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Funding for energy efficiency projects

National Lottery Funding for energy efficiency projects
Written by Ewan Paterson

National Lottery funding is often associated with sporting endeavours; however, the National Lottery Community Fund offers substantial funding opportunities for energy efficiency and sustainable community projects. At the time of writing, two relevant funding programmes are available: the Sustainable Community Buildings program in Northern Ireland and the Climate Action Fund available across the UK.

Image: National Lottery, Media

Northern Ireland

This programme is backed by a £5 million investment from the National Lottery Community Fund and aims to assist community organisations in Northern Ireland in making their buildings more energy efficient. The primary goal is reducing energy bills and carbon footprints and promoting environmental sustainability. Grants of up to £50,000 are available for organisations to carry out improvements by installing technology such as solar panels, insulation, and heat pumps.
Additionally, organisations applying to the programme will benefit from free carbon awareness training provided by Business in the Community and support from Action Renewables in implementing an environmental plan to improve sustainability and cut costs. The programme is part of a broader strategy by the Fund to support communities in becoming environmentally sustainable and to raise awareness about environmental challenges. The funding is rolled out in stages across different regions in Northern Ireland, with specific application windows for each.
More information can be obtained here https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/funding/programmes/sustainable-community-buildings

Climate Action Fund:  Energy & Climate (UK)

limate Action Fund – Energy and Climate (UK)
The Climate Action Fund, another initiative by The National Lottery Community Fund, has allocated up to £10 million for community-driven projects across the UK focusing on energy and climate. This fund is interested in supporting projects that can encourage environmentally friendly energy use, bring communities together to promote energy efficiency, and enable understanding and engagement with clean energy generation that does not use fossil fuels.
The Fund inspires communities to act on energy and the climate crisis. It prioritises projects that support and engage with vulnerable groups, including low-income households and people with health conditions. The Climate Action Fund seeks to fund various projects that educate and inspire community-led energy action, build skills and resources for local action, and use data to encourage positive behavioural change. The Fund also emphasises projects that demonstrate a clear plan to achieve their goals, deliver additional social and economic benefits, and actively involve diverse community members. Funding is available from £500,000.

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