Welcome to Community Energy England's funding opportunities page, where we gather a range of ongoing and time-limited funding from a wide range of sources and regions, all relevant to community energy organisations in England.
Local authority funding spreadsheet
We have created a spreadsheet to help you assess and access new central government (and some other) funds that will be channelled mostly via local authorities. This will help you know what is out there and argue for your inclusion in local authority bids for these funds. Access the spreadsheet here.
Grant application advice
CEE convened a Grant applications workshop during Community Energy Fortnight 2023. It is here on our YouTube channel. Notes from the workshop are also available here.
All other funding
Click the links below to skip to a particular section.
1. Latest funding opportunities
2. Grant funding
3. Location-based grant funding
4. Council climate funds
5. Grant funding organisations
6. Financing organisations
7. Crowdfunding
Latest Funding Opportunities
Heat Network Efficiency Scheme
Public, private and third sector organisations in England and Wales can apply for funding to improve the performance of existing heat networks. The £32 million Heat Network Efficiency Scheme will provide funding to heat network operators to make improvements to existing heat networks or communal heating projects that are not performing to their maximum efficiency, resulting in better outcome for customers and operators. The scheme will provide up to 50% funding for capital works, and up to 100% funding for Optimisation studies.
Government "Find a grant service"
The government's new "Find a grant" service allows you to search government grants. It is currently a pilot service and you can use it to access government grant funding, search and filter to find a grant that matches your needs, find out if you are eligible to apply for a grant and how to apply for a grant.
Climate Action Fund - Energy and Climate
This funding is available for a UK-wide Learning Network to support community-driven energy projects across the UK. They expect to fund 8-12 large awards in total (minimum grant £500k). You can find out more about this funding in this blog here, or attend a virtual event on 21 March/ 18 April/ 16 May/ 20 June. The deadline for applications is expected to be December 2023 - please apply when you are ready. Partnerships are key to successful applications - start consolidating them now.
Energy Redress Fund (Innovation and Carbon Reduction focus)
The Energy Redress Fund, administered by Energy Savings Trust, 4 funds avaliable in a multi-million pound funding pot. Eligibility of Innovation and Carbon Reduction funds now open to community businesses (CBS, CICs and Co-ops), not just charities. We have have collated a specific and public page with more details on the fund here.
Awards4All and The People's Postcode Lottery (supporting staff and employment costs)
These two funds were noted as particularly useful for helping organisations support employment and staff costs associated with projects. Awards4All is up to £10,000 and the Postcode Lottery, up to £25,000.
Baywind Energy Co-operative Ltd (£1 million for solar and hydro sites)
Baywind Energy Co-operative Ltd is a mature community energy organisation actively looking for solar sites (above 20kW) and hydro sites. They are focused in Cumbria, but are open to support projects across the country. They will also be able to help install, maintain and own solar systems for 20 years at cost of a unit price much lower than commercial rates for those interested. For more information, please contact Steve Lawer: stevelawler1@hotmail.co.uk
Community Business Crowdmatch
Power to Change and Crowdfunder have launched the Community Business Crowdmatch. Power to Change will match up to 50% of targets, up to a maximum of £10,000, where the rest is raised through crowdfunding.
Green Heat Network Fund
The Green Heat Network Fund is a capital grant support available for the development of new and existing low and zero-carbon heat networks. The fund is available to a range of organisations and the first round of applications opens on 14 March, followed by quarterly rounds until 2025.
Grant Funding
National Lottery: The Community Organisation Cost of Living Fund
This funding is for organisations that support people and communities in England under severe pressure because of the increased cost of living. By community we mean people living in the same local area. The main priority is to fund organisations supporting low-income households and individuals. You can apply for between £10,000 and £75,000. The deadline for applications is 16 October 2023 at 12 noon. They will start funding organisations in October 2023, and finish in January 2024. If you get funding you must spend it by 31 March 2024.
Patagonia Grant Scheme
Outdoor brand Patagonia supports organisations with bold, direct-action agendas and a commitment to long-term change. Patagonia provides funding for organisations that build involvement and civic engagement and work to build an inclusive and diverse environmental movement, among other criteria.
Community Business Crowd Match
Power to Change has launched this support package as part of the Community Business Renewal Initiative. The package includes funding, support to fundraising, guidance for community business leaders and help to continue and adapt services to ensure community businesses are at the heart of national recovery.
National Lottery: Growing Great Ideas
The National Lottery is looking to invest in different compositions of people, communities, networks and organisations over a long-term period, minimum of two years. The minimum grant size is £150,000 and there is no set deadline for applications.
National Lottery: Bringing people together
The National Lottery Funding is open to new and existing projects which explore new approaches and are future-focussed. The funding is national and the deadline for applications is not set.
