Extend Plus Programme

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Glasgow City Council recognises that reaching Net Zero and building resilience to climate change is a challenge for businesses. To help meet this, and to help address the challenge of rising energy costs, as part of its Green Deal, the Council has introduced a new programme in partnership with the University of Strathclyde to offer businesses a free GHG  (Greenhouse Gas) Carbon baseline via their Extend Plus programme.  

This programme is offered at no cost to the business and is funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The Extend Plus team will support SMEs to complete a GHG (Greenhouse Gas) Carbon Baseline which will serve as a foundation for businesses to understand their current carbon footprint, and detail recommendations for reduction of carbon emissions, potential cost savings and CO2 savings (tonnes per annum).  This in turn will support Glasgow businesses to gain additional insights on their journey towards Net Zero.

What is a GHG (Greenhouse Gas) Carbon Baseline?

A GHG carbon baseline serves as a comprehensive measurement of a business's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.  It acts as a one-year snapshot, essentially providing a starting point for the business to begin their journey to carbon neutrality or Net Zero.

What are the benefits of a Carbon Baseline? 

The benefits of a Carbon Baseline are that it supports businesses to not only comprehend their current carbon emissions but also track changes and progress over time. It plays a crucial role in setting goals, monitoring performance, and developing effective strategies for reducing emissions and contributing to sustainability and climate goals. 

To make it easier GHG emissions are split into 3 categories, scope 1, scope 2, and scope 3. 

• Scope 1 - emissions are direct greenhouse emissions that occur from sources that are owned by the company (e.g. burned fuel in boilers, vehicles).
• Scope 2 - emissions are indirect emissions associated with purchase or electricity, steam, or cooling.

• Scope 3 - emissions which the company is indirectly responsible for up and down its value chain, (eg  products or services purchased by the company, waste, commuting).

What information is required from a Business to complete the Carbon Baseline?

In order to complete a Carbon Baseline, businesses should provide the Extend Plus team with information relating (but not limited) to:

• The business's current energy use in terms of types of fuel use and typical annual costs e.g gas, electricity, oil, LPG, Biomass etc (This information could be obtained from energy bills for the last 12 months).
• The business's current number of staff who work from home/ commute to site.
• The business's current number of staff who commute (e.g via rail, cycling, bus, walking, personal vehicle) and distance travelled per week.
• The business's current number of staff who travel for business (e.g via air, road, maritime, train) and distance travelled per week.
• The business's volume of waste disposed. e.g monthly/ annually.

• Additional information regarding goods and services procured by the business.

What does it cost?

This is a free service. There are no upfront costs to businesses and no financial contribution required.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for support, you should be:

• A community interest company, limited company, limited liability partnership, public limited company, sole trader or a registered social enterprise.     
• Employ fewer than 250 employees.
• Have a turnover of no more than £36,000,000 per annum.
• Operate from within Glasgow City Council boundary and, in business premises, must be registered with the Non Domestic Rates office within the Council (Postcode checker: https://www.gov.uk/find-local-council). Please also be aware there have been some recent changes to the Small Business Support Scheme. Details of these changes can be found here.
• Businesses must be compliant with Minimal Financial Assistance threshold of £315,000 over the current and the previous two financial years. The threshold will not be exceeded by the amount the business will receive if access to programme is approved. 
• Must not be engaged in any activities such as gambling or other industries that could be deemed unethical.

The following are not eligible for funding:

• Businesses who possess undischarged bankrupts, subject to insolvency proceedings or an individual who has entered an arrangement with his/her creditors (including a trust deed).
• Any community groups.
• Any voluntary organisations.

Any outstanding debts to Glasgow City Council will be taken into consideration.

Application Process

To apply please complete our Application form. 

Once we have received your application form a Business Support Officer will review your application and eligibility. If your application is approved, an award letter will be issued, and your details referred to the Extend Plus programme team.

Please note that due to the process the Extend Plus team follow, we assume that all applicants have availability and resource to engage in this programme of support immediately.

