Community Group Grants

Improve energy efficiency in your community

A Retrofit West Community Group Grant is funding which is for you to engage with your community, to spark interest and empower residents to act and boost the demand for energy efficient homes in your local area.

Retrofit West is here to support, fund and help community groups like yourself get involved in home energy efficiency. Homeowners need reliable, trusted sources, and who better than community groups to deliver it?

 

Community Group Cohort 4

Applications are now closed!

The Benefits of Community Group Funding

Funding of up to £8,000

Funding of up to £8,000

Helps Community Groups take action on net zero

Helps Community Groups take action on net zero

Builds community engagement

Builds community engagement

What can you use the funding for?

Funding is available for community-based engagement activities that raise awareness of retrofit and inspire homeowners to take action. Eligible activities include:

  • In-person Energy Fairs
  • Community workshops and talks
  • Virtual Green Open Homes tours or case studies
  • Home Energy Neighbours or Retrofit Buddy schemes
  • Communications activity to support engagement, such as contributions to newsletters, energy-focused publications with existing mailing lists, or locally distributed information materials

What won’t be funded?
To keep our focus on in-person community engagement, the following are not eligible under this grant:

Webinars or fully online-only events, website development or upgrades and video production.

Community Group Grants

We’re calling on community groups and organisations to play a key role in helping create carbon-neutral homes. By working together to cut energy use and make affordable heating and renewable energy options easier for everyone to access, we can build a more sustainable future for our communities.

Up to £8,000 grants are available for groups across the West of England to help upskill, develop and inform your communities about energy efficiency.

To be eligible, you must:

  • Be in the West of England Combined Authority area (Bristol, South Gloucestershire & Bath and Northeast Somerset)
  • Be incorporated – let us know, if not, as we might still be able to fund you!
  • Be a group or an individual
  • Consortium bids involving multiple organisations are welcome

Cohort 3 Funded Community Groups

Bristol Energy Network ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

Bristol Energy Network ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Encouraging uptake around heat pumps, solar PV, and retrofit

Hillfields Community Garden ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

Hillfields Community Garden ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Give energy advice through events, newsletters and webpages.

Sustainable Westbury-on-Trym

Sustainable Westbury-on-Trym Educate residents on energy reduction and motivate.

Neighbourhood Toolbox CIC ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

Neighbourhood Toolbox CIC ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Engage landlords, professionals in B&NES to expand services.

Go Green Widcombe ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

Go Green Widcombe ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Support local households on their retrofit pathway.

Climate Hub ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

Climate Hub ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Demonstrate home energy upgrades and improvements.

Bristol & West Community Energy

Bristol & West Community Energy Workshops to teach and support homeowners on retrofit.

St Werburghs Community Association

St Werburghs Community Association New role to engage communities with Retrofit West services.

Frome Valley Environmental Network

Frome Valley Environmental Network Increase engagement and signpost to Retrofit West services.

Southmead Development Trust ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

Southmead Development Trust ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Pilot resident support linking home energy & retrofit advice

Emersons Green & Lyde Community

Emersons Green & Lyde Community Community engagement through Retrofit Roadshow event.

South Gloucestershire Community Energy Network ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

South Gloucestershire Community Energy Network ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Encourage retrofit through public engagement activities.

Climate Action Thornbury & Surrounding Areas ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

Climate Action Thornbury & Surrounding Areas ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Provide retrofit advice to residents and homeowners.

Projects we have funded

Go Green Widcombe

We funded Go Green Widcombe to deliver 4 events based on Retrofit and encouraging attendees to book a home energy survey. This initiative is carried out in partnership with Bath & West Community Energy.

Check out Go Green Widcombe

fBristol Energy Network

The funding has allowed Bristol Energy Network to host 10 Green Open Homes across the funding period across Bristol. Bristol Energy Network have also been delivering talks to homeowners in the local area about energy efficiency options.

Check out Green Open Homes

Emersons Green & Lyde Community

The funding for ELCoE allowed them to market and promote energy efficiency services across the region to local homeowners and organised six community meetings in a 12 month period.

Check out ELCoE

Henbury Hill Project

The Henbury Hill Project, led by Rob Benington, involved conducting surveys on properties within the Henbury Hill area, all sharing a common house archetype. The project produced a detailed report highlighting similarities among the homes and providing generic recommendations for improvements.

Check out the Henbury Hill Project
Henbury Hill Bristol

More projects we’ve funded

The Cheese Project‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

The Cheese Project‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Enhanced their customer journey to improve service.

Bristol and West Community Energy

Bristol and West Community Energy Delivered in-house retrofit services throughout Bath.

Bristol Energy Network ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

Bristol Energy Network ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Delivered talks and hosted Green Open Homes for homeowners.

Sustainable Westbury-on-Trym

Sustainable Westbury-on-Trym Conduct workshops within Westbury and the surrounding area.

Marshfield Community Land Trust

Marshfield Community Land Trust Focused on achieve net zero in Marshfield.

Emersons Green & Lyde Community

Emersons Green & Lyde Community Hosted events and marketed retrofit services in the region.

Share Bristol ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

Share Bristol ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ To help homeowners understand the fabric of their homes.

Go Green Widcombe‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

Go Green Widcombe‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Delivered events based on retrofit and created a new website

Share & Repair‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

Share & Repair‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Retrofit equipment has been added to their lending library.

Somer Valley Radio ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

Somer Valley Radio ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Radio advertisement to promote local retrofit services.

Climate Action Thornbury & Surrounding ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

Climate Action Thornbury & Surrounding ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Extend community outreach and attract volunteers.

Bath and West Community Energy Home Energy Service ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

Bath and West Community Energy Home Energy Service ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Upgraded their website for Green Open Homes events.

Community-led Action – Sustainable Westbury-on-Trym