Grants for Good
The Matthew Good Foundation has launched a new fund for small charities and social enterprises. Every three months, five organisations are offered a share of a £10,000 pot. The fund is open to new projects with innovative ideas as well as established charities whose average income is less than £50,000 per year.
Energy Redress Scheme
Energy Saving Trust has been appointed by Ofgem to distribute payments from energy companies that may have breached rules. The Redress Scheme funding is available to support a wide range of activities, from engaging vulnerable customers to the installation of energy-saving or renewable energy measures. The amount of funding available through the scheme varies throughout the year and will be reviewed on a quarterly basis in October, January, April and July.
Energy Networks Association Network Innovations Competition (NIC)
The electricity network companies have opened their Call for Ideas 2020/2021 for new, innovative and net zero solutions to the priority areas identified in the ENA Innovation Strategy, which can be taken forward and trialled on the networks, backed by up to £70m of funding. Anyone interested should contact their distribution network operator (DNO).
Aviva Community Fund
Aviva is offering grants to organisations that are working on projects that will increase community resilience and build communities through fresh thinking. They make decisions every three months.
Community Shares Booster Scheme
Community Businesses can access up to £10,000 to help launch community share offers, and up to £100,00 match-funding when the share offer goes live.
Community Renewable Energy Funding
The Naturesave Trust provides start-up 'seed corn' grants for community renewable energy projects. They are keen to help communities, in particular, that do not have the initial start-up capital to undertake all the preliminary work. The projects must be from community groups and companies seeking funding for specific renewable energy projects.
There are no deadlines for applications and no limits on the number of applications you can make. The Trustees aim to make a decision on applications within six to eight weeks of receipt of a completed application form.
Idea Fund
“I’ve got an idea” is a micro fund for individuals (or small groups or organisations) who have a novel technical idea that they want to try out that will have a social or environmental benefit. It will cover a variety of different costs and there is no set deadline.
The Leathersellers' Company
This grant offers one-off, small grants (up to £3,000) to registered charities with an annual income below £200,000.
OLEV Grant Schemes for Electrical Vehicles
The government offers a range of grant schemes to support the wider use of electric and hybrid vehicles via the Office of Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV).
Platinum Jubilee Village Halls Fund
The aim of the Platinum Jubilee Village Halls Fund is to support the modernisation and improvement of village halls, so that they are fit for purpose and can provide activities which seek to achieve one or more of the following outcomes for their communities: improved health and/or wellbeing and/or reduction in rural loneliness, positive impact on the local environment, contributes towards net zero, support for the local rural economy, promotion of community cohesion.
Local Energy Partnership (LEAP) Schemes (temporarily closed)
Multiple schemes to support funding for energy advice, boilers and other appliances. Broad criteria for customers that can access.
Location-based grant funding
West Yorkshire Community Climate Grants
The Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin, and the Combined Authority, are working with local authorities to offer grants of up to £50,000 to fund climate friendly schemes. Funding of between £5,000 and £50,000 is available for projects that prioritise (1) Local, clean, and flexible energy solutions; (2) Healthy, affordable and efficient buildings; (3) Walking, cycling and public transport; or (4) Green and climate-ready nature solutions.
Community First Yorkshire
Securing funding and planning for the future is vital. Community First Yorkshire can help you on your funding journey by finding the right funds to apply for, assisting you with the application and helping you become ‘funding ready’.
Northern Powergrid Net Zero Community Energy Fund 2023
Has a total of £50,000 available for amazing new and existing community energy organisations and climate action groups in the North East, Yorkshire, and North East Lincolnshire.This opportunity runs from 10 May to 8 August 2023. The fund aims to help community energy organisations start-up, build capacity or explore feasibility of new energy projects.
Green Directory for Retrofit
Somerset has set up a new directory to support retrofit delivery. There includes various resources and links, including a useful page on funding.
West of England Business Innovation Fund
Companies in the West of England can now apply for grants of £20-75k from the Business Innovation Fund. The fund supports businesses from a wide range of sectors to help develop innovative products, processes and services, that not only fulfil market demand but also deliver industrial growth.
Low Carbon Growth Fund
Small and medium-sized businesses, public sector organisations, and community groups developing low carbon projects across Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham, and Nottinghamshire are being urged to apply for investment through the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership’s new Low Carbon Growth Fund.
Community Partnering Fund
Leeds Community Foundation, Northern Gas Network and Northern Powergrid are offering grants of between £1,000 - £10,000 to support community organisations across the North of England.
3D Hub Community Funding
Community groups in the Birmingham area can apply for up to £10,000 to design and deliver data driver decarbonisation projects.
The Community and Environment Fund
The Community Environment Fund has been created to compensate communities that are demonstrably disrupted by the construction of Phase One of HS2 from London to the West Midlands.
