Businesses in Greater Manchester are being invited to bid for a share of £500,000 in funding for energy efficiency projects.

That could include lighting, heating or equipment upgrades such as a new LED lighting system, heating technologies and replacement drives or motors, that can help reduce their energy bills and environmental impact.

Applicants must be trading business to business and based in Bury, Wigan, Bolton, Rochdale, Oldham, Salford, Tameside, Manchester, Trafford or Stockport.

The grants of between £1,000 to £12,500, from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and Northern Powerhouse and administered by Business Growth Hub, are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Applications will be assessed by benchmarking costs against current market rates for the chosen technology to ensure projects offer value for money and the potential carbon savings of implementing the chosen technology compared to other alternative technologies.

Businesses must commit to having the technology installed and paying the supplier before reclaiming the grant.