Great British Energy Community Fund

Empowering Communities, Energizing Futures

Funding of up to £140,000 is available to help parish and town councils, community organisations, faith groups, community interest companies and even sports teams get started on clean power projects that benefit their local areas.

About the Fund

The Great British Energy Community Fund is the first grant programme for community energy projects funded by Great British Energy – the new publicly-owned energy company

It’s designed to help local communities across the UK transition to sustainable energy solutions and empower communities to take control of their energy needs, reduce carbon footprints, and create a greener, more sustainable future for all.

The Great British Energy Community Fund is a £5million programme being delivered by the five Net Zero Hubs in England on behalf of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and Great British Energy.

The Vision

The government wants every community in the UK to have access to clean, renewable energy.

By providing financial support for project development it is aiming to foster innovation, drive local energy projects, and promote energy independence.

This fund aims to:

Support communities – by helping them to maximise the income generating potential of renewable energy and put this to work locally;
Make progress against the Government’s target to increase renewable energy generation, and promote community-owned renewable schemes; and
Promote growth and job creation – to enable communities to access the economic benefits associated with renewable energy schemes.

Funding Available

Stage 1 – Feasibility Grant

For those communities at an early stage of exploring the possibility of a renewable energy Project, and which meet the Fund’s eligibility criteria, this stage offers grants of up to a maximum of £40,000 to cover consultancy and professional costs for the development of a feasibility study.

Stage 2 – Development Grant

For Projects which demonstrate a good chance of securing planning permission and being implemented, the NEY Net Zero Hub will consider further development funding of up to £100,000 to enable more detailed investigation into the key areas of technology selection including:

Investigating possible purchase of land (legal fees for example),
Environmental impact assessments,
Submitting planning applications and permitting applications
Developing a full investment business plan.

The following organisations are eligible:

Charitable Incorporated Organisation
Community Benefit Society
Community Interest Company
Co-operative Society
Development Trust
Pre-Commencement Society
Registered Charity (including eligible faith groups, sports clubs,)
Registered Social Landlord
Registered Society
Town or Parish Council

Feasibility studies exploring the following technologies are eligible for funding:

Anaerobic digestion
Biogas heat network
Bio liquids/gas/fuels
Biomass heat network
Electric vehicle infrastructure (publicly available, incorporating generation/storage)
Heat pumps
Heat pump-fed heat networks (e.g., heat zoning for a village)
Hydropower
Solar (photo voltaic)
Solar (thermal)
Wind power
Battery storage

Technologies NOT on this list will be considered on a case-by-case basis and you should contact the North East and Yorkshire Net Zero Hub for advice before applying

Apply for Funding

Are you ready to make a difference in your community? Applying for the Great British Energy Community Fund is simple:

Check Eligibility: Review our eligibility criteria to ensure your project qualifies.
Read the Guidance Document: Read the guidance document relevant to your required stage of funding in full before completing the application form.
Submit Your Application: Complete the below application form with details about your project, including objectives, budget, and expected impact, and submit to enquiries@neynetzerohub.com alongside the required supporting documentation.
Applications will be accepted from May 30^th 2025 until November 12^th 2025 in a rolling application format.
Review Process: All applications will be appraised internally by our Community Energy Team and moderated by external experts. Full due diligence checks will be completed on all applications. Funding recommendations will be presented to the Hub Board for approval at set Board Meetings.
Funding Decision: Successful applicants will receive funding and support to bring their projects to life. Funding will be allocated to successful applicants on a first come first served basis.

You will then have 12 months to complete your project, from the date of your funding offer.