Energy Resilience Fund

The Energy Resilience Fund (ERF) provides a blended funding package of loan (60%) and grant (40%) to bolster the energy resilience of eligible charities and social enterprises in England. The Fund is delivered by a partnership made up of Social Investment Business, Big Issue Invest, Charity Bank, Co-operative and Community Finance, Groundwork UK, Key Fund, Resonance Ltd, The Architectural Heritage Fund, and The Ubele Initiative. The Fund is the successor to the pilot Energy Resilience Fund managed by Key Fund. The funding can be used for installing energy saving measures or generation technology to buildings/land (including new builds), and/or purchasing energy efficient or environmentally friendly vehicles or equipment. This includes paying for a wide range of aspects that may be required to successfully undertake the projects, including capital costs, labour costs, project management costs, revenue losses from disruption, building management systems, training in buildings management for staff, and contingency. The Fund provides amounts ranging from £25,000 to £250,000 (inclusive of 40% grant), with loan repayment terms of 2-10 years at an 8.5% fixed annual interest rate on the loan balance. If applying to install energy saving/generating measures to buildings/land and not already having a suitable Independent Energy Assessment, applicants will be referred to one of the fund's approved Energy Audit Suppliers for an assessment paid for by the fund. Support from the Centre for Sustainable Energy is also available to help ensure a well-thought-through and sufficiently developed funding request. Eligible organizations must be incorporated voluntary, community or social enterprise organizations based in England and serving communities primarily within England, constituted for social benefit and improving people's lives or the environments they live in. Organizations must have a minimum of 2 years' operating activity, a minimum turnover of £100k in their last set of end of year accounts, and be unable to access mainstream bank lending for this purpose.