Bristol City Leap, an innovative partnership between Bristol City Council, Ameresco and Vattenfall Heat UK is accelerating decarbonisation in Bristol and welcoming local community organisations to apply for a second round of funding from its £1.5 million Community Energy Fund.
Applications for the second round must be made by 12 September. The funding panel will then deliberate on 1 October 2024, with successful applicants notified shortly thereafter.
The Bristol City Leap Community Energy Fund is designed to support local community-led energy projects in the Bristol area through a mix of grants and loans. The fund was financed with £750,000 contributions from both Ameresco and Vattenfall Heat UK.
There are numerous pots of funding on offer ranging from £1,000 micro-grants through to £50,000 development grants and loans. The loan offer is intended to support the recycling of funds to enable even more future community projects by reinvesting profits back into the Bristol City Leap Community Energy Fund.
So far, the first round has included £12,000 of investment, with two projects receiving micro-grants of £1,000 each, including Windmill Hill City Farm, to fund a feasibility study on their ability to connect to our Bristol Heat Network and the Bristol Wood Recycling Project, received a micro-grant to assist in developing plans to construct solar kilns for powering their recycling drying processes.
In addition, Resilience Network CIC received a small grant of £5,000 to help them deliver workshops, to assist them in installing solar panels across five local neighbourhoods. Another beneficiary, Energy Sparks, to support their work in offering outreach to five state schools in Bristol.
James Sterling, Communications and Social Value Manager at Bristol City Leap, said: “After an incredible first round of funding, we’re accepting new applicants for the second round of our Community Energy Fund. Funding for community energy projects has been a huge gap in the sector for a number of years, so we are delighted to be able to offer financial support to enable communities to play an active role in our mission to decarbonise Bristol.
There’s so much innovation going on here in Bristol, and we are all very eager to see the exciting projects that will come from this latest round of funding.”
The Bristol City Leap Community Energy Fund is supported by partners from The Centre for Sustainable Energy, Bristol and Bath Regional Capital, Bristol Energy Network and Praxis.
Cllr Martin Fodor, Chair of the Bristol City Council Environment and Sustainability Committee said: “We are thrilled to announce the second round of the £1.5 million Bristol City Leap Community Energy Fund. It represents another significant step forward in ensuring our communities play their part in shaping the decarbonisation of Bristol. This initiative not only supports local community-led energy projects but also fosters innovation and resilience within our communities. By empowering local organisations with the financial resources they need, we are ensuring that the benefits of a low-carbon future are shared by all as part of a just transition in a city tackling the changing climate. I encourage all eligible groups to apply and contribute to making Bristol a fairer, more sustainable city.”
More information about the £1.5 million fund with a link to apply can be found on our dedicated webpage.