If you are interested in the programme but not available to commence immediately, please email greenbusinesssupport@glasgow.gov.uk to express your interest and advise regarding availability.

Next Steps

1. The Extend Plus Project Coordinator will contact the business within 48 hours of the referral being made. 
2. The Extend Plus team will then email the business to schedule a 20 minute call and send out the Extend Plus GCR Checklist (PDF, 110 KB)  for review. Please note that this checklist provides a prompt as to the information the Extend Plus team will require for the baseline assessment. The form does not ask the business to provide the information but gives the business an idea of what they may be asked to provide.
3. The introduction call is so that Extend Plus team can find out more about the business and to establish the aims of the business; during which a site visit will be scheduled with the business (generally within 2 weeks of the introduction call)
4. The Extend Plus team will then send out a data collection spreadsheet to the business which they are asked to update ideally prior to the site visit.
5. The aim of the site visit is to gather further information by observing how the business operates and identifying potential opportunities to reduce the emissions produced by the operations and to support the business to complete the data collection spreadsheet.
6. Once the spreadsheet has been returned and the site visit completed, the Extend Plus team will complete the calculations to establish the GHG Baseline and produce a report, which will be sent to the business.
7. If needed, another call will be scheduled by the Extend Plus Programme with the business to clarify the report.
8. The deliverable from this project is a GHG Carbon baseline report, where the business will find their emissions split by scope, with some recommendations for their reduction.
9. The completed report can also be used in conjunction with any GCC Green Business Grant  where the business and proposed scope of works is eligible.

Conditions of Support

• A condition of the programme is that applicants will be required to provide data on the impact that the programme has made on energy use and/or carbon emissions.

• The programme closes to new applications on 31^st January 2025 or when funding for places is fully allocated (whichever is earlier).

Unacceptable Actions Policy

Our staff are here to assist you with your business enquiry however, insulting or abusive behaviour towards our staff will not be tolerated.  Please note that our services may be withdrawn in line with our Unacceptable Actions Policy if anyone is considered as being abusive.

Testimonials

The Extend Plus team supported ABC to complete our Carbon Baseline which establishes our current carbon footprint. The interaction with the team, the comprehensive analysis and insights provided have enabled us to consider our carbon footprint carefully. The report's clarity and actionable recommendations have assisted us to develop our strategy for reducing our emissions. We would recommend the Extend Plus Programme to any organisation committed to their environmental responsibility.

- Mark Sneddon, Director at Anderson Bell + Christie

The Extend Plus Programme made the process of assessing our carbon baseline straightforward and insightful. While I had some ideas of areas where we could improve, their thorough evaluation of our organisation identified overlooked opportunities and provided practical methods to enhance both our carbon and cost efficiency. The report
gave us a clearer path to becoming more sustainable, and I would highly recommend this service to other SMEs looking to make a positive environmental impact.

- Alice Jacobs, Burn Street Studios

King Size Recycling are grateful to have had the opportunity to work with the Extend Plus Programme who supported us by preparing our Carbon Baseline Report. The report was very detailed and comprehensive. They highlighted areas where we could improve our carbon footprint, by suggesting possible solutions that were manageable and
affordable. We would recommend any business who are eco conscious and trying to be environmentally friendly to take part. Small changes have a big impact on our planet!

- Lorraine, King Size Recycling

Participating in the Extend Plus Programme has been an incredibly valuable experience for our business. The process of obtaining a carbon baseline report was both seamless and insightful. It has provided us with a clear understanding of our carbon footprint and actionable steps to move forward on our sustainability journey.
The team's professionalism and expertise stood out, making what initially felt like a complex undertaking straightforward and accessible. I would highly recommend this programme to any SME looking to take meaningful steps toward becoming more environmentally responsible.

- Qasim, Managing Director at IKrush

We worked with the Extend Plus team recently to gain a more thorough understanding of our business's environmental impact. The procedure was simple and the team were great to deal with, offering clear guidance and useful advice throughout the process, which resulted in a comprehensive report. We now have a solid set of data to work from
and a number of recommendations which we're using as the basis of a plan to significantly reduce our carbon footprint. I'd heartily recommend the programme to any small business.

