Carbon Negative Challenge Fund
Grants for organisations developing and delivering innovative projects that reduce emissions or store carbon in York and North Yorkshire.
Ez a lehetőség jelenleg angolul érhető el.
The fund’s Call for Projects supported pilot approaches that could help other projects follow, including sustainable and regenerative farming, community energy and circular economy demonstrations, new ways to finance building improvements and decarbonise heat, and marine or coastal carbon storage. Projects outside these four areas could qualify through priorities in the region’s Routemap to Carbon Negative.
Revenue grants funded project scoping, community engagement, feasibility studies and business-case development. Capital grants funded delivery, such as renewable-energy installations, grid connections, on-site infrastructure and low-carbon equipment. Staff or other capacity supporting capital delivery had to be directly attributable to creating or maintaining a capital asset.
Revenue projects could receive up to 80% of total project costs, with a £250,000 grant limit and total project costs between £20,000 and £312,500. Capital projects could receive up to 60%, with a £1.5 million grant limit and total project costs between £250,000 and £2.5 million. Charitable and community groups could request a higher funding percentage by clearly justifying the funding gap and why they could not provide match funding. The same grant limits applied.
The 2025 application deadlines have passed. The authority reports that more than £6.5 million has been awarded, with funded projects delivering from September 2025 to October 2027.
Eligibility
The 2025 call was open to organisations with legal status that could receive funding, including local authorities, public bodies, higher and further education institutions, private companies, voluntary organisations and registered charities.
Revenue grants were for public or private sector bodies operating within York and North Yorkshire to develop local net zero projects. Capital grants were for public or private sector bodies within the region to deliver local net zero projects, with a strong, compliant business case. Collaborative applications with more than one applicant were welcomed.
- Projects had to be located in York and North Yorkshire, deliver or support greenhouse-gas emissions savings, and address a challenge area or a priority in the Routemap to Carbon Negative.
- Projects had to be innovative: for example, trialling an approach or technology, demonstrating something others could replicate, or enabling changes across the region. The fund sought direct benefits alongside a wider regional effect, such as sharing learning or testing a technique, financial model or working arrangement not regularly used locally.
- Applicants had to evidence why the project would not otherwise happen because the market was not delivering it, its fit with the programme, measurable benefits, reasonable costs and value for money. They also needed a credible delivery plan within the fund’s timetable, capacity and expertise, required additional finance, management arrangements, partner track records and identified risks with measures to address them. These requirements formed the practical assessment under HM Treasury’s five-case method: strategic, economic, financial, commercial and management cases.
- Match funding could come from internal funds or other sources, including central government or lottery funding, but could not come from another York and North Yorkshire Mayoral Investment Fund programme. Time contributed in kind could cover up to 50% of the required revenue match or 10% of the capital match. This required timesheets and evidence of wages paid; any shortfall had to be supplied in cash.
- Revenue funding excluded costs of activity already running or funded, business as usual or activity already planned for 2025–2027, and work outside the funded project, including in-kind contributions. Capital funding excluded routine or already planned maintenance, equipment unrelated to this fund and revenue projects.
- The requested investment could not be increased after the application was submitted.
Successful applicants had to enter a funding agreement, follow the authority’s data-sharing and publicity rules, report expenditure, outputs and outcomes, participate in proportionate evaluation and networking, and show that outstanding conditions or permissions, such as planning or highways approvals, had been secured. Larger projects could face additional evaluation work. The grant payment schedule was to be agreed with the authority.
How to apply
- Állapot
- lezárult
- Megnyílik
- Lezárul
- Az adott pályázati kör feltételei
- Closed 2025 capital full-application stage following pre-application. These prospectus dates were advisory and could change with programme demand.
For future funding opportunities, sign up to the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority newsletter through the official fund overview.
In the closed 2025 call, revenue projects used the application window shown here. Capital projects first went through a pre-application stage, followed by full applications; the prospectus described the full-application dates as advisory and subject to programme demand. Applications were scored and considered by an internal and external expert panel before recommendations went to the Combined Authority for approval. Successful applicants then received an offer letter and entered contracting for a funding agreement.