Pre GB Energy Community Fund Support

The Hub is one of five Net Zero Hubs operational in England. It is hosted by the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority (WEMCA). The Hub works to engage with a wide range of public sector organisations to bring forward business cases that attract investment in energy infrastructure in the pursuit of net zero.

As well as providing support to regional energy projects, we deliver large-scale programmes such as domestic retrofit, and support to public sector decarbonisation schemes. We also support community energy projects and share best practice and innovation across the region.

Current Objectives of the Hub: • To attract commercial investment and help Local Authorities and other local public sector bodies to develop investment models which accelerate progress to net zero. • To increase the number, quality, and scale of local net zero projects being delivered across the region in line with national targets and strategies, including supporting the early-stage development and delivery of projects. • To collaborate with DESNZ to develop and support net zero elements of wider programmes and initiatives delivered across England • To support a national knowledge transfer programme to improve information sharing, training, and evaluation. • To raise local awareness of opportunities for and benefits of local net zero investment. These objectives are currently being reviewed in light of the Governments Clean Power Plan and will be subject to a new MOU between DESNZ/Great British Energy and SWNZH/WEMCA in June 2025. One of the Hub's key programmes is the Great British Energy Community Fund (GBECF), previously the Community Energy Fund (CEF), designed to build a project pipeline of Community Energy projects in the SWNZH region. The SWNZH administer CEF and GBECF, which provides grants to voluntary sector organisations, Community Benefit Societies, Community Interest Companies (CICs), and other non-profits. These grants support recipients to assess the feasibility of installing energy generation and storage measures for the benefit of their community. Our research into the emerging Community Energy Sector and further conversations with the mature Community Energy organisations in the South West, Identifies that capacity to apply for the Community Energy Funds can be hindered by a lack of: • technical knowledge • suitable governance structures and organisational maturity • procurement and contract management expertise • understanding of how to unleash the opportunities for community benefit that becoming a Community Energy generator affords. Successful CEF/GBECF applicants in the SWNZH region are not geographically evenly spread, with a third being within the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority area.