Local Net Zero Hubs across England are supporting communities and local government organisations to access the latest round of grant funding from Great British Energy.
The GBE Community Funds launched last month will support project development and capital investment for community energy projects.
In previous years Local Net Zero Hubs have administered Community Energy Funds on behalf of Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.
The administration of funds will now be managed through a national portal, but Hubs will continue to play an active role to support communities in their region of England through the grant application process with tailored advice.
This includes pre-application support, such as responding to programme queries, providing guidance on application development, and reviewing applications where capacity allows.
To allow the Local Net Zero Hub to provide you with appropriate support to help you develop a strong proposal, please complete their Support Request Expression of Interest Form
The fund – which is open until November 12th 2026 – is as follows.
GBE Community Fund
· Funding for community organisations set up to run energy projects for local benefit.
· Funding is available at three stages:
o Stage 1: Feasibility. Up to £40,000 to test whether your project idea is viable.
o Stage 2: Development. Up to £100,000 to turn a viable idea into an investment-ready project.
o Stage 3: Capital. Up to £3 million, or 50% of total project value, to help a construction-ready project bridge remaining funding gaps.
· You must be a legally constituted, incorporated community organisation and your project must be designed to be at least 50% community owned when operational.
· Eligible organisations include community benefit societies, community interest companies, co-operative societies, development trusts and registered charities.