Applications open for north west community projects to win up to £100,000 funding from Centrica

Centrica will be inviting community groups and social enterprises across the North West to apply for grants of up to £100,000 through its social impact fund

Centrica is inviting community groups and social enterprises across the North West to apply for grants of up to £100,000 through its Energy for Tomorrow (EfT) social impact fund.

Launched in 2007 to support the UK’s transition to net zero, the fund encourages the development of initiatives within local communities that deliver affordable, accessible and sustainable energy solutions for everyone.

Organisations, non-profits, charities and social enterprises in the North West have the opportunity to receive critical funding to advance their projects, along with financial and business management support. 

Applicants have until Wednesday 5 April to submit their entries, when a shortlist of 10 projects will present their ideas to a panel of senior judges, with up to six being awarded funding.

Since Energy for Tomorrow’s inception, more than 25 projects across the UK have benefited from funding of over £4 million.

The social impact fund derives revenue from the feed-in tariffs of solar panels installed by British Gas on more than 250 schools across the UK. The solar panels save each school almost £2,500 each year, collectively offsetting just over 13,000 tonnes of CO2.

Energy for Tomorrow Programme Manager, Sarah Wright, said: “We are very excited to see the initiatives that come forward in this round of applications, and to support their efforts to help those most in need in these difficult times.

“It’s more important than ever that we continue to support communities across the North West and the rest of the UK, at the same time as creating sustainable solutions that will help us achieve net zero.”

One organisation that has successfully secured funding in the past is Liverpool-based Flutter Shutter who have created a thermal plantation window shutter that incorporates a roller blind and eliminates draughts and heat loss. 

The shutters help to make homes more energy efficient without the cost of replacing windows. 

Other initiatives supported include energy wardens, online energy management systems and the installation of renewable solutions.

To find out more and to apply, visit www.centrica.com/sustainability/energy-for-tomorrow/.