The Waste & Resources Action Programme’s (WRAP) Advantage West Midlands (AWM) programme is offering grants of worth around GBP200,000 to West Midlands recycling businesses, investing in new or expanded commercial and industrial waste capacity. The businesses can receive up to 50% funding towards capital costs to collect, recycle or reprocess commercial and industrial waste from the region with eligible items including support for plant and equipment, machinery, civil engineering and buildings.

The grants are being offered as part of a package of support of a total worth of GBP5 million that is being delivered by WRAP on behalf of AWM.

Julia Turner, WRAP’s AWM Programme manager, said: “Recycling companies embarking on projects to expand and improve their services can get up to 50% of capital costs paid for if their grant application is successful.

“Grants are available to recyclers and reprocessors and by that we mean those businesses that are adding value to waste through processing and businesses collecting material that is recycled. This could include a range of materials from wood to plastics, paper or glass. Similarly, manufacturers that use recycled materials may also be eligible for support if they are developing a new process or if they are focused on improving the quality of the waste materials.

The grants now available through the WRAP AWM programme are part of the support being offered to recycling businesses in the West Midlands. Later in 2008, the firms will be able to apply to the programme for one of several larger scale capital grants worth up to 30% of a project’s capital costs.

In addition to grants, the WRAP AWM programme also funds the provision of business development services to recycling companies. These services, which are available free of charge, include assistance with:

Business planning;

Raising finance;

Technical advice;

Marketing strategy development;

Funding for interim managers;

Funding for senior management training in all areas of business management; and

Identifying and protecting intellectual property.