Government launches £1bn Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme
The government has officially launched the new Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) – which provides grants for public sector bodies to fund energy efficiency and heat decarbonisation measures.
It says the funding will support the UK’s net zero and clean growth goals by cutting carbon emissions from the public sector – to the equivalent of taking nearly 45,000 cars off the road.
100% grant funding
The scheme will be delivered by Salix and allows public sector bodies to apply for a grant to finance up to 100% of the costs of capital energy-saving projects in non-domestic buildings.
A wide range of technologies are eligible for PSDS funding, including LED lighting, heat pumps, building management systems and solar PV. The funding is open to central government departments, emergency services, further/higher education institutions, local authorities, maintained schools (including academies), NHS Trusts and non-departmental public bodies.
Public Sector Low Carbon Skills Fund
The PSDS scheme will be further supported by the Public Sector Low Carbon Skills Fund – which provides grants to help organisations source specialist and expert advice to identify and develop decarbonisation projects.
It is hoped that this will open the scheme up to public sector bodies without sufficient in-house expertise – and help them to prepare a robust application for the grant funding.
There is also funding available for eligible organisations to secure support needed to deliver their project, and to either put in place or improve their Heat Decarbonisation Plan.
Application dates
The PSDS scheme opened for applications on 30 September 2020, and the closing date depends on the type of organisation. Public sector bodies that require funding to be transferred between government departments at Supplementary Estimates must submit their applications by Monday 9 November 2020. For all other eligible organisations, the closing date for applications is Monday 11 January 2021.
The Low Carbon Skills Fund opened for applications on 30th September 2020 and there is a very short window to apply: the deadline for central government is Friday 30th October 2020, and the deadline for wider public sector bodies is Friday 4th December 2020.
At Concept we have successfully supported many organisations with Salix-funded projects, from initial application through to project delivery. If you would like advice on the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme or the Low Carbon Skills Fund, get in touch.
