What is the UKSPF Low Carbon Grant?
Are you a small business with less than 250 employees in South Yorkshire?
Well, you could be missing out on getting some help with any green energy improvements you are thinking about making to your business.
So, in this blog we are going to look at the UKSPF Low Carbon Grant – because if you don’t get involved before December, you’re going to miss out.
What is the UKSPF Low Carbon Grant?
This is not the SPF you usually see on your suntan lotion, though that could be appropriate as the grant can help you pay for a solar energy system.
UKSPF stands for United Kingdom Shared Prosperity Fund and it’s the government's own replacement for the European Structural and Investment Programme.
These programs are designed to help business invest and promote growth.
The Low Carbon Grant part is exactly what it says on the tin – it helps businesses reduce their carbon emissions.
And it’s not just a green-washing scheme, reducing carbon helps businesses, the public and the environment.
So, what can you achieve with the UKSPF Low Carbon Grant?
The main driver to utilising the grant to make improvements to your business is reducing your energy costs.
We know that the energy market is volatile at the best of times, so having a supply you can generate yourself, or vastly reducing your consumption, seems a bit of a no-brainer.
Lowering your energy cost also reduces your overheads which will make your business better placed in the market – you’ll be more competitive, and your profits will increase.
The more profit you make, the safer your business is, and the more chance you have of growing.
This benefits everyone as you’ll be able to employ more people and increase productivity.
Plus, you can wave your ‘green’ flag high!
That’s not just good for the environment, it’s also really good for business.
Going green means people will be more inclined to patronise your business over someone with a less ethical stance – and you don’t have to be a green warrior to want to live in a cleaner world!
Do you need an approved installer to get the UKSPF Low Carbon Grant?
No, you can choose whoever you like to fit your green tech, just ensure the installer is legit.
Check for affiliations with HEIS, MCS and other industry bodies.
This protects you, and your business, from any dodgy installers trying to take advantage of the money flooding into the industry.
Once you have ensured you are eligible, and spoken to the people in the local council, you can start looking for your own installer.
Remember that any projects you start using the UKSPF Low Carbon Grant need to be completed by end of December 2025.
Is my business eligible for the UKSPF Low Carbon Grant?
To be eligible to take part in the project business’ must:
- be a Small or Medium Sized Enterprise (SME), meaning 250 employees or fewer, with a turnover of less than £36 million
- have commercial premises in the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority – the scheme cannot support home-based businesses
- not have received more than £315,000 Minimal Financial Assistance subsidy over the last 3 years
- be able to provide 12 months' energy bills to establish baseline energy use (or however many months you’ve been in your premises, if less than 12 months)
What will your local council offer recipients of the UKSPF Low Carbon Grant?
You council will appoint one-to-one advisor who will guide you through every stage of the process.
They’ll analysis your energy usage and work with you understand where you can make improvements or save more money.
To help with this process they will refer you for an Energy Audit or prepare a bespoke Energy Recommendations Report.
They will work with you to develop and deliver a plan for your energy saving improvements.
They’ll point you in the direction of any other grants they think you may be eligible for as well as look at any other help available to reduce your carbon footprint.
What is a free energy survey?
Doncaster council, the local authority closest to UK Energi HQ, explain this in the following way:
‘The report will identify energy saving improvements the business could invest in and provide a detailed breakdown of the carbon saving, cost, and return on investment for each, so you can decide what’s the right path to take.
Depending on the outcome of the energy survey, you may then be able to access a Low Carbon Grant to part-fund energy saving improvements.
Your business will need to meet additional criteria to qualify for a grant.’
What is the Low Carbon Grant scheme?
The Low Carbon Grant Scheme is available to part-fund business improvement that will lower your company’s overall carbon footprint.
The council won’t pay for the whole install, and what you are eligible for will depend on what improvements you are making and how they will affect your business.
You will have to cover any shortfall in the cost of any install you have.
For projects costing up to £24,999, you can apply for a 50% grant contribution of £12,500.
For projects costing more than £25,000, you can apply for a grant contribution of between 10% and 50% of the project cost.
The minimum grant you can apply for is £1,500 (for a project with a total cost £3,000).
What else do you need to qualify for the UKSPF Low Carbon Grant?
As well as having to have a business premises located within the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, your business must meet the following criteria:
- the improvements must be identified in an energy survey and deliver a net carbon reduction
- we can only support capital projects that have a return on investment of more than 1 year
- the investment must be set to complete by December 2025
- tenants must have the permission of their landlord to make changes to the building fabric
Time is running out!
This isn’t a hard sell or a marketing ploy, buy if you want to take advantage of this scheme you need to be quick on your toes.
You need to start your application as soon as possible, and your installation needs to be complete BEFORE the end of December 2025.
If you need any more information visit your local authority’s website or give us a call on 01032 260299.
