Schools and colleges can apply as Low Carbon Skills Fund launches Phase 4

Public sector bodies, including schools, academies and colleges, can apply for grant funding to help them decarbonise their heating systems. Applications to the Public Sector Low Carbon Skills Fund will be open from Wednesday 26 April 2023, and Surveyors to Education are ready to help you with your application.

Why is this funding available?

One of the UK’s greatest challenges in reaching Net Zero is decarbonising the way buildings are heated. Most buildings in the public sector, including educational establishments, rely on fossil fuel-based heating, and expert skills are required to identify and plan how these aging heating systems can be replaced.

With specialist help, organisations will be able to draw up heat decarbonisation plans with a focus on energy efficiency, and develop detailed project proposals to help them to apply for any future grant funding for capital decarbonisation measures, allowing them to be better prepared and to think more strategically.

Public Sector Low Carbon Skills Fund (LCSF)

Phase 4 of the Public Sector Low Carbon Skills Fund includes three funding options:

●       Funding to develop or improve a heat decarbonisation plan

●       Funding to develop standalone detailed designs from pre-existing heat decarbonisation plans

●       Funding for a combination of these options.

Timescales for funding applications

The Application Portal for Phase 4 of the LCSF fund will open on Wednesday 26 April 2023 at 2pm for eligible public sector bodies.

Grant value caps have been introduced for this phase, to ensure that available funding is distributed across a range of projects. Applications will be assessed on a first come, first served basis within each cap until all the funding has been fully allocated – which is likely to be within hours of the fund opening for applications.

The fund will provide up to £17 million of grant funding for the financial year 2023 to 2024 and successful applicants will need to complete their funded activity by 28 March 2024.

Help from education estates funding consultants S2E

Surveyors to Education are expert at planning education premises, and advising on and supporting funding applications. Please contact us on 0116 5070130 or email enquire@s2e.org.uk. to find out how we can help you prepare your funding application for the Public Sector Low Carbon Skills Fund, and provide the expert skills to help you reduce your organisation’s dependence on carbon for heating.