The deadline to apply for a share of our £3m Powering Communities to Net Zero fund in this year‘s round is fast approaching, so if you're interested in seeking grant support from us for a qualifying project, now's the time to get your application in!
We're giving you this heads up now, because our community fund has been heavily revised for this year, and as a result the application process has changed significantly.
In previous years, groups have tended to put in their grant requests in at the last minute. But the process this year has changed a lot, so we want you to get it started with it now, so you have ample time to gather all the information you'll need, well before the Saturday 31 August deadline.
We'll be on hand throughout August to support you with your applications, and if you have any questions, please get in touch with colin.mcmillan@sse.com.
Our new Powering Communities to Net Zero (PCNZ) fund replaces the former Resilient Communities Fund, which saw us award over £5m to around 700 projects over the past nine years.
The new fund is running annually from this summer, through to Spring 2028. More than £3m in grants will be awarded during this time. It'll support communities during prolonged power interruptions caused by storms, aid their ability to cope in periods of severe weather, and is now also supporting the adoption of new low-carbon technologies like solar panels, EV chargers, and smart heating controls.
The new fund explained in more detail
Our fund is split into two categories: community-led physical and environmental resilience, and Low Carbon Technology (LCT).
The new community-led physical and environmental resilience grants.
Half of the £3m funding will be available over the next four years to enable communities to apply for grants that will bolster physical and environmental resilience measures. Grants of up to £15,000 will be awarded to successful applicants in this category.
Over the past few years, hundreds of communities have received support from SSEN Distribution’s funding.
- Earlier this year, members of Whitchurch-on-Thames’ Parish Council funded First Aid training for 16 residents after their grant request was successful.
- Fovant Parish Council in Wiltshire (pictured above) now has a fully kitted-out emergency hub for 700 residents, thanks in part to £10,000 from SSEN Distribution. Their new hub will help keep the community safe in severe weather and emergency situations.
- In Hampshire, funding went towards the purchase of a new vehicle, which is now helping the local search and rescue team do more of its life-saving work.
- In Angus, the residents in Eassie and Nevay successfully applied for funding so their village hall can function as a community hub during periods of adverse weather. The grant paid for items like radios, medical equipment, and temporary beds.
- And a community group in Strathisla in Moray used their grant to put together big boxes full of equipment like wind-up torches, battery packs and foil blankets, for use during bad weather and power outages.
Further details of the criteria are found in the fund guidance and in the application form.
The new low-carbon technology grants.
The other half of the funding being made available over the next four years will also be available for non-profit organisations to apply for grants to go towards the purchase of new Low-Carbon Technology.
For example, a successful grant application could result in a social housing scheme or community centre being awarded funding to contribute to the cost of EV chargers, solar panels, battery storage or backup, low carbon heating systems, smart heating controls, or other general energy efficiency measures. Grants of up to £20,000 will be awarded to successful applicants in this category.
We know there are often lengthy lead times associated with community project preparations, as well as getting approval to connect some low carbon technologies. In light of this, we're advising advising applicants to consider projects that have already been approved to apply in the current round, as the timescales for awarding and spending funds may be more likely to align. If you're not sure of your timescales, please get in touch with us.
Colin McMillan, SSEN’s Community Investment Manager, says:
“Since we announced the details of this new fund last month, we’ve had lots of interest in it, and we’ve answered plenty of questions from would-be applicants, who’ve told us they’ll be applying. In previous years, the submissions have tended to come very close to the deadline, which this year falls on Saturday 31 August.
“But because the fund has changed this year, and with it the application process involved, the last thing I want is for deserving groups and projects to miss the chance of being awarded funding because they didn’t get the paperwork done on time. Our team is on hand to help people who’re midway through applying but have questions about the process; they can contact me at colin.mcmillan@sse.com.”
How to apply for Powering Communities to Net Zero funding
Applications are now open for the 2024/25 fund. The deadline for applications is Saturday 31 August.
The application form and more details can be found at www.ssen.co.uk/pcnz.
To be eligible for funding, the project must benefit communities that lie wholly within Scottish & Southern Electricity Networks Distribution’s licence areas.
If you are unsure who your distribution network operator is, please check here: https://www.ssen.co.uk/about-ssen/who-is-my-distributor/
You don’t need to be a registered charity to apply, but organisations submitting an application must have a constitution (governing document or set of rules) and be set up on a not-for-profit basis. If you're unsure if your group is eligible, please contact us for advice.