Call for Applications: Net Zero Villages Grant Program (UK)

Categories

• Projects are invited under 3 categories:
  • Tackling energy use and/or supporting energy efficiency or generation retrofit to community buildings.
  • Enabling access to public transport or access to local services through low carbon transport.
  • Nature based solutions to tackle overheating of community buildings.

Funding Information

• A total of £362,547.90 funds are available for distribution as grants from January 2025 to February 2026.
• The minimum single grant award is £20,000, and the maximum is £100,000.

Eligible Funding

• The Net Zero Villages Grant Scheme will fund CAPITAL projects.
• Projects must demonstrate and measure the following impacts as relevant to the project:
  • Carbon Emission reduction
  • Reduction in energy consumption
  • Reduction in running cost of community facilities
  • Reduce overheating of a building
  • Demonstrator project that can be replicated
  • Number of the community engaged or changes in behaviour
• Projects must demonstrate value for money.

Eligible Projects

• The following list is not exhaustive, and they welcome alternative proposals which meet the grant funding criteria.
  • Tackling energy use and/or supporting energy efficiency or generation retrofit to community buildings.
    • Insulation measures including:
      • Loft insulation
      • Internal/external cavity wall insulation
    • Energy efficiency measures including:
      • Replacement lighting to LED lighting
      • Underfloor heating
      • Double/triple glazed windows
      • Draft proofing
      • Window shutters (especially on south facing windows if the building currently overheats, or north facing windows if the building has large amounts of exposed glass to cold winter winds).
    • Renewable energy measures including:
      • Solar PV installations
      • Wind turbine
      • Battery installation (provided it is directly linked to a proposed or current renewable energy source on the building, such as rooftop PV panels or a wind turbine. Battery installation which is primarily for the purpose of being charged up using off peak electricity will not be eligible).
    • Clean heating measures
      • Air/ground source heat pump installation
  • Enabling access to public transport or access to local services through low carbon transport.
    • Low carbon public transport, such as a local community-led shuttle minibus. Evidence of need and sustainability of running costs would be needed.
    • Cycling related facilities, which clearly provide greater opportunities or encouragement of cycling to local services.
    • Micro-mobility hubs
  • Nature based solutions to tackle overheating of community buildings.
    • Green roofs and walls
    • Tree/landscape planting (native only) which creates shade and/or cooling breezes (though these would need to ensure such measures don’t have the effect of increasing cold winds/reducing solar gain in winter).

Eligibility Criteria

• Applicants must be one of the following:
  • A Parish Council in South Cambridgeshire
  • A voluntary, community or social enterprise sector organisation, with the applicable asset to be improved being located in South Cambridgeshire
  • Other public sector bodies applying on behalf of a South Cambridgeshire community
  • Businesses are eligible to apply but the project must relate to a community asset for public benefit
• Applicants must have:
  • A written constitution or mission statement
  • An elected committee or representative steering group
  • A bank account associated to the group/organisation/council, where grants can be payable to, and be able to provide an up-to-date copy of their accounts or, as a minimum, a recent bank account statement
  • A Safeguarding Policy, or, if you don’t have one, please make it clear what your organisation or group will do to keep children or other vulnerable people safe during the implementation of the project
  • An Equal Opportunity Policy, or, if you don’t have one, please make it clear what your organisation or group will do to ensure equality of access to the project.

For more information, visit South Cambridgeshire District Council.