LOCAL businesses have been given grants totalling £888,631 to make them more efficient.

The Resource Efficiency Fund provides businesses in the Leeds City Region with grants to improve productivity and efficiency.

These can include improving heating, lighting and other efficiency schemes.

It runs until the end of December and provides advice and funding of up to £10,000 to companies to identify and implement improvements related to their use of resources.

At a meeting of West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s Business, Innovation and Growth Panel on Wednesday members will hear that 158 grant applications have been approved, with payments totalling £ 888,631 having been made to 139 businesses.

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Funded projects include wood waste burners, lighting, and insulation improvements.

To date, total estimated carbon savings across all approved projects is 2,409 tonnes a year, with estimated savings to the recipient-businesses of £655,891 a year.

It is jointly funded by the Local Growth Fund and the European Regional Development Fund.

The panel meets at 2pm in Wellington House, Leeds on Wednesday.