West Dunbartonshire Council has been successful in receiving funding from Scottish Enterprise through the Can Do Green Heat Retrofit Innovation Challenge.

The council is now seeking up to three companies to collaborate with it to develop technology and concepts for net zero heating and hot water supply systems in flatted and other types of properties which offer value for money for tenants. A total of £50,000 is available per company.

Depending on the successful concept, a prototype may be developed and a further funding application could be made to Scottish Enterprise to take this forward and trial the technology in homes.

Although the solution can take aspects from other industries and sectors, it cannot already exist as a fully formed concept.

Each of the three successful bidders will be supported to develop their concept by experienced officers from West Dunbartonshire Council and North Lanarkshire Council. They will have three months to assess the technical and commercial feasibility of their solution with a view to maximising efficiency and quality in social housing retrofit for the benefits of the tenants and the environment.

Chief officer of Housing and Employability, Peter Barry, said: “We have a strong history of innovative heating technologies in West Dunbartonshire and it is important that further opportunities are available to develop technology for specific scenarios.

“I am delighted that an application to this fund by West Dunbartonshire Council has been successful and that the council will be involved in leading the way in further innovation which could lead to the provision of cost effective solutions for housing throughout Scotland.”

Details can be found on the Public Contracts Scotland website.