Severn Trent Community Fund
The Severn Trent Community Fund is open to projects that focus on increasing community wellbeing, ideally which incorporate People, Places and Environment.
Blackstone Edge Wind Farm Community Benefits Fund
Local areas located within a 5km boundary of the wind farm at Blackstone Edge, West Barnsley can apply for a grant for projects focusing on environmental protection, energy conservation, sustainable transport and promotion of civic responsibility/community development.
Energy Efficiency Grants for SMEs in East Sussex
Grants of up to £1,000 to cover 40% of the cost of an energy efficiency project, such as LED lighting, insulation or heating controls. Small and medium-sized businesses, social enterprises and charities in East Sussex (excluding Brighton & Hove) can apply.
Somerset County Council Climate Emergency Community Fund
Somerset County Council is offering grant funds between £5,000 and £75,000 to community organisations that are undertaking innovative carbon reduction projects.
The Community and Environment Fund
The Community and Environment Fund can provide benefits to communities along the route disrupted by the construction of HS2.
Council Climate Funds
Camden Climate Fund
The Camden Climate Fund can provide up to 50% of costs to reduce the carbon used in our homes, businesses and community spaces. The advice is to apply ASAP.
Local authorities (accelerator and community grants)
Parish, town and local councils have access to small funds or community grants that may be used to support projects. Larger authorities may offer accelerator grant options. E.g. West Yorkshire Combined Authority Energy Accelerator.
Grant Funding Organisations
Big Lottery Fund
Funding pots for community groups.
Charities Aid Foundation
CAF offers a variety of banking, investment and loan solutions as well as grants for a variety of causes.
Community Foundations
Community foundations manage funds from individuals, businesses and other donors who want to support causes in their local area.
Ebico Trust
Grants to fund support, education and research into fuel poverty of energy efficiency improvements to the local housing stock.
Esmee Fairbairn Foundation
Finance for community energy (grants and social impact loans).
Friends Provident Foundation
Grants for projects that address the issues of economic resilience and systems change in different ways.
Greggs Foundation
Grants for projects aiming to make a difference to a local area with clear consideration given to the environmental and social impact of the project. Further details on the Local Community Projects Fund here and Environmental grants here.
Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Grants for projects working to tackle climate change, poverty and rebalancing local economies, resources and resilience.
Naturesave Trust
Grants to fund community renewable energy and social enterprise projects.
Power to Change
Grants to help new and existing community businesses grow and become more sustainable. The Community Business Fund awards grants between £50k and £300k to established community businesses that need funding for a business development project to make their organisation more financially sustainable. So far they have funded energy efficiency measures for community buildings owned by the applicant organisation with the aim of improving financial viability.
Sainsburys Family Charitable Trust
Grants to fund registered charities or activities with clearly defined charitable purposes. For further details please see here.
Social and Sustainable Capital (SASC)
Simple and flexible financing for charities and social enterprises.
Financing Organisations
Charity Bank
Loans to charities, community groups and social enterprises (£50k - £2.5m) for capital projects.
Coop Financing
Finance for community groups. Loans from £10k - £75k are available, but can increase to £150k.
CO2Sense
Capital revolving loan fund for RE projects (100kW - 5MW) (set up and overseen by BIS). Loans are available for development costs (feasibility), bridging loans (planning stage to construction) and short-term loans to cover construction.
Ethex
Ethex has a track record of successfully raising more than £70m for over 70 enterprises from a committed network of more than 15,000 people who want to use their money to create impact. Over £50m of the funding raised has been for community energy projects
Pure Leapfrog
Finance and support for community energy.
- Community Energy Fund: draws on a credit facility from Big Society Capital (social impact fund), which can be augmented through donations.
- Bridge Finance: £30 million revolving loan facility from BSC to support large-scale community energy projects.
Thrive Renewables Community Bridge Financial Model
Thrive Renewables will finance community energy organisations to help them acquire renewable energy technology. They have already supported communities with a £12 million investment into wind and solar projects across the UK. They can structure their investment as pure acquisition, joint ventures or mezzanine loans also.
Triodos Bank UK has a long track record of financing community energy projects. They provide loans for project construction, operations and/or re-financing with facilities from £ 1 million up to £20 million. Triodos also helps community energy groups raise capital through Triodos Bank crowdfunding platform, they can raise amounts from £400,000 to £5m.
Younity Community Energy Kickstart
Launched in collaboration with Octopus Energy and Midcounties Co-Operative, Community Energy Kickstart is here to help plug the funding gap for community energy projects. With £1.5m of funds available, this bridging loan is for projects across England, Scotland and Wales who are building and managing local renewable generation to benefit the local community while creating more cheap, green energy.