Enterprise Zone companies urged to apply to travel grant scheme

Businesses on Hereford Enterprise Zone at Skylon Park are being urged to take up a funding scheme which could help meet some of the cost of staff working from home and boost sustainable travel options in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Herefordshire Council’s TravelFund Grant makes up to £2,000 available to support sustainable access to work and help cut business mileage.

This year the scheme is prioritising applications supporting home-working and business delivery services in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.

Hereford Enterprise Zone chairman Andrew Manning Cox said the scheme could help businesses as they started to recover from the impact of the lockdown.

“The TravelFund Grant can make up to 100 per cent of the cost of providing equipment to enable employees to work at home, up to the maximum of £2,000.

“Companies have had to move very rapidly to adjust to these new circumstances and this scheme can provide welcome support at a time when it is very urgently needed.

“We have worked hard to make sure Skylon Park encourages all forms of sustainable travel, and I would urge all our companies to investigate how this scheme can help them to reduce business mileage.”

The grants are available on a first come, first served basis with this year’s scheme aiming to support as many businesses as possible with finance for remote access to work – such as video conferencing and licensing costs – and cargo bikes for business use.

Deadline for applications is October 31 but companies are being urged to apply as soon as possible, with applications being considered as soon as they are received.

For more information about the scheme visit http://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/travelfundgrant

Skylon Park – the UK’s only Enterprise Zone with a defence and security focus – is nearly 50 per cent occupied. It is home to 38 businesses and 660 workers with another 1,000 jobs identified.