Carbon Trust support in green entrepreneurs

July 21st 2010

The Carbon Trust is supporting new business ideas in the low-carbon industry with a new service.

Start-up support such as research and development grants, commercialisation consultancy and networking opportunities will all be provided by the group's Entrepreneurs Fast Track scheme.

Businesses and investors have welcomed the initiative, which has been devised to transform potentially high-risk start-ups into viable investment projects.

The group has allocated some £5 million a year to the scheme in a bid to drive up investment in green technologies across the UK.

Sir James Dyson CBE said the UK can become a "leading exporter" of low-carbon technologies if the right level of support is provided.

"Inventive British companies that invest in research and development are seen as a risky proposition. But this Carbon Trust scheme supports the UK’s most promising low-carbon technologies by moving quickly to commercialise new ideas," he said.

Energy and climate change minister Greg Barker said the new service will be an effective incentive for companies in the low-carbon sector.

"This will be vital in growing the UK's low-carbon industry, creating new jobs and tackling climate change," he said.