The Energy Efficiency Fund is a fund for local small and medium enterprises to embrace net zero ambitions and to support Scotland's national net-zero greenhouse gas emissions target by 2045.

This fund can provide grants from £1,000 up to a maximum of £15,000 (50% of project expenditure) to help businesses meet their net zero targets and making energy changes to business premises and operations. For example, a move to low carbon heating systems, solar powered energy.

Please note the fund is only available for business premises – businesses that operate from home are not eligible for support.  

The Energy Efficiency Fund can be used to support local businesses make changes to business premises and business operations to support a reduction of their Carbon Footprint from energy consumption. This might include:

• Changing to a low carbon heating system
• Installation of low and zero carbon generating technologies, such as solar PV, biomass, micro-wind etc
• Building fabric upgrades such as insulation, energy efficient lighting, draught-proofing, double or triple glazing

• Routine property maintenance
• Carbon offsetting activities
• Purchase of consumables
• Purchases which exacerbate or do not reduce carbon footprint
• Feasibility studies / consultant fees
• Staffing costs
• Projects where a reduced Carbon Footprint cannot be demonstrated
• Purchase of vehicles

Bank account

The business must have a dedicated business bank account (you will be required to provide the account details as part of the application process and this is the account your grant will be paid into if successful).

Size

Business must be classified as a Small Medium Enterprise (SME) – Less than 250 employees and turnover less than £45 million.

Debt

Business must not be in any debt to the council eg Business rate arrears.

Full time

The business must be operated on a full-time basis and provide full-time employment for at least one person.

Premises

The business must operate from commercial premises within the Falkirk Council area, for which they either own or there is a signed lease/rental /licence agreement in place.

Solvent

At the time of submitting the application, the business cannot be in bankruptcy, liquidation or similar.

Must be trading a minimum of 6 months (applicant business must have been receiving sales income for at least 6 months).

Previous grants

A business can only access one Council business grant in the period 01 April 2025 – 31 March 2026 (ie one of the following grants - Digital Development Fund, Energy Efficiency Fund, Growth Fund).

If a business has previously received an Energy Efficiency Fund it cannot receive another one. Only one Efficiency Fund per business is permitted.

Location

Applicant organisations must be operating, located and trading from within the Falkirk Council area.

The following sectors are not eligible to apply:

• professional services such as lawyers, dentists, vets, doctors, accountants
• business that are required to be regulated by the FCA such as credit unions, money lenders
• business involved in gambling, religion or the sex industry
• personal services (hairdressing, beauty, aesthetics, masseurs, therapists, physios, counsellors etc)
• third sector businesses – community groups, not for profit organisations, voluntary or charitable organisations (except social enterprises)
• any business that may bring the council into disrepute
• Retail - Applications from the retail sector cannot be considered unless the business can demonstrate that they are servicing more than a local market. This means they are attracting customers from outwith the Falkirk area and are providing something that is unique and not available from any other local retailers. For example – a specialist skateboarding shop or servicing an online customer market.  Where a retailer's sales only serve the local market, providing grant support can cause displacement ie if one local business receives support but this leads to another local business in the area losing customers then this has no added value to the Falkirk economy. 
• Licensed Premises that only operate as a public house and do not serve hot food

You will need a record of the following:

• Trading name of the business
• Number of employees / turnovers
• Proposed expenditure
• Business bank details
• Copy of your lease if you are paying towards Non Domestic Rates for the premises
• Latest set of annual accounts and management accounts
• 2 quotes for each item being purchased
• Overview of business and plans for growth
  • Executive summary:
    • a brief overview of company proposals including how you plan to grow the business
    • describe the investment for which you are seeking funding support and fully explain the impact it will have on the business
  • Management and organisation:
    • company structure
    • the management team
      • skills
      • experience
      • qualifications
      • job titles
  • History, business, and products:
    • a brief description and history of the business
    • a description of the principal products or services
    • any proposed future developments
  • Market and competition:
    • size and location of market - local/ regional/ UK / Overseas
    • who are major customers
    • who are major competitors
  • Project carbon (CO₂e) savings – Provide accurate, baseline carbon footprint calculations (refer to the application form for details). Submit this alongside all other requested documents.

This grant is funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The budget is allocated on a first come, first served basis.

There is a limited budget and the fund will close when the budget is fully allocated.

We anticipate a high number of applications which are processed in a chronological order. We will deal with your application as soon as we can but please be patient. It may take up to 4 weeks before you hear from us.

The process is in 2 stages:

1. Complete the online application form. Once we receive your completed application, a Council officer will review it based on the assessment criteria and contact you to discuss it. A decision will be made shortly after this meeting and, if successful, a formal offer of grant will be made. 

2. After you have received your grant award, you will have 3 months to complete your digital project and submit evidence of your grant spend. Once your eligible evidence is verified, your grant payment will be disbursed.

All applications will be assessed based on the criteria below.

Applicants must:

• Provide accurate, baseline carbon footprint calculations (please refer to the application form).
• Demonstrate how the proposed investment will reduce carbon footprint and quantify this.
• Provide full details of any proposals, such as new equipment or new processes (eg specification of new lighting or low or zero carbon technology).
• Demonstrate how this investment contributes to the organisations wider Net Zero goals/strategy.
• Demonstrate wider environmental/community benefits of the proposal.

Successful applicants will be required to submit evidence of all payments in relation to the project before any grant payments will be made. Payments made in cash cannot be included in any claim. All grant payments will be made retrospectively, at the successful conclusion of the project.

Where projects are not fully completed, claims will not be processed, and no grant payments will be made.

The project must NOT commence before approval is given as the grant cannot be awarded retrospectively. All payments for approved expenditure must be made through the business bank account and supported by invoices from suppliers.  The grant is paid after the payments have been made. Please note that items or services paid for by cash do not meet audit trail requirements and are not eligible for grant.

Successful applicants will be required to submit updated carbon calculations to measure the impact that the project has had reducing your business carbon emissions. This can be done using the same methodology as outlined above. This will be done 12 months after project completion and a member of the Energy and Climate Change Team will get in touch as a reminder to send this information in.

For any queries in relation to this fund, or help with calculating baseline emissions, please email climatechange@falkirk.gov.uk.

• Energy Saving Trust
• Business Climate Hub
• Business Energy Scotland · Make Your Business Greener