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How to find financial support for energy efficiency upgrades
Businesses and organisations often struggle to pay for energy efficiency upgrades to cut energy bills and reduce carbon emissions. We’ve put some information together to help get you started with finding financial support.
Please note: If you decide to apply to a funder for a grant or loan always check with the specific website regularly for any changes to criteria, deadlines or for any additional advice or information that has been posted. This page was last updated in February 2023.
Embarking on an energy efficiency project can be costly, and many businesses and organisations struggle to find the capital to fund their plans no matter how much impact they could have on reducing carbon emissions.
Where to start
Before applying for any loan finance, you should speak with an independent financial adviser to see whether a green loan is suitable for your business.
Many grants and loans are location specific and it’s often best to:
- Contact your local authority. Your local council may have grants or loans available.
- Contact your energy supplier. Many offer small loans and grants for businesses to improve energy efficiency.
- Search online resources like Grants Online to see what’s available in your local area.
Stay up-to-date:
If you have business buildings in Oxfordshire, be sure to sign-up for our Newsletter for updates on funding, energy efficiency news and advice.
What’s available?
Industrial sectors
Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF)
Visit the Government’s website to check guidance. Funding rounds tend to come up every Spring and Autumn and can support the deployment of energy efficiency technologies to reduce industrial energy consumption and deep decarbonisation projects. Your business must be operating in an industrial sector listed in the eligibility criteria.

Find funding to help your business become greener
Search for updates on Government support to reach net zero emissions by 2050. Almost £5 billion of funding has been made available to help UK businesses become greener as part of the Government’s commitment.
Large and medium businesses
Clean Growth Financing Initiative – Lloyds Bank
Funding from Lloyds Bank can support a broad range of investments in sustainable business – from small improvements in environmental impact, right through to large-scale renewable energy infrastructure.

Loans are available for organisations with either a £3-15 million turnover, or a turnover of over £25 million, to assist with:
- Reduction in carbon and greenhouse gas emissions for core business processes, properties and infrastructure.
- Energy efficiency, renewables, environmental sustainability improvements or production of related products.
- Investment in low carbon vehicles and transport.
Small and medium businesses
Ofgem offers an updated guide for small business energy grants, schemes and advice to lower your carbon emissions and get more efficient with your commercial energy use.
Your business must meet the European Commission’s definition of an SME, which means having fewer than 250 employees and a turnover of less than €25m.
- The loan is only available for sustainable green projects – check if your project’s eligible.
You could borrow money to fund all green changes to your business and green projects, including:
- Harnessing and storing solar and wind energy
- Improving EPC ratings
- Upgrading to eco-friendly machinery

NatWest has recently announced a new Green Loans proposition to offer borrowing with no arrangement fee to qualifying SMEs investing in eligible clean buildings, energy, transport and agriculture.
Green loans and green asset finance are due to be open for applications from 18 February 2022.
Available to UK SMEs with a group annual turnover of up to £25m.
Charities and non-profits
Oxford Community Impact Fund (small and medium grants – Oxford City only)
There is £5,000 (per Medium Grant) and £1,000 (per Small Grant) for non-profit-making organisations, including schools and colleges, to pursue a Zero Carbon future for Oxford.
They are looking for projects that help deliver the following key interconnected priorities, in line with the City Council’s Strategy:
- Support thriving communities
- Enable an inclusive economy
- Pursue a zero carbon Oxford
- Deliver more, affordable housing
Asda Investing in Places and Spaces Grant
Grants will be between £10,000 and £25,000 investing in community spaces and places and projects must fall into at least one of the following categories: 1. Building Repairs 2. Building Development 3. Outdoor Development. Stage 1 will close: on 19 March 2023: More Info.
There is £25,000 available for charities and community interest companies (CICs) responding to the climate emergency, and £2,500 for voluntary sector organisations.
Including support for projects responding to the climate emergency & promoting sustainability.
Grants for projects up to £25,000, for charities only. The project must help the community and the grant cannot part fund a project.
Aviva Climate Fund by Aviva Community Fund
They are awarding up to £50,000 for charities or social enterprises to speed up the transition to net zero.
Blenheim House Bursary and Green Loan Scheme
Local charities and community projects to the Blenheim Estate are invited to apply for bursaries and green loans. The scheme focuses on different topics and can support sustainable projects who are doing something positive and practical to address climate change.
The Green Loan Scheme currently offers zero-interest loans of up to £10,000 for any constituted body ie parish or town councils, schools or charities within Oxfordshire
£500 to charities for climate emergency & promoting sustainability. Apply once per year.
For buildings within 10 miles of a landfill site, so can apply for an FCC grant of between £2,000 – £100,000 which will support community projects.
For buildings within 10 miles of Ardley Waste Processing Plant, nr Bicester grants of between £2,000 – £100,000 for not-for-profit organizations with projects that protect the environment and maintain, repair or restore a building of historic or architectural interest that is open and accessible to the public.

Loan finance between £20,000 to £150,000 for social enterprises and charities in England, for energy efficiency and renewable energy installation.
Sources of charitable trust and foundation grant funding for UK church projects & buildings (repairs, capital, construction, renovation and restorations). You’ll find more using the free Funding Finder database, using the Faith category, and 50+ funder lists.
How can our service support you?
In Oxfordshire, there’s an opportunity to receive investment support from our expert team on energy efficiency projects in your buildings.
When applying for grants and loans funders like to see detailed proposals covering how you intend to spend the money applied for and what impact it will have.
Our reports and assessments can strengthen your application by providing expert assessments of your building’s energy use and performance and an estimation of the amount of carbon you can save through the upgrades you plan to make.
Quantifying the positive environmental impact your project could make can enable you to gain grants or specialist green loans with favourable interest rates.
Interested in the opportunities for making energy improvements in your organisation?
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