The Public Sector Low Carbon Skills Fund provides grants for public sector bodies to access skills and expertise to unlock heat decarbonisation on their estate.
Funding
Applications for Phase 5 of this funding closed on 1 May 2024. Applicants awarded funding must have completed their projects by Monday 31 March 2025 at the latest. There will be no funding for the Low Carbon Skills Fund in financial year 2025/26.
The Low Carbon Skills Fund provides grants for public sector organisations to engage specialist and expert advice and skills needed to create robust heat decarbonisation plans to prepare for heat decarbonisation and energy efficiency works.
Purpose of the scheme
One of the greatest challenges today in meeting the UK’s 2050 Net Zero target is decarbonising the way buildings are heated. Most of the buildings in the public sector still rely on fossil fuel-based heating and expert skills are required to identify and plan how these heating systems can be replaced, ideally at the end of their working lives.
Having a robust heat decarbonisation plan will put organisations in a strong position to take the next steps in decarbonising, including by enabling them to develop detailed project proposals that will help them to apply for any future grant funding for capital decarbonisation measures, or alternative sources of finance. This means organisations can think more strategically and be better prepared for future decarbonisation opportunities.
About Phase 5 of the Public Sector Low Carbon Skills Fund
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, which runs the scheme, made available up to £16 million of funding for the Phase 5 Public Sector Low Carbon Skills Fund providing grants for public sector organisations to engage the specialist and expert advice and skills required to create robust heat decarbonisation plans to prepare for heat decarbonisation and energy efficiency works. The Phase 5 Public Sector Low Carbon Skills Fund was delivered in 2024/25.