Energy Efficiency Grants for Community Buildings

Tewkesbury Borough Council has been awarded £60,000 in 2025-26 through the Rural England Prosperity Fund to support Community Buildings to improve their energy efficiency. This is for capital funding only.

Previous rounds of funding have supported the installation of cavity wall insulation, solar panels, LED lighting systems and energy efficient heating systems. 

Applications were open from 1 July to 14 September 2025. Funding must be spent by 31 January 2026.

This programme is now closed to application. 

Who is eligible to apply?

The grant was open to:

• Registered Charities
• Charitable Incorporated Organisation
• Community Interest Companies
• Town and Parish Councils
• Company Limited by Guarantee
• CASC (Community Amateur Sports Club)*

*Please note if you are a CASC your organisation must be able to demonstrate wider community benefit in your application otherwise you will not be eligible.

Grants are only open to organisations that are in Rural England Prosperity Fund administration areas. This does not cover the whole of Tewkesbury Borough. You should use DEFRA’s Magic Map to determine whether your organisation is in an eligible area.  Please download instructions here for DEFRA’s Magic Map. 

If you have already received an energy efficiency grant through Tewkesbury Borough Council UKSPF or REPF funding you are not eligible to reapply. 

What does the REPF scheme aim to do?

In September 2022, parts of the area covered by Tewkesbury Borough Council were identified by DEFRA as eligible for the Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF). This fund is intended to support activities that specifically address the particular challenges faced by rural areas.

REPF aims to improve productivity and strengthen the rural economy and rural communities.

Tewkesbury Borough Council has created a capital grant scheme to support initiatives which improve energy efficiency in community buildings across the Borough.

Your grant application will need to demonstrate how it delivers again the following REPF intervention. It will also need to show how it meets the outputs, and outcomes for this intervention.

The REPF intervention that this funding relates to is “Funding for investment in capacity building and infrastructure support for local civil society and community groups”.

The relevant output and outcomes are:

• Output: The number of facilities or amenities created or improved (‘Improved’ means adding, renovating or repairing facilities with the aim of creating better public space. It does not include maintenance of existing facilities). (REPF output code ROP3)
• Outcome: Increased users of facilities/amenities (REPF outcome code ROC2).

Your application should also show how it delivers on the UK government’s commitment to cut greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050, wider environmental considerations, such as resilience to natural hazards and the 25-year environment plan commitments.

Please note that successful applicants will need to be able to demonstrate that they have met these outcomes through returning a grant monitoring form. Successful applicants should have plans in place to monitor the indicators outlined in the form.

What are the eligible costs?

Eligible costs: 

• Capital grant funding will be between £2,500 and £24,999.
• The applicant will need to provide at least 15% of the project costs (match funding).
• All funding will need to be in place by the proposed project start date. All grants will be paid in arrears and subject to the appropriate documents being provided. All applicants should consider their cashflow when deciding whether to submit a grant application.
• If the total expenditure of your installation is above £24,999 you will need to complete a tender process if (i) your total project costs are over £25,000 and (ii) you are awarding a contract over £25,000 or over to one contractor. You will be required to submit evidence of your tender process and outcome as evidence in the application form.

Please read the full guidance to determine whether your organisation and your project is eligible.

What are the criteria for funding projects?

Projects should also be able to meet the following criteria: 

• Grants can only fund capital projects delivered by 31 January 2026.
• There is a limit of one grant award per organisation. If your organisation has previously received an award through REPF or UKSPF for energy efficiency, you are not eligible to reapply.
• You must have had an energy audit within 24 months of the date of your application and you must provide this when you submit your application.
• Projects that require any permissions must have these in place before making an application. If you do not require permissions, you must evidence that you have
  checked with the relevant authority and provide evidence of this.
• Three quotations must be provided for all items of expenditure, including those funded by your 15% match funding contribution. Quotes must be submitted via email alongside the grant application.
•  If the site of your project is leased, your organisation must have 8 years or more remaining on the lease.
• Applicants must not have started the proposed activity. If work on a project has started, then it is ineligible for financial support.
• Applicants must be able to evidence that all the remaining project costs are in place at the time of applying or will be in place by the proposed project start date. You will be required to provide evidence of remaining funds on or before your proposed project start date.
• Applicants will be required to keep all receipts and maintain an asset register of all purchases using this grant funding. We may ask to see this register at any time and may also visit your premises to verify the purchase(s) and record identification details. If you dispose of any interest in any asset without the prior written consent of the Council for a period of 6 years from grant award, the Council reserves the right to reclaim a proportion of the grant in accordance with the terms of the Grant Funding Agreement.
• We cannot support projects that have received funding from other DEFRA schemes. This includes the Platinum Jubilee Village Hall Improvement Grant Fund.
• All successful applications will be assessed against the UK Subsidy Control Regime. Applicants are required to complete the Subsidy Control declaration in order to assist the Council in its assessment.

Before applying for this Energy Efficiency for Community Buildings capital grant, please read the full grant guidance and contact Tewkesbury Community Funding officers to ensure you and your project are eligible to apply.

What projects have previously been successful in gaining funding?

This is the third year of funding for Energy Efficiency Projects for Community Buildings in Tewkesbury Borough. In 2024–2025, the Borough Council was able to allocate £208,949.35 to 17 community venues from UK Shared Prosperity and Rural England Prosperity Funding as follows: 

Insulation/ capital improvements for energy efficiency

Dumbleton Village Hall – replacement windows and doors.

Northway Parish Council – refurbishment of entrance doors and windows at Northway Village Hall.

Apperley Village Hall – cavity wall insulation. 

Battery installation (only)

Deer Park Archers, Shurdington and Wheatpieces Parish Council

Renewed heating, lighting, climate control system

Tewkesbury Town Council – installation of HVAC system  

Lighting systems

Encounter Vineyard, Winchcombe – LED Lights

Twyning Recreational and Amenity Complex – LED lights tennis courts and MUGA

Hatherley and Reddings Cricket Club – lighting upgrade   

Solar panels

Tewkesbury Baptist Church; Tewkesbury Sea Cadets; Tewksbury Cricket Club; Churchdown Community Association; Priors Park Community Church; Witcombe Village Hall; Hucclecote Parish Council; Pineholt Village Hall; St Andrews Church, Churchdown

Scheme Administration

This scheme is administered by Tewkesbury Borough Council community funding officers.

All communication relating to these schemes and grant application should be directed to communityfunding@tewkesbury.gov.uk