EV Charging
EV Chargepoint Funding for Schools and Colleges
26 April 2024 at 14:08:16
What funding is available?
As of early February 2024, state-funded educational institutions will now have access to funding through the Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS).
Up to £100,000 of grant funding is available, covering up to 75% of the cost to purchase and install EV chargepoints.
Through this grant funding, schools and colleges could receive up to £2,500 per socket, with a maximum of 40 sockets across all sites to be applied to designated, off-street parking facilities.
Also, institutions that are part of an academy can apply for up to 40 sockets per institution within the group.
The Benefits of EV Charging in Schools
It’s not just about funding. There are so many other reasons to install electric car chargers at your school or college.
Here are just a few:
By setting an example to students and visitors, forward thinking institutions can lead the way in the adoption of electric vehicles. Not just talking the sustainability talk but also walking the sustainability walk.
Providing visitors and students with the facilities to make EV charging convenient and adaptable to their needs is a step towards making your campus more accessible to environmentally conscious students. Removing a barrier to EV adoption.
EV charging provides an opportunity to generate additional funding that can be fed directly back into the school and the surrounding community. Opening up chargepoints for use by the public outside of opening hours, not only is your institution becoming a charging hub, but also allows for the creation of a completely new revenue stream. Something that can be easily managed with chargepoint management software.
Do I qualify?
First and foremost, your institution needs to be located in either England, Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland. If you are located in the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man, you are not eligible for funding via this grant.
The educational institution must also be state-funded. This funding does not extend to privately funded schools or colleges.
You must have:
● An existing or future need for charging an electric vehicle
● Designated off-street parking facilities that are clearly associated with your premises (the parking may be used by customers, guests, visitors, staff, or others)
● Had a site survey done by an installer, who has confirmed that your site can support EV charging
● Not have applied for a grant for the same chargepoint under the EV infrastructure grant for staff and fleets or any other grant scheme
● Have the authority to apply for the Workplace Charging Scheme on behalf of your organisation
Both the chargepoint models and your installer must be approved by the Office of Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV).
How do I apply for funding?
Once you have checked your eligibility against the above criteria, and have carried out a site survey, you can apply for funding via the Government website.
Note: You will need to provide your institution's ID, reference number or SEED in order to move forward with your application.
Successful applicants will then receive a voucher code that will be valid for 180 days, that must be passed on to your chosen installer.
All installations must be carried out within this 6-month period. After which point, your installer must then apply for funding using the online forms available on the Government website.
Further information for installers:
You must fill out an installer claim form for each institution in which you carried out a chargepoint installation.
Note: Section 4 of the form must be completed by the educational institution.
To accompany this, you will also need to complete a grant claim form detailing the location of all installations and the total cost of installation, as well as other relevant project information. This form can collate information from multiple different institutions.
Both forms must then be emailed directly to workplacechargingscheme@dvla.gov.uk.
For installers that are employed by the education institution, there is a separate application process.
When is the deadline to apply?
The current deadline for funding applications is 31st March 2025.
Contact us to learn how we can assist you with grant applications and support the implementation of workplace charging solutions.
