The Community Sustainable Energy Programme

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The Community Sustainable Energy Programme
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Community Sustainable Energy Programme (CSEP)

• Key objectives
• To raise public awareness and support for
  renewable energy through the installation of
  community scale microgeneration schemes.
• To help people understand the benefits that
  renewable energy can deliver in their locality.
• To continue and enhance the development of a
  robust renewable energy installer industry
  throughout England.

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Who can apply?

• CSEP grants are open to not-for-profit community
  based organisations in England. Check the
  Guidance Notes on the website to confirm your
  eligibility www.communitysustainable.org.uk

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Funding available Project Development Grants

• Grants are available for studies investigating
  the feasibility of installing any combination of
  the appropriate technologies. Please see the
  Guidance Notes for details on technologies.
• The maximum grant available is 5,000 or 75 per
  cent of the study cost whichever is lower.
• The total fund available is 1 million. Grants
  will be awarded on a first come first served
  basis.

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Funding Available Capital Grants

• Grants are available for the purchase and
  installation of any combination of the
  appropriate technologies. Please see the
  Guidance Notes for details on technologies.
• Funding will also be available for some energy
  efficiency measures (eg cavity wall insulation).
  Where these are not already in place you will
  have to install them in order to qualify for a
  microgeneration grant.
• The maximum grant available is 50,000 or 50 per
  cent of the project cost (whichever is lower).
• The total fund is 8 million. A Selection Panel
  will meet quarterly to consider applications on a
  competitive basis.

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What can the grant be used for?

• Project Development Grant
• Studies should address key issues
• such as technical and financial viability,
• legal and planning issues and access to other
  sources of funding.
• Studies must be carried out by one of the
  businesses listed on our Register of Consultants
  on our website
• www.communitysutainable.org.uk

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What can the grant be used for?

• Capital Grants
• Only specific costs associated with the
• installation of certain types of technology.
• The eligible costs can be found in Appendix Three
  of the Guidance Notes on our website
  www.communitysustainable.org.uk

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What technologies can be funded?
Solar photovoltaic (PV)
Solar thermal hot water
Wind turbines
Micro-hydro turbine
Heat pumps
Wood-fuelled boilers
Pellet stoves
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Assessment Criteria

• Project Development Grants
• Applications will be assessed against the
  following criteria
• Uniqueness
• Meeting the programme outcomes
• Location
• Value of potential Capital Project
• Contract value of study
• Replication potential
• Repetition.

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Assessment Criteria

• Capital Grants
• Applications will be assessed against the
  following criteria
• Viability
• Meeting the programme outcomes
• Community involvement
• Raising public awareness
• Linkage to energy efficiency
• Linkage to wider sustainability issues
• And .

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Assessment Criteria

• Value for Money.
• Information gathered from Section 4 of the
  Capital Grants application form will be used to
  estimate the cost of saving a unit quantity of
  carbon dioxide over the expected lifetime of the
  installation. These figures will be compared to
  set benchmarks which can be found on our website
  www.communitysustainable.org.uk

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How does the application process work?

• Project Development Grant
• Applicants are encouraged to apply online to
  increase speed of processing, however postal
  applications are also accepted (but not
  photocopies).
• A confirmation receipt will be sent within 5
  working days of BRE receiving the application.
• The application will be assessed and we will
  notify you of the outcome within 20 working days
  of receiving a completed application.

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What other supporting documents need to be
supplied with the application?

• Project Development Grant
• Copy of the estimate from your preferred
  registered consultant
• Your organisations constitution or governing
  document
• Three consecutive pages of your original bank or
  building society statement
• Signed copy of Section 4 Compliance with signed
  declaration
• A set of your organisations most recent accounts

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How does the application process work?

• Capital Grants
• Applicants are encouraged to apply online to
  increase speed of processing, however postal
  applications are also accepted (but no
  photocopies).
• A confirmation receipt will be sent within 5
  working days of BRE receiving the application.
• The application will be assessed and we will
  notify you of the outcome within 10 working days
  of the Panel meeting.

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What other supporting documents need to be
supplied with the application?

• Capital Grant
• Copy of installer quotations for all proposed
  measures and microgeneration technologies
• Your organisations constitution or governing
  document
• Three consecutive pages of your original bank or
  building society statement
• Signed copy of Section 6 Compliance with signed
  declaration
• A set of your organisations most recent accounts
• Your equal opportunities policy
• Your environmental policy
• Evidence of confirmed or proposed match funding
• Application includes Section 3 Project
  Concept and Design and the appropriate Section
  4.2 4.8

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How long will the grant offer be valid for?

• The grant offer letter will specify a deadline.
  For project development grants the deadline will
  usually be 6 months from the date of the letter,
  for capital grants 12 months. For capital grants
  the installation of the technology must have been
  completed by this time.
• For at least 5 years following payment of the
  grant, the technology must
• remain installed and in use at the property
• not be modified or relocated in such a way as may
  adversely affect its performance.
• The applicant will be responsible for assuring
  this condition is met.

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When is the CSEP grant paid?

• Project Development Grants
• Applicants should submit a claim for the total
  grant within 6 months from the date of the offer
  letter. With this should be a copy of the
  original invoice from your appointed registered
  consultant and a copy of the project development
  report.
• Payment should be made within 20 working days of
  receipt of all the required documents.

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When is the CSEP grant paid?

• Capital Grants
• Applicants should submit a claim for the total
  grant within 12 months from the date of the offer
  letter. With this should be a copy of the
  original invoice from your certified installer
  and a commissioning certificate from the relevant
  installer and any other supporting documentation
  that BRE may request.
• 95 per cent of the grant should be paid within 20
  working days of receipt of all the required
  documents.
• The remaining 5 per cent should be paid on
  receipt of your completed project evaluation
  report. The report should be completed and
  submitted 6-12 months after project completion.

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Am I able to match fund from any other
programmes?

• Applicants can use their own reserves, loans or
  grants from other funders.
• Funding may be available from Phase 2 of the Low
  Carbon Buildings Programme. Please check their
• website for further information and
  eligibility www.lowcarbonbuildingsphase2.org.uk
• Match funding cannot be sourced from any other
  Big Lottery Fund Changing Spaces programme.

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Who installs the systems?

• The applicant will be required to source
  installers who are registered with the
• governments UK Microgeneration
• Certification scheme.
• For further information and contact details of
  certificated installers serving your region,
  please refer to www.ukmicrogeneration.org

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What to look out for when applying for grants -
summary

• Check for eligibility
• Ensure building is energy efficient
• Select technology / technologies
• Get quotes
• Identify match funding
• Check timescales/deadlines
• Check benchmarks
• all of the above takes time!!!

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Contact details
Website www.communitysustainable.org.uk Email
info_at_communitysustainable.org.uk Helpline 08458
63 00 25
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The Community Sustainable Energy Programmeis an
open grants programme run by BRE as an award
partner of the Big Lottery Fund under their
Changing Spaces Programme. Further information
on the Changing Spaces Programme can be found at
www.biglotteryfund.org.uk