- Phil, Simple Things Fermentations

The Extend Plus baseline has been valuable in helping our team gain a deeper understanding of our environmental impact and effectively measure it. The report provided a clear set of actionable recommendations that not only reduce our carbon footprint but also offer cost-saving opportunities. In addition to guiding our internal environmental policies, the baseline report has become a valuable resource for client discussions. As interest grows around the role of
suppliers in achieving net zero, having this evidence-based report strengthens our position and credibility.
The process itself was straightforward, and as an SME, we were pleased to find the costs fully covered. We recommend this service to other SMEs seeking to improve their sustainability practices.

- Chris Kelly, Director at EKOS

I had a wonderful experience working with the Extend Plus team to review the company's current carbon footprint. The information and advice they provided will help us immensely on our journey to Net Zero.

- Eleanor, Clubhouse Animations

Right There - are a Glasgow Based Third Sector organisation providing safe homes, emotional wellbeing, family support and community outreach through programmes to meet the ever changing needs of the communities we work with. Having Extend Plus support in delivering our Carbon Baseline assessment has equipped our organisation
with firm proposals to mitigate the impact of climate change and reduce our carbon emissions.

- Richard, Right There

We are incredibly grateful for the support and expertise of Glasgow City Council and the Extend Plus Team to complete our Carbon Baseline report. The team's support and guidance throughout the process were invaluable.
The funding received through the Extend Plus Programme for solar panels and EV bays means Gray & Dick can take a significant step forward in our commitment to sustainability.
We're excited to reduce our carbon footprint and contribute to a greener future for our clients, our community, and Scotland

- Stuart Gray, Director at Gray & Dick

For smaller businesses it can sometimes be difficult to commit the resources required to get a Carbon Baseline Report, but it couldn't have been easier. The regular updates and communication, technical knowledge, and quick turnaround of two weeks has helped us get the information we need to reduce our carbon footprint.
We have been delighted with the whole process, and we are grateful to the team for delivering such an efficient and timely result.

- Martin McElroy, Chief Executive at Bartmulloch Community Development Company Ltd

Advanced Building Contractors had been unsure on how to undertake a carbon base line report and the support and assistance we received from the extend plus scheme was fantastic. It has allowed us to understand what is required and set a base year that we are now using to work towards being carbon neutral. The team were fast, efficient and clearly explained to us what was required and we are now working on reducing our carbon footprint with the recent adding of a PHEV van to our fleet that we wouldn't have ordered without the guidance of the report.

- Fraser Cattanach, Managing Director at Advanced Building Contractors Limited

The Extend Plus team worked with us at Sunshine No.1 to research our carbon footprint, level of sustainability and produce a Carbon Baseline Report. As a small business it can be daunting to try to understand how to measure our climate footprint and the most appropriate steps to reduce it. Working with Extend Plus made this
a much easier process. Their report was clear and easy to understand and it provided me with a vision of how to progress, both in the short and long term. They were very thorough in their work with us and I was impressed by their individual approach to my business, not just employing a 'one size fits all' approach. I now have a comprehensive and understandable report to plan actions to reduce our climate footprint and a baseline to measure against.
I would highly recommend the Extend Plus Programme to any organisation, whether small or large, that would like to understand and implement an environmental and sustainability policy.

- Suzi, Sunshine No 1

Related Content

Related Articles

• Green Business Grant

Documents

• Extend Plus Programme Guidance Notes (Word doc, 105 KB)
• Extend Plus GCR Checklist (PDF, 110 KB)
• Green Business Support Guide (PDF, 224 KB)(opens new window)
• Green Business Support programme FAQs (PDF, 257 KB)(opens new window)

Links

• Business Glasgow Newsletter Sign Up
• Invest Glasgow Newsletter Sign Up

This project is funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.  Successful applicants should follow UK Shared Prosperity Fund branding and publicity requirements. Please click here for details.