Government’s VCSE Energy Efficiency Scheme Opens for Final Round

The £25.5 million VCSE Energy Efficiency Scheme has reopened for applications from voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations based in England.

The VCSE Energy Efficiency Scheme is provided by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) as part of a package of more than £100 million of support being delivered by the Government to help frontline delivery organisations in England with the increased cost of living. The scheme is delivered by a consortium of partners, led by Groundwork UK and supported by Energy Saving Trust, Centre for Sustainable Energy, Locality and Social Investment Business.

There are two elements to the scheme:

• A free Independent Energy Assessment (IEA) – eligible organisations can apply for the cost and delivery of a comprehensive evaluation of their building’s energy usage, efficiency, and potential for energy savings, conducted by a qualified and experienced independent energy assessor. The assessment includes gathering data on costs and energy usage, examining existing systems, providing recommendations, estimating savings, and outlining an action plan. These assessments will be useful to organisations whether or not they apply for the second element. The deadline for IEA applications is 20 June 2024.
• Capital grants of between £2,000 and £150,000 can be used to install capital energy efficiency measures, identified in the IEA to reduce the building’s energy costs. All projects funded by Capital grants must be completed by March 2025. The deadline for Capital grant applications is 14 August 2024.

Applications will be considered from organisations with charitable, benevolent or philanthropic purposes, based and working in England, delivering frontline services or managing a building as a hub that delivers multiple frontline services.

The scheme’s intended outcome is to support diverse organisation types and ensure a good geographic and demographic spread of funding, so these factors will be considered during assessment.

If the scheme is oversubscribed, priority will be given to:

• Organisations directly supporting individuals and communities with critical needs, particularly those related to the rising cost of living.
• Organisations for whom energy is the biggest concern.
• Micro, small and medium-sized organisations. Priority will be given to organisations with an income of less than £1 million per year.

Groundwork has been holding webinars for those who are considering submitting a Capital Grant application.

The next webinar will take place on 22 May 2024 (10:30 to 12pm). Registration is required and can be done on the Groundwork website.

The deadline for Independent Energy Assessment applications is 20 June 2024. The deadline for Capital Grant applications is 14 August 2024.

Further details can be found in the attached and via the link here: VCSE Energy Efficiency Scheme – Groundwork