Clean energy and net zero technology businesses in the UK can access substantial grant funding through Innovate UK, the Net Zero Innovation Portfolio, and sector-specific competitions. This guide maps the main funding streams.
Clean energy is one of the UK government's stated investment priorities, and the grant funding reflects that commitment - in scale and in consistency. Unlike some sectors where funding comes and goes with ministerial priorities, net zero and clean technology have benefited from a sustained pipeline of competitions and programmes. The challenge for businesses isn't whether the money exists; it's identifying which programme fits your technology and stage.
The Net Zero Innovation Portfolio (NZIP) is the government's flagship clean energy innovation fund, managed by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. It covers ten priority areas: low-carbon heating, industrial fuel switching, offshore wind, nuclear, energy storage, bioenergy, carbon capture and storage, hydrogen, smart systems and flexibility, and direct air capture. Each priority area runs separate competitions. Awards range from feasibility studies at £100,000 to large-scale demonstration projects exceeding £10 million.
Innovate UK runs targeted clean energy competitions throughout the year, often in partnership with DESNZ or Ofgem. Recent rounds have covered heat decarbonisation, flexible demand technology, energy digitisation, and offshore wind supply chain development. Innovate UK competitions tend to focus on earlier-stage technology development; NZIP focuses on later-stage demonstration and deployment. Both are worth monitoring if you're in this space.
The Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF) funds capital projects that reduce energy consumption in energy-intensive industries. Awards cover up to 30–40% of eligible capital costs. Eligible industries include food and drink manufacturing, chemicals, ceramics, glass, and paper - anywhere that energy is a significant operating cost. The IETF is often overlooked because it targets traditional industries rather than startups, but the award sizes are substantial.
The Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) runs several grant schemes relevant to businesses. The Workplace Charging Scheme covers up to £350 per charge point socket. The Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Grant supports larger public charging deployments. These are simpler programmes than innovation grants - more like subsidies - but worth claiming if you're upgrading fleet or facilities.
Grantscom searches thousands of live grants and tenders every day and scores them against your business profile.
Start free →