Community Sustainable Energy Programme supported by the Big Lottery Fund

Community Sustainable Energy Programme

Home

Welcome to the Community Sustainable Energy Programme (CSEP)



**We have updated the Benchmarks in line with the Low Carbon Buildings Programme Phase 2 Extension. Please make sure you use these for any future applications. The NEW benchmarks are available here.**


CSEP is an open grants programme run by BRE as an award partner of the Big Lottery Fund (BIG). BRE carries out research, consultancy, training and testing to help create better buildings and communities.

If you are planning to apply to the next round please read the latest Selection Panel decisions for further guidance.

The Community Sustainable Energy Programme will provide £8 million to community-based organisations for the installation of microgeneration technologies, such as solar panels or biomass boilers and energy efficiency measures including loft and cavity wall insulation. It will also provide £1 million for project development grants that will help community organisations decide if they could benefit from a microgeneration and energy efficiency installation.

The programme aims to achieve the following outcomes:

  • Reduction in CO2 emissions
  • Increased community awareness of climate change and how changes to our behaviour can reduce it
  • Increased skills base of local trades (for example, local builders and building-service subcontractors working on renewable energy projects for the first time)
  • Reduction in energy bills
  • Reduction in reliance on imported energy and increased independence from commercial energy suppliers
  • Stronger partnerships within local communities with lasting social benefits
  • Growth of local enterprise in new technologies.

Applications are being accepted now. Capital grants will be awarded on a competitive basis at quarterly Selection Panel meetings. Please click here for a list of the funding rounds. Project Development grants will be awarded on a first-come first-served basis until all funds are spent. The programme was launched in April 2008 to provide funding fro three years. Capital grant funding will continue throughout 2010, with the last deadline on 29th October 2010. Development grants will continue until the money has been allocated throughout 2010.

Details of all aspects of the grant application process, consultants, installers and technologies are available on this website. We will also provide statistical information for all projects that have been funded, showing where the project is and the types of technologies used.

CSEP is managed by BRE. If you have any queries that are not answered on this website, please call the Changing Spaces helpline on 0845 3 671 671 or email us at info@communitysustainable.org.uk


Last update 6th January 2010