governmental organizations are also offering green business grants. The employee retention strategies company Retensa is offering a number of grants to green businesses. The money can be used to start a new green business, turn an old business green or expand an already existing green business. A host of public utility companies also have set aside money to help people start, improve or expand green businesses. PPL Electric Utilities in the Lehigh Valley is one of them. Even Wal-Mart has gotten into the act. They recently gave over $400,000 to fund companies working on making their supply chain greener.
There are many benefits to these grant programs. They allow for the development of green businesses which might otherwise not have gotten off the ground. They create an incentive for entrepreneurs to focus on businesses which aid environmental sustainability. The grants also prompt many businesses to look at ways they can make their operations greener. For some buying the technology may have been prohibitive without the grants. With the grants they can confidently work towards their vision of a greener company, a greener community and a greener world. Ultimately the drive to create green businesses will trickle down to the children. If 10% of business students turn their focus towards environmentally sustainable businesses, they can have a profound impact on global ecology.
In the long run everyone benefits when more businesses go green. Everyone shares the finite natural resources of this little blue planet. Focusing the energy of large segments of the population on creating businesses that are environmentally friendly improves the quality of life for everyone. The primary purpose of green business grants is for every business to be aware of their environmental impact and take steps not only to mitigate the damage their production methods and products cause, but to actively work towards a greener planet.
The available green business grants vary greatly in the size of their awards. They range in value from a few hundred dollars to millions of dollars for major projects. No business is too big or too small to qualify. All it requires is a vision, a viable business model and a plan to help the environment. Some young people will see these grants and they will be inspired to think globally and act locally. Here at Bright Green Talent we are going to let you know about where you can obtain green business grants and how you can best position yourself to win them. By doing this we hope to help stimulate eco entrepreneurship and make a positive contribution to a Bright Green Future.