Last updated 28 March 2025.
Funding Opportunities
About this webpage
Please note this page is updated every six months. Some funding listed may now be closed.
For information on cost of living support, please visit our Cost of living webpage.
Funding for households and residents
There is currently funding available for making energy efficiency improvements to your home. If you are not eligible for one scheme, you may be eligible for another.
Energy Company Obligation (ECO4) and ECO Flex
ECO4 is a national funding scheme which requires medium and large energy suppliers to support whole house energy efficiency improvements for eligible households. This scheme is delivered and managed directly by the energy companies and is not managed by NKDC. Please visit our ECO4 webpage for more information on eligibility criteria.
This scheme is available from April 2022 to 31 March 2026 depending on funding availability.
Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) and GBIS Flex
The Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) is a government scheme offering eligible households a single measure of free or cheaper insulation in privately owned homes or rented homes with permission from the landlord. This scheme is delivered directly by the energy company and is not managed by NKDC.
The Great British Insulation Scheme generally supports a broader range of households than other funding schemes, please visit our Great British Insulation Scheme webpage for more information on eligibility.
This scheme is available from April 2023 to March 2026 depending on funding availability.
Boiler Upgrade Scheme
This is a national government scheme which helps to reduce the costs of installing heat pumps to replace fossil fuel heating systems in privately owned or privately rented homes, and for businesses which own their premises.
The scheme can provide grants of £7,500 towards an air source heat pump, £7,500 towards a ground source heat pump (including water source heat pumps and those on shared ground loops) or £5,000 towards a biomass boiler. More information can be found on the GOV.UK website.
This grant is available from May 2022 to 31 March 2028.
NKDC Heritage Grant Scheme
Grants assistance is available to cover part of the cost of works on listed buildings, buildings in conservation areas, and for local heritage assets in North Kesteven. More information on the eligibility criteria and funding available can be found on the North Kesteven Heritage Grant Scheme webpage.
This grant currently runs on an annual cycle of a fixed allocation.
British Energy Trust
IncomeMax and British Gas Energy Trust (BGET) have teamed up to provide a self-help checklist to assist people all across the UK in finding additional help and support. IncomeMax and BGET have been working together since 2018 and during this time have been able to find over £2.6 million of additional income for households in need. Their checklist is packed full of links to extra tools, resources and information.
Visit the British Gas Energy Trust website to give the checklist a try.
National Energy Action
National Energy Action (NEA), is the national fuel poverty charity, working to ensure that everyone in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is warm and safe at home. Many households in the UK need more help with their energy bills. To find out more about what you may be eligible for, visit the NEA website.
Centre for Sustainable Energy
The charity supporting people and organisations across the UK to tackle the climate emergency and end the suffering caused by cold homes. For energy advice to help save money on your bills and improve your home, visit the Centre for Sustainable Energy website.
Other government funding
You can also search for funding opportunities on the GOV.UK ‘find a grant’ webpage. Further information on funding for making energy efficiency improvements to your home may also be available on the Energy Saving Trust's Financial support webpage and the Centre for Sustainable Energy's Grants and funding webpage.
Please read the criteria carefully to understand if you meet the requirements and if the scheme is suitable for your needs.
Funding for communities
There are many funding schemes available for climate and biodiversity-related projects delivered within the community. Funding may be available for community groups, Parish and Town Councils, schools, and community buildings, but please see individual funding schemes for eligibility criteria.
Most of these types of schemes require the group to be ‘not for profit’ and have a governing document or constitution, and a bank account. For more information on community funding options, please see our Community funding webpage.
The Conservation Volunteers I Dig Trees – Free tree packs
The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) are offering free tree packs to communities to help join them in taking positive action to plant millions of trees for climate, wildlife, and communities. All trees must be planted on publicly accessible land and not on private domestic property. Please visit the TCV website for more information.
Network Rail Community Tree Planting Fund
The Tree Council and Network Rail are aiming to plant thousands of trees in hundreds of communities across the country. Local authorities, community groups, schools and other conservation organisations can apply for grants to establish trees, hedgerows, and orchards. For more details of their three grant opportunities, visit the Tree Council website.
Sleaford Renewable Energy Plant Community Power Fund
Funding is available to support community projects, including environmental projects, delivered by community groups or parish and town councils within five miles of the Sleaford Renewable Energy Plant. More information can be found on our Community funding webpage.
Applications are considered on a quarterly basis. The fund is currently run on an annual cycle of a fixed allocation.
Lincolnshire County Council funding
Lincolnshire County Council has multiple funding opportunities available on their website, including a Community Wildlife Grant webpage, and a tree planting grants webpage for planting woodland, hedgerows and community orchards. More information on the funding available and eligibility criteria can be found on the Lincolnshire County Council website.
For the Community Wildlife Grant, please apply by 1 April and 1 September each year. For tree planting grants, the deadline is 31 October.
Woodland Trust
The Woodland Trust offers free trees for schools and community groups. Groups must be not-for-profit and planting must be on publicly accessible land or within school grounds. More information can be found on the Woodland Trust website.
