Just Transition Fund
The fund will support the development of community renewable energy projects which benefit energy consumers in vulnerable situations.
The Just Transition Fund aims to accelerate the development of community renewable energy schemes which are in progress and build the capacity of the community energy sector to deliver impactful renewable energy projects. It also aims to encourage community renewable energy projects which bring tangible benefits to energy consumers in vulnerable situations demonstrating how a just transition to net zero can benefit everyone.
Who can apply
Registered charities can apply for funding under all schemes. Additionally, the following organisations can now apply to the Innovation and Carbon Emissions Reduction Fund:
Community Interest Companies
Co-operative Societies
Community Benefit Societies
The Just Transition Fund will fund development work for community-led renewable energy projects that also benefit energy consumers in vulnerable situations. The fund will support staff time working on developing projects and associated costs including surveys and other preparatory work to develop those projects. This round of the Just Transition Fund is specifically for development costs and will not fund capital costs of renewable energy installations.
To be eligible for the Just Transition Fund, grantees must demonstrate how their projects will bring tangible benefits to energy consumers in vulnerable situations. Projects can also benefit other energy consumers but will need to explain specifically how they will benefit energy consumers in vulnerable situations. This benefit can take the form of direct financial support or empowerment through advice, training and involvement with governance.
Examples of how community renewable energy projects funded by the Just Transition Fund could benefit energy consumers in vulnerable situations are:
A community wind or solar farm that directs profits towards creating a long-term fund to address fuel poverty (e.g. funding energy advice or energy saving measures for energy consumers in vulnerable situations). A community renewable energy project in a deprived area, designed to involve people in vulnerable situations in project governance, enabling them to own a stake in the project and ensuring local involvement in shaping the project
A community wind or solar farm that directs profits towards creating a long-term fund to address fuel poverty (e.g. funding energy advice or energy saving measures for energy consumers in vulnerable situations).
A community renewable energy project in a deprived area, designed to involve people in vulnerable situations in project governance, enabling them to own a stake in the project and ensuring local involvement in shaping the project.
Eligible Expenditure
The Just Transition Fund can support staff time spent on developing your renewable energy project as well as the production of studies, business modelling etc required for your project (which may be carried out by consultants). The fund can also support other associated costs which can be directly attributed to the project such as venue hire for events, printing for public consultation and information purposes, software or other expenses directly related to the project. This fund is not currently providing capital funding for renewable energy systems.
How to apply
Organisations interested in applying for funding must first register with the scheme, so that the Energy Redress team can check their organisation status, internal governance arrangements and financial health. Organisations that pass the due diligence process will be notified when funding rounds open and given access to the Energy Redress Dashboard to apply for funding. Organisations only need to register once with the scheme.
Please note that the registration form asks for:
Contact details
Charity/Company/Registration number
Your organisational objectives
Insurance levels
Information Commissioner’s Office reference number (if applicable)
The Energy Redress grants are paid quarterly in arrears and so an organisation must be confident they can manage these payment terms if their application is successful.
As part of the financial due diligence process, the Energy Redress team reviews each organisation's latest published accounts online. New organisations will need to delay registering with the scheme until their first set of accounts has been published.