Part of the Mayor's Green Energy Fund, our Green Community Building Grant is designed to help community buildings buy and install new products and equipment that reduces energy costs and carbon emissions whilst encouraging your local community to understand the benefits of using low carbon technology.

A total of £250,000 is available and applications are open until Friday 28th August 2026. All grant applications will be assessed together with awards being made in October.

What can I use a Green Community Building Grant for?

Apply for a grant

The grant can be used for capital works to improve the energy efficiency and/or reduce the carbon emissions of your premises and operations. Eligible costs include supply and/or installation, as well as enabling works like scaffolding or electrical upgrades. Common projects we have funded in similar grant schemes have included:

  • Roof icon
    loft, ceiling, wall and floor insulation
  • window icon
    double and secondary glazing
  • Solar panel icon
    solar reduction film
  • heat pump icon
    heating such as air source heat pumps and infrared panels, and heating controls
  • A/C icon
    air conditioning and mechanical ventilation
  • lightbulb icon
    LED lighting and controls
  • solar panel icon
    solar photovoltaic panels
  • oven icon
    induction hobs, replacement fridges and other cooking equipment
Two people installing a heat pump

How much will I get?

If eligible, you will be able to apply for £1,000 - £15,000 to cover between 30% and 60% of your eligible capital costs, for purchase and installation of equipment.

This is a grant and does not have to be repaid, however, if successful you will need to complete and pay for your project before claiming the grant, within the timescales as outlined above.

You must not enter into any contracts, start works or pay any money towards your project until you have submitted your application form and we have approved your grant.

Start your application now

The electricity for the centre is not cheap. With the improvements, we will keep prices down as much as possible.

Anthony Meese-Kennedy, Centre Manager of St George Community Centre

Start with a survey, pick one meaningful project and get it done, don’t wait. Look for actions that are both good for the planet and good for operations. Even small wins build confidence, but grants and support can make bigger upgrades viable sooner.

Jo Thompson, Director of Triple Co Roast

Eligibility and assessment criteria

Apply now before the deadline

You will need to:

  • have a trading address within Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, or South Gloucestershire. If you're unsure, find out your local Authority before applying
  • be a not-for-profit organisation that is SME operated (for example less than 250 employees, turnover equal to or less than £54m or a balance sheet equal to or less than £27m)
  • be able to provide suitable match funding for your project
  • have an independent energy or carbon assessment/survey that recommends the project you are applying for (we provide one for free as part of your application)

The following organisations are eligible to apply:

  • Registered charity, charitable incorporated organisation (CIO), charitable trust, community interest company (CIC), cooperative society, or community benefit society.

The following community facilities are eligible:

  • Community centres, community advice centres and hubs
  • Village and Neighbourhood halls
  • Social clubs and youth centres, including scout huts
  • Buildings of worship/faith (including associated buildings like church halls), where over 50% of activity/usage of the building is for community services and events
  • Multi-purpose community buildings

The community facility may be owned or leased, including Community Asset Transfers, with at least 2 years remaining on the lease.

The following organisations are not eligible to apply:

  • large businesses, registered companies, sole traders and partnerships
  • businesses using cash-based accounting
  • community groups, sports clubs and similar entities unless applying as one of the organisations above
  • dentists, care homes, schools, colleges and similar publicly funded services
  • private schools and colleges
  • private domestic landlords or businesses operating from buildings that are required by law to have a domestic Energy Performance Certificate

The following community facilities are not eligible:

  • Libraries, parks and play areas, GP surgeries, post offices, pubs or retail spaces, sports facilities, buildings where the majority of activities/usage is for worship/furtherance of faith or for political campaigning

To access our grant, all applicants require an energy or carbon assessment/survey of the premises and operations, which helps identify ways to reduce energy costs, carbon emissions, and improve comfort levels. Our Technical Advisors provide free energy surveys to applicants, with around 12 hours of support.

A typical energy survey involves:

  • providing 12 months’ energy data such as bills or meter readings to better understand your energy use
  • a non-invasive walk around the premises, assessing the fabric, heating, ventilation, cooling and lighting systems in your building, as well as relevant equipment
  • discussion about quick wins, best practices, and new technologies available to you
  • a report summarising our findings and recommendations – some of which may be eligible for grant funding

Green Community Building Grants is a competitive grant scheme. Your application will be assessed and scored against our criteria and compared to other applications. Those organisations scoring highest will be recommended for approval.

Your application will be assessed and scored on the following:

  • value for money, based on the carbon saved versus the calculated grant amount
  • deliverability, based on the permissions required and the time it will take to complete
  • financial viability, based on the source(s) of match funding and the financial strength of your business
  • delivering wider local benefits, based on your commitment to reducing environmental impact and plans to promote the benefits of the funded project

This grant will open early June 2026 with an application deadline of Friday 28th August 2026.

All grants will be awarded in October, and projects need to be completed, paid for and grant claimed by 31st March 2027.