Decision details

A successful bid was submitted to the Innovation Funding Service (Innovate UK) for £2.6m, with £220,000 allocated to Sheffield City Council to enable two repowered refuse collection vehicles to be trailed in Sheffield.

This funding has been awarded as part of a project to trial a total of four repowered refuse collection vehicles in 2 different Local Authorities, Sheffield and Westminster. The project is made up of six partners including Veolia who will be responsible for operating the vehicles in Sheffield as part of their Waste Contract with Sheffield Council.

The Council was notified of its successful bid on the 3^rd April 2018. The report seeks approval to accept and spend the grant in line with the deliverables agreed with the Innovate Funding Service as set out in the report. 

That the Director of Business, Strategy and Regulation:-

(i)         approves the collaboration agreement that will be used to deliver the project; and

(ii)        notes the successful bid of the £220,000 grant and delegates to the Director of Finance and Commercial Services and Director of Legal and Governance and Executive Director, People Services, the power to finalise the grant funding agreement in accordance with council procedures.

By accepting the grant, the Council will be taking part in a project that if successful, will put Sheffield at the forefront of the transition to zero emission medium and heavy goods vehicles.

The Council will also benefit from having two zero emission refuse collections on the Veolia fleet in Sheffield following the completion of the trial. 

The only alternative option was to reject the opportunity of being part of the project.