Community Fund

• Your organisation must be legally incorporated, based in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, and have a bank account with two signatories. Eligible forms are charitable incorporated organisations, community benefit societies, community interest companies, co-operative societies, development trusts, pre-commencement societies, incorporated registered charities, registered social landlords, registered societies, and town, parish or community councils. Provide annual accounts or, if unavailable, alternative financial information and evidence that you can manage grant funding. Recently incorporated organisations can apply.
• Other local authorities and schools cannot apply directly. An eligible community group can propose a school-site project with school and landowner support, arrangements for access, ownership, operation and benefits, and wider community benefit beyond principally serving the school. Joint applications need an eligible lead and eligible partners; only the lead receives payments and bears the grant obligations.
• By operation, the community organisation must have at least 50% legal and financial ownership. For a project company this means at least half its issued shares and voting rights; in all cases it must receive at least half the owners’ financial returns. In split-ownership projects the test applies to the community-owned parts. Show existing links to the host community, evidenced local support and how measurable benefits will reach it.
• Stage 1 needs a clear idea, technology and prospective site or credible shortlist. Stage 2 needs a sufficiently current feasibility study, community engagement, ownership and delivery proposals, and identified development work. That study need not have been funded by this fund. Stage 3 needs completed technical and financial development, planning permission before a grant agreement is offered, a secured connection to the local electricity distribution network, signed land access, a construction plan and confirmed third-party finance.
• Explain what changes because of the grant: making an unchanged project cheaper or replacing reasonably available finance is insufficient. Stage 3 requires an evidenced funding gap after available reserves, community investment, debt, partner finance and public support are considered. Declare public funding and commercial interests; the same costs cannot be funded twice. GBE cannot fund prohibited rescue or restructuring, fines, remediation or existing legal obligations.
• Identify all parties receiving direct or indirect economic benefits, including owners, investors, landowners and connected suppliers. Disclose control, funding flows, payments, income rights and connected-party relationships; GBE may refuse a grant where a party receives a material advantage on terms better than market terms.
• GBE checks the rules limiting public financial support to businesses and takes related awards into account. Provide details of relevant subsidies received by your organisation and any businesses under common control. If the proposed grant and related awards meet the applicable statutory threshold for “Subsidies of Particular Interest”, GBE cannot fund the award through this scheme. For applications with a relevant Northern Ireland connection, GBE uses information about your business activities, trade, project and earlier public funding to determine whether the Windsor Framework’s EU State aid rules apply. Where they do, Stage 1 and 2 use the de minimis aid route: you must have enough of that public-aid allowance left to receive the grant. For Stage 3, GBE must verify a lawful State aid route before awarding funding. A compliant route is not guaranteed.
• Heat projects must evidence emissions reductions against a credible fossil-fuel or other relevant alternative. Explain how batteries charge and discharge, support the associated generation and deliver environmental benefits. Solar suppliers must use Solar Stewardship Initiative member manufacturers or provide equivalent environmental, social and governance assurance. Recipients must engage with responsible-sourcing support, comply with applicable laws, International Labour Organization worker standards and UN business and human rights principles.
• Previously funded projects can seek distinct additional work after material changes, or refresh a satisfactory but outdated study; grants cannot duplicate past work or remedy its poor quality. A multi-site application must explain its common objectives and value for money, and every site must independently qualify.

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• Complete applications for all three stages must reach the portal before the deadline.

Create an account on the GBECF application portal, then complete the separate form for your chosen stage. Provide organisation and governance information, project scope, community benefits, costs and delivery plans. Submit a complete application before the current window closes; late or incomplete submissions are not accepted. Applications are assessed together after the window closes, followed by due diligence and agreement of the award and payment profile.

Seek competitive quotes where feasible; three is best practice, and fewer require a clear explanation. Self-delivery is permitted with demonstrated competence, reasonable market-aligned costs, value for money, declared and managed conflicts, and no undue private benefit. GBE-approved project-company costs also require suitable contributions from other interested parties.

GBE checks eligibility, then scores stage-specific criteria. Each assessment area needs a moderated score of at least three out of five; meeting that threshold does not guarantee funding. England’s Local Net Zero Hubs, the Welsh Government Energy Service and Advice NI can help applicants develop proposals. Formal application queries go to Localgrants@gbe.gov.uk.