Solar Grant Funding for Charities & Community Organisations in Scotland

Scottish charities, community organisations, faith buildings, and schools can access grant funding for commercial solar PV installations through programmes including CARES, the Great British Energy public buildings programme, and local authority renewable energy funds. These grants are not available to commercial businesses. Eligible not-for-profit organisations can access grants covering up to 80% of installation costs. For eligible organisations, grant-supported solar is typically the lowest-cost route to deploying commercial solar in Scotland. This guide lists the active commercial solar grant programmes for not-for-profit organisations in Scotland, with eligibility criteria, funding levels, and status verified as of April 2026.

Solar Grant Funding for Charities and Community Organisations in Scotland

Commercial solar is one of the most cost-effective ways for not-for-profit organisations to reduce energy costs and meet sustainability commitments. And unlike commercial businesses, charities and community organisations in Scotland have access to dedicated grant programmes that can substantially reduce — or in some cases eliminate — the capital cost of installation.

In practice, most successful grant-funded solar projects begin with a feasibility assessment and indicative design — not with a grant application in isolation. Understanding your project’s scope, system size, and financial position before approaching a grant administrator significantly strengthens your application and accelerates approval timelines.

This guide covers the main commercial solar grant programmes currently available for the not-for-profit and community sector in Scotland. Eligibility criteria, funding levels, and programme status are verified as of April 2026.

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Who These Grants Are For

The grant programmes in this guide are exclusively for non-profit distributing organisations — they are not available to commercial businesses or private landlords. Eligible organisations typically include:

• Registered Scottish charities (OSCR-registered)
• Constituted community organisations and development trusts
• Faith buildings and religious groups
• Schools and publicly-funded education facilities seeking solar funding for schools in Scotland
• Community interest companies (CICs) — eligibility varies by programme
• Social enterprises with appropriate governance structures
• Housing associations — eligibility varies; specific decarbonisation funding routes apply

Commercial businesses interested in solar funding should visit our Funding Options page for information on CapEx, Asset Finance, and Power Purchase Agreement routes.

Current Grant Programmes — Verified April 2026

1. CARES Community Buildings Fund

Status: Open | Administrator: Local Energy Scotland | Max Grant: £80,000 | Coverage: Up to 80% of eligible costs | Verified: April 2026

The Community Buildings Fund is part of the Scottish Government’s Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES), administered by Local Energy Scotland. It funds solar PV, battery storage, and heat pumps in community-