Applications are expected to close in August 2025, with trees delivered in either November or March.
Awards for All
The National Lottery Awards for All offer grants between £300 to £20,000 for up to two years. Applicants are encouraged to apply at least 16 weeks before they need the funding.
Projects must do one of the following: improve the places and spaces that matter to communities, bring people together to build strong relationships in and across communities, help people to reach their potential, by supporting them at the earliest possible stage and support people, communities and organisations facing more demands and challenges because of the cost-of-living crisis.
Visit the National Lottery website for more information.
HDH Wills
The focus of their support is the conservation and maintenance for the benefit of the public of the natural environment and its indigenous woodland flora and fauna, particularly the conservation and maintenance of the character and amenity of rural areas. Grants are only made to charities, which focus on the conservation of wildlife and the environment and are typically between £1,000 to £2,000.
Visit the HDH Wills website for more information.
Screwfix Foundation
The Screwfix Foundation supports projects that improve, fix and repair buildings, homes and facilities specifically used by people in need throughout the UK. Grants in the region of £5,000 are available for registered charities and not-for-profit organisations. They fund projects which improve a physical building (or land attached to it) used by people in need. The types of projects they fund include improved energy efficient lighting and heating. Deadlines are 10 May, 10 August, 10 November and 10 February.
Visit the Screwfix Foundation website for more information.
Heritage Lottery Fund
Funding is given to projects that connect people and communities to the UK's heritage. This could include nature and works to improve habitats or conserve species, as well as helping people to connect to nature in their daily lives. Grants of between £10,000 to £10million are available.
For more information on their various funding streams, visit the HLF website.
The Alpkit Foundation
The Alpkit Foundation supports proactive conservation and environmental projects, for example community gardens and allotments or grants to help re-wild woodland and protect our wild places. They welcome applications for grant between £50 to £500 from grass roots not for profit organisations, community groups and schools.
There's no limit to the number of times you can apply and they welcome multiple awards over time and each award is assessed on its own merit. There are no deadline dates for applications. They recommend groups apply at least three months before the start of their project.
Visit the Alpkit Foundation website for more information.
Grocers Charity
The focus of their support is the conservation and maintenance of the natural environment and its indigenous woodland flora and fauna with reference to the conservation and maintenance of the character and amenity of rural areas. Grants are usually between £1 to £2,000 to charities, which focus on the conservation of wildlife and the environment.
For details of their small and large grants, visit The Grocers' Charity website.
Other community funding
You can also search for community funding opportunities within the region on the Lincolnshire Community Foundation website.
If you would like to discuss funding options available for climate or biodiversity-related community projects, you can email the Climate Change Team at climate_change@n-kesteven.gov.uk.
Funding for NHS Health Care Sites
The NHS Forest initiative provides details on how to create or expand green space on your healthcare site. This could include planting trees, sensory gardens and food growing in hospitals. For more details and resources visit Green your NHS site.
Funding for Electric Vehicle ChargePoints (EVCPs)
The government offers a number of grants to help with the cost of buying and installing chargepoints for electric vehicles.
Electric vehicle chargepoint grant for renters and flat owners
This grant provides up to £350 towards the cost of installing a chargepoint at your property. You can apply for this grant if you either:
- Own and live in a flat
- Rent and live in any residential property
You must have private off-street parking. Visit the GOV.UK website to learn more about eligibility or apply.
Electric vehicle chargepoint grant for households with on-street parking
This grant provides up to £350 towards the cost of installing a chargepoint at your property. You must:
- Live in a property which you own or rent
- Be installing a cross-pavement solution, for example a charging gully
- Only have on-street parking
Visit the GOV.UK website to learn more about eligibility or apply.
Workplace Charging Scheme
This grant provides up to £350 per socket towards the cost of installing chargepoints at workplaces. You can apply for grants for up to 40 sockets across all your sites. It is open to eligible:
- Businesses
- Charities
- Public sector organisations
Visit the GOV.UK website to learn more about eligibility or apply.
Electric vehicle chargepoint and infrastructure grant for landlords
Landlords can apply for grants of up to £350 per chargepoint socket. Each year you can get up to:
- 200 grants for residential properties such as flats and houses
- 100 grants for commercial properties such as offices
If you are a residential landlord, you can apply for grants towards the costs of installing chargepoints, associated infrastructure and preparing parking spaces for future installations.
Grants of up to £30,000 per property are available.
Visit the GOV.UK website to learn more about eligibility or apply.
Electric vehicle infrastructure grant for staff and fleets
Small and medium-sized businesses can apply for grants towards the costs of installing chargepoints, associated infrastructure and preparing parking spaces for future installations.
Grants of up to £15,000 per site are available.
You can apply for this grant if your business has 249 employees or fewer.
Visit the GOV.UK website to learn more about eligibility or apply.
Workplace Charging Scheme for state-funded education institutions
State-funded schools and education institutions can apply for grants of up to £2,500 per chargepoint socket.
You can apply for grants for up to 40 sockets across all your sites.
Visit the GOV.UK website to learn more or apply.