Powering Change - Energy efficiency grants for community organisations
Community organisations can apply for an energy efficiency grant of up to £15,000 for support to reduce their energy use and cut carbon. This is funded by the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund.
There is £100,000 available for this 2025/26 grant round to help with:
- community facility upgrades to improve energy efficiency (e.g. LED lights and timers, solar panels, heating upgrades)
- community transport - reducing emissions
- other energy saving measures (e.g. insulation, water saving devices, thermostats)
Any organisation that applies for the Powering Change grants for business organisations will not be eligible to receive a community grant.
We have appointed Urban Foresight in partnership with SmartCarbon to help deliver a programme to support organisations to design their own decarbonisation plans and access grants that will help them shift to more sustainable practices and save money.
Applications close on 20 October 2025 at 12 noon and you must be able to deliver your project by 28 February 2026.
If planning permission is needed, you will need to have this in place or have evidence that it is in process. Funding offers will be withdrawn if projects cannot be completed on time.
Refer to our community funding policy and community funding privacy notice for further information:
Organisations
The following can apply:
- parish councils
- charities
- community and voluntary groups
- clubs
- not-for-profit organisations
School PTAs, ‘Friends of’ groups, health charities and religious bodies can also apply if their project benefits the wider community and supports our aims.
Joint applications between organisations are welcomed as it can help deliver and enhance projects. One organisation needs to apply and take the lead during the application process.
Funding and eligibility
Organisations must:
- demonstrate value for money in the investment of public funds (environmental, social and economic)
- identify and quantify beneficiaries and impact of investment
- consider on-going sustainability
- ensure the identified funding priorities are met in the application
You can apply for a grant of up to £15,000 if you can demonstrate that funding will be used for:
- community facility upgrades to improve energy efficiency (e.g. LED lights and timers, solar panels, heating upgrades)
- community transport - reducing emissions
- other energy saving measures (e.g. insulation, water saving devices, thermostats)
We can help fund:
- programme or activity costs which are directly relevant to the application
- projects or activities that support positive climate or environmental sustainability
- travel and transport relating to the activity in the application
- hire or purchase of equipment for meeting project needs
- technical assistance (where third-party support is required to meet the project outcomes)
- capital costs
- publicity and marketing (but not political lobbying)
- volunteer expenses, including volunteer training costs
We can't help fund:
- organisations that hold more than 12 months unrestricted operating costs within their assets (unless a good reason can be demonstrated)
- activities which are discriminatory, political or are classed as religious conversion
- activities where there is statutory funding provision available
- costs that can be claimed back from elsewhere (e.g. VAT)
- costs that are not auditable (e.g. cash payments unsupported by an approved financial system)
- costs towards banking charges or repayment of debt
- payments made to individual members of the applicant group or organisations that have a personal financial interest
- retrospective costs (e.g. activities already completed or costs incurred before the agreement of funding)
- programmes or activities which are considered the core activity of national or regional government, government departments or arms-length body, such as health or education
- gifts and prizes
- alcohol
- employee costs (including salaries)
- political lobbying
- staff training or facilitation costs
- works to facilities that are or should be subject to an insurance claim
and - applicants cannot apply for additional funding towards existing projects or activities which have been grant funded by the council within the last twelve months.
The following conditions apply for successful applicants:
- funding awards are paid upon receipt of a signed grant agreement, annex and accompanying documentation
- your organisation will need to comply in accordance with the provisions of and principles of the Data Protection Act 2018
- this grant is not transferable between projects or organisations
- a grant is awarded on the basis of information provided in the application. Should this information be found to be misleading, or the supported project is cancelled, the council will be entitled to be repaid the grant monies
- applications must be for a non-profit making purpose
- it is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure they have all relevant consents and permissions in place (i.e. planning permission, DBS checks, and licenses). A grant award does not give permission to proceed with any work without the correct statutory authorisation
- successful grants awarded must be spent by the end of February 2026 and must meet and comply with the grant arrangements
- successful grants awarded must comply with appropriate monitoring systems, including a final report and any relevant documentation such as receipts
- applications made for funding requests over £15,000 will be rejected
Apply
To apply, you will need your:
- certificate of public liability insurance in the sum of at least £5 million
- constitution or governing documentation
- equality policy
- year-end accounts
- child protection statement (if applicable)
- vulnerable adults statement (if applicable)
Once you have applied, we may ask for further information and supporting evidence.
Businesses can apply for the business Powering Change grant - if you're unsure if you should apply as a community organisation or business, email [email protected].
Next steps
Our grants funding panel, Assistant Director for Communities and Leisure, and our oversight board are responsible for assessing and awarding these grants:
- the panel can award grants up to £2,500
- the Assistant Director for Communities and Leisure has delegated responsibility from our Executive Members for awarding grants between £2,500 to £5,000
- the panel makes recommendations to the oversight board for grants above £5,000. The board will then make the final awarding decision
For successful applications:
- 50% of the grant payment will be made on receipt of a signed agreement
- 50% on receipt of evidence of paid invoices
If the organisation does not have enough funds to complete the project, we may be able to make an advance payment which will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
If you have any queries, please email [email protected].
Last updated 12 September 2025