Workplace Travel Grants from Plymouth City Council Cover East Cornwall
The workplace travel grants form part of the Plymouth City Council's Productive Plymouth Programme for sustainable transport measures funded by the Department for Transport’s "Transforming Cities Fund (TFC)".
The TCF projects, collectively, are designed to reduce congestion, improve air quality and help the city prosper by investing in infrastructure to improve sustainable transport connectivity on key commuter routes across the Plymouth city region.
Scheme summary
£750,000 is being made available to local businesses to invest in capital schemes which help employees travel sustainably to, from and whilst at work.
As part of the Council’s Productive Plymouth Transforming Cities Fund programme, funded by the Department for Transport, the Council is providing workplace travel grants of up to £25,000 to local businesses to help them introduce measures to enable more trips to be made by sustainable transport.
The grants are match-funded grants with the Council investing up to £25,000, per business, in a scheme. The Council’s contribution is a maximum of 75% of the pre-VAT scheme cost.
Projects which can be funded through the grants include secure cycle parking, pool bikes, workplace shower facilities and electric vehicle charging points. However, bids aren’t limited to these ideas and the Council is keen to hear innovative proposals to tackle issues specific to a company.
The funding will be awarded on a first come first award basis to eligible projects until the funds are fully allocated.
Applications from businesses for the 2020/21 grants will be accepted between Monday 26 October 2020 and Friday 15 January 2021. All schemes funded this year must be delivered by mid-March with proof of delivery and supporting invoices submitted to Plymouth City Council by Thursday 25 March 2021.
Successful applicants will be supported by the Council’s Plymotion at Your Workplace personalised travel planning team to help ensure maximum impact from the grant.
Who is eligible to apply for the grants?
Grants are available for businesses within the Plymouth City Region;
What can the grants available through the scheme be used for?
Grants awarded through the scheme must be used for investment in capital rather revenue projects.
Projects which can be funded through the scheme include:-
- Site access improvements for walking and cycling
- Improved cycle parking
- Provision of shower / drying / changing facilities
- Electric vehicle (EV) charge points and associated signage.
The above list is not exhaustive and we encourage applicants to be innovative in their scheme proposals.
Application Form
All applicants must complete in entirety the scheme application form. Failure to do so may result in your application being unsuccessful.
The applicant must have the authority to apply for the Workplace Travel Grant on behalf of the organisation making the application.
The application pack, which includes the application form and the terms and conditions of the scheme, is available to download below, along with the scheme guidance;
Grant Funding
A maximum of £25,000, can be awarded per organisation for the purpose of providing financial help towards provision of sustainable workplace travel projects.
Only one grant allocation can be made per organisation in any financial year (subject to State Aid and De Minimis regulations). Another application is permissible after that year, although the maximum amount awarded to a single organisation across all years that TCF Workplace Travel Grants are available for, is £25,000.
Businesses are required to contribute a minimum of 25% of the pre-VAT scheme cost.
To benefit from financial support, employers are required to undertake site wide staff travel surveys. The first survey will need to be undertaken after confirmation of the grant being awarded and before the scheme is completed. A subsequent survey, one year after completion of the scheme, will be required to monitor changes in travel habits following the delivery of the project.
The grant must be used for sustainable workplace transport projects that help to improve accessibility to workplaces, whislt also reducing congestion, improving air quality and reducing carbon emissions.
