Low Carbon Eco Innovatory champions sustainable growth with local businesses

65 Liverpool City Region businesses supported by LCEI

More than 65 businesses across the Liverpool City Region have been support by LJMU's Low Carbon Eco-Innovatory (LCEI) team. Crosby Coffee, in Merseyside is the latest business to benefit from a LCEI business grant.

The £20,000 Low Carbon Eco-Innovatory (LCEI) business grant has enabled the independent coffee roaster and café to invest in further sustainable growth by upgrading their roasting facility, to enhance its production capacity, while reducing its environmental impact. The total £160,000 investment will enable Crosby Coffee to roast coffee with 70% more efficiency.

LJMU LCEI researcher, Dr Cameron Kelly, analysed the impact of the coffee roasters’ investment, revealing impressive sustainability benefits including a potential financial saving of £8,612.35 per year reduction in energy bills and carbon savings of up to 25.96 tonnes CO2e per year (equivalent to driving an average-sized car 96,805 miles in the UK). The LCEI team will continue to work with the business to monitor carbon savings and further develop sustainable strategies for the business.

Businesses across Merseyside benefit from LCEI

Crosby Coffee is not the only business to benefit from the Low Carbon Eco-Innovatory. Since it began in October 2023, the LCEI team at LJMU has supported more than 65 businesses across Merseyside to access the UK SPF Capital Grant Scheme of £900,000 and has support businesses such as Kenay Ltd and Oakhurst LTD who have financially invested in their organisations, creating job opportunities, and reducing the carbon impact for the region.

Kenay Ltd, a Runcorn-based napkin manufacturer, received a £20,000 LCEI grant towards a £40,000 investment in a more efficient printing machine, reducing carbon emissions by 1.73 tonnes CO2e annually. Oakhurst Ltd, a Southport-based construction firm, secured £20,000 in funding to install an advanced air filtration system as part of a £65,773 investment, cutting up to 3 tonnes CO2e in its first year.  The grants are just two of many supported by the  LCEI’s commitment to helping local businesses transition to greener, more efficient operations while driving long-term cost savings.

What is the Low Carbon Eco-Innovatory (LCEI)?

The LCEI is a partnership between Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) and the University of Liverpool, funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund with the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority as the lead authority.

The LCEI provides low-carbon assistance to businesses across the Liverpool City Region (LCR) through match-funded grants of up to 50% for low-carbon installations and equipment, helping businesses decarbonise and improve energy efficiency. The team at LJMU provides extensive support through grant application, procurement and funding processes to ensure a smooth transition for businesses to a greener more efficient production process, blending university-led research with a capital grant fund, as business progress toward their Net Zero goals.

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is a £2.6 billion initiative supporting local businesses, skills development, and community investments across the UK, aiming to enhance sustainability, economic growth, and environmental responsibility.

Find out more about the Low Carbon Eco-Innovatory on the LJMU website.