Energy Resilience Fund

Energy Resilience Fund is sponsored by Social Investment Business. Provides blended funding to enhance energy resilience of eligible charities and social enterprises in England.

Energy Resilience Fund for Charities & Social Enterprises Value: £25k - £250k (40% grant) What is the Energy Resilience Fund? The Energy Resilience Fund (ERF) provides a blended funding package of loan (60%) and grant (40%) to bolster the energy resilience of eligible charities and social enterprises in England.

The Fund is delivered by a partnership made up of Social Investment Business, Big Issue Invest , Charity Bank , Co-operative and Community Finance , Groundwork UK, Homeless Link , Key Fund , Resonance Ltd , The Architectural Heritage Fund, and The Ubele Initiative . The Fund is the successor to the pilot Energy Resilience Fund managed by Key Fund. Also delivered in partnership with many of the above organisations.

Charities and social enterprises based in and delivering impact in England, who are looking to improve their energy resilience. This could be for many different reasons, for example reduced carbon emissions, energy cost savings, upgrading energy efficiency ratings to meet future regulations, increased use or comfort of buildings, replacing older vehicles and equipment with modern energy efficient versions.

Looking to install energy saving measures or generation technology to buildings/ land (including new builds), and/ or to purchase energy efficient or environmentally friendly vehicles or equipment. Incorporated voluntary, community or social enterprise organisation*. Based in England and serving communities primarily within England.

Constituted for social benefit and improving people’s lives or the environments they live in. A minimum of 2 years’ operating activity. A minimum turnover of £100k in your last set of end of year accounts.

Does your organisation have less than 250 employees and an annual turnover not exceeding £40m and an annual balance sheet total not exceeding £35m Unable to access mainstream bank lending for this purpose . Not subject to any insolvency proceedings. Have a viable borrowing proposal.

Freehold ownership or a suitable written lease agreement with a minimum of 12 years remaining on it if you are applying to install energy saving/ generating measures to buildings/ land This application and the taking on of loan finance is supported by your senior decision makers.

Vehicles/ equipment (any non-property related assets) should be intended to be purchased and owned by the applicant organisation and to therefore sit on the financial balance sheet of the applicant organisation The funds cannot be used for: Refinancing except in exceptional circumstances. Costs that have already been incurred.

Retrospective funding is not permitted, the ERF can only be used for future purchases or projects that have not yet been paid for. Community energy or heating generation projects such as district heat networks, solar or wind farms or large hydro power projects, or nuclear energy and/or where the primary purpose is to sell the energy to a 3rd party.

Note – this does not prevent ERF funding an organisation from implementing an energy generating measure on their land rather than their building, but the primary purpose has to be to supply energy to their own building. Community energy organisations that bring groups of people or organisations together to purchase, manage, generate, or reduce consumption of energy.

Hybrid Electric Vehicles that cannot be plugged into the mains as the engine is still the main power source. For clarity Plug in Hybrid Vehicles (PHEVS) are eligible. Facilities primarily for statutory services e.g. hospitals, state funded primary or secondary schools, universities etc. Buildings or sections of them used primarily for political campaigning.

Buildings or sections of them used for worship/ furtherance of faith, unless: >50% of activity/usage of the building is for community services, and the Energy efficiency measures being funded benefit the areas of the building used primarily for community services. * Must be registered as a Charity, Community Interest Company or Community Benefit Society.

If registered as any other legal entity, it must have a social object, asset lock and restriction on profit distribution (must distribute less than 50% of post-tax profits) written into its governing documents. See the FAQs below for a list of exclusions.

If you would like to apply to install energy saving/ generating measures to buildings/ land, and you don’t already have a suitable Independent Energy Assessment, we will refer you to one of the funds approved Energy Audit Suppliers for one to be carried out and paid for by the fund (subject to fund eligibility). Note: Receipt of an Independent Energy Assessment from the fund does not guarantee you will receive the below funding.

This will be subject to a full assessment of the organisation and the funding request.

Support from the Centre for Sustainable Energy If you would like to apply to install energy saving/ generating measures to buildings/ land, once you have your Independent Energy Assessment, you can access support from the Centre for Sustainable Energy to help ensure you have a well thought through and sufficiently developed funding request, including a clear list of items you would like the funding for and the necessary quotes, permissions and consents, and project plans in place (subject to fund eligibility).

Blended loan (60%) and grant (40%) £25k – £250k (inclusive of 40% grant) 2 – 10 years (inclusive of any capital repayment holiday). 8. 5% fixed per annum on loan balance.

2. 5% on loan value (added to loan balance). Capital repayment holiday of up to 12 months at the start of the loan (optional).

No early repayment fees. Loans will generally be provided unsecured. We would only take security by exception.

The funds can be used for the purposes of : Installing energy saving measures or generation technology to buildings/ land (including new builds), and/ or Purchasing energy efficient or environmentally friendly vehicles or equipment.

This includes paying for a wide range of aspects that may be required to successfully undertake the projects, and can include but is not limited to: capital costs, labour costs, project management costs, revenue losses from disruption, building management systems, training in buildings management for staff, contingency. See the FAQs below for some examples of eligible expenditure, as well as exclusions and ineligible spend.

What can I expect from an Energy Audit? Watch our ‘Ask the Auditor’ Q&A where we cover frequently asked questions about the Audit process including what an audit involves, what information is required, and how the process works in practice.

Centre for Sustainable Energy webinars An introduction to Retrofit Introduction to Retrofit summary An Introduction to Different Building Types Introduction to Different Building Types summary An Introduction to Low Carbon Heating Introduction to Low Carbon Heating summary An Introduction to Renewable Energy Introduction to Renewable Energy summary An Introduction to Electric Vehicles Introduction to Electric Vehicles summary Hear from organisation’s who have successfully used funding for energy efficiency measures.

Higher Folds Community Centre & Nursery In this film, the team share how investment in energy efficiency improvements has helped create a warmer, brighter community space while reducing costs by around £1,000 a month – savings that are now being reinvested into local services. SPID Theatre were able to invest in new LED lighting and an electric minibus to bring theatre and advocacy programmes to more people.

Historic house and gardens Kiplin Hall now have a robotic lawn mower and electric tractor, becoming greener and more financially resilient. North Yorkshire Hospice Care NYHC are installing new electric showers and solar panels into one of their properties, helping provide a warm and comfortable environment for families spending time with their loved ones. Find all of our impact stories here.

Frequently Asked Questions Submit your application online We'll arrange an energy audit if needed Provide funding request for quotes for specific measures We contact you with any questions Your application goes to committee We connect you with the right decision Energy Resilience Fund dashboard Want to chat through the process or find out if this fund is right for you? We’re here to help. Get in touch: