Increased funding for EV chargepoints

State-funded education settings can now apply for a higher amount of funding to install electric vehicle chargepoints in their grounds – up to £2,500 per socket. We examine how the new grant works and what the benefits of installing charging infrastructure are

The United Kingdom reached its millionth battery electric car sales milestone in January 2024, according to figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). What’s more, the UK now has a legally binding zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate in place, which requires 80 per cent of new cars and 70 per cent of new vans sold in Great Britain to be zero emission by 2030.
    
With more and more electric vehicles joining the roads, the need for more local  facilities to charge them is paramount.
    
Education settings can now apply for a higher amount of funding to install electric vehicle chargepoints in their grounds, thanks to a new dedicated grant for the sector, called the Workplace Charging Scheme for state-funded education institutions.
    
State-funded education settings, including schools, colleges, nurseries and academies, can apply for the grant which provides up to 75 per cent of the cost to buy and install chargepoints, up to £2,500 per socket - which is a rise from the previous £350 which schools were able to receive through the Workplace Charging Grant.
     
The grant aims to boost the chargepoint facilities for staff and visitors, and has the potential to help schools generate revenue by making their chargepoints available to the public.
    
At the time of launching the grant, the Minister for the School System and Student Finance at the Department for Education, Baroness Barran, said: “This is an exciting opportunity for schools across the UK to become part of an ongoing move towards a greener public sector. Schools engaging with this grant will be supporting the development of green infrastructure, helping to improve their local environments.
    
“Developing a greener education estate is a key element of our sustainability and climate change strategy. The expansion of this grant supports our ambition to improve the sustainability of our schools in the ongoing move towards net zero.”
    
Applications for the grant are made online, and the closing date is 31 March 2025. Successful applicants will receive a voucher that is valid for 180 days from the date of issue and the installation must be completed within this time.

Improving sustainability

The Department for Education’s Sustainability and climate change strategy states that: “Seeing sustainability brought to life in the buildings around them will allow children and young people to gain experiences which will enhance and contextualise their learning.”
    
Having electric vehicle charge points facilitates this, by allowing children to see zero-emission transport in action, opening up wider conversations about air quality and energy usage.
    
If the chargepoints are opened up for wider use, the school is helping the community by offering more local options to charge a vehicle, which is particularly important for those that are unable to charge at home. There is also potential for the chargepoints to generate revenue by charging the public to use the facilities.

Eligibility

The school’s grant is for state-funded schools and education institutions, which must have dedicated off-street parking facilities. Independent schools may apply for funding through the Workplace Charging Scheme and the Electric vehicle infrastructure grant for SMEs (more information below).
    
The education setting must have designated off-street parking facilities that are clearly associated with the premises, although the parking may be used by customers, guests, visitors, staff or others. It must also have a site survey done by an installer, who has confirmed that the grounds can support EV charging.
    
To be eligible for the grant, the school must have received less that £315,000 in minimal financial assistance over the past three fiscal years, and not have applied for funding for the same chargepoint under any other government grant scheme.
    
If a school wants to open their chargepoints to the public and charge for usage, they will need to ensure they comply with the Public Chargepoint Regulations 2023 and associated guidance.

Independent schools

Independent schools can apply for funding through the Workplace Charging Scheme and the Electric vehicle infrastructure grant for SMEs.
    
The Workplace Charging Scheme grant covers up to 75 per cent of the total costs of the purchase and installation of EV chargepoints (inclusive of VAT), capped at a maximum of £350 per socket and 40 sockets across all sites per applicant.
    
The school must have dedicated off-street parking for staff and have parking facilities that are clearly associated with the applicant premises and be either on-site or at a reasonable distance from the school.
    
The sites must have a minimum power supply of 3kW to each individual socket that is not diminished by their simultaneous use and have no more than one socket installed for each accessible parking space.
    
Independent schools can also apply for funding from the ‘electric vehicle infrastructure grant for staff and fleets’, which is a grant for small and medium-sized businesses.
    
This gives you money off the cost of wider building and installation work that’s needed to install multiple chargepoint sockets, covering things like wiring and posts.
    
The work can be for sockets that are installed now and in the future. For example, an EV infrastructure grant can cover things like wiring and posts.
    
The grant covers 75 per cent of the cost of the work, up to a maximum of £15,000. You can get up to £350 per chargepoint socket installed and up to £500 per parking space enabled with supporting infrastructure. You can receive up to five grants across five different sites.