Low Emission Zone Support Fund for Businesses
The Scottish Government is introducing Low Emission Zones (LEZs) across Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee between February and May 2022
Eligible Scottish micro businesses and sole traders can apply for up to £2,500 to take older, more polluting vehicles off the road and move towards cleaner transport options. This is for operating vehicles that are not compliant with the proposed Low Emission Zone (LEZ) standards, in Scotland’s four largest cities.
To be eligible, businesses must be operating LEZ non-compliant vehicles within 20 kilometres of a planned LEZ and dispose of their vehicle with an authorised treatment facility.
Note that It is expected applicants will replace vehicles with sustainable travel options.
Who is this for?
Micro businesses and sole traders operating in and around Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee.
Is my business eligible?
To be eligible for the LEZ Support Fund, you must meet all of the following criteria:
- your business must have an operating site within 20km of a planned low emission zone
- your business must own a vehicle that does not meet the minimum emissions standards for low emission zones:
-
- Euro 3 or older petrol vehicles – this generally applies to vehicles registered before 2006
- Euro 5 or older diesel vehicles – this generally applies to vehicles registered before September 2015
- the vehicle must hold a current MOT and be taxed
- the vehicle must be registered in the name of the business owner or under the business name
- the vehicle must have been owned before 17 September 2020 and used for business operational purposes
Your business must also be an active micro business or a sole trader. To fit this definition, you must:
- employ no more than 9 full-time employees
- have a turnover of £632,000 or less, or a balance sheet of up to £316,000 in the preceding and current financial year
Full eligibility criteria can be found by following the link to the Energy Saving Trust website at the bottom of this blog.
How long does this take?
All applications will be reviewed within 10 working days.
Once a grant is offered, businesses will have 3 months to dispose of their vehicle with an authorised treatment facility and submit the claim paperwork. Once this has been processed, the grant payment will be released.
You should not take action to dispose of the vehicle until you have received a grant offer letter.
Funding is subject to availability on a first come, first served basis until 31 March 2022.
https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/grants-and-loans/low-emission-zone-support-fund-for-businesses/
https://findbusinesssupport.gov.scot/service/funding/low-emission-zone-support-fund-for-businesses
Photo by Michael Marais on Unsplash
The information in this blog provides only an overview of Scottish Government guidance and legislation in force at the date of publication and no action should be taken without consulting the detailed Scottish Government guidance and legislation or seeking professional advice. Therefore no responsibility for loss occasioned by any person acting or refraining from action as a result of the material contained in this blog can be accepted by the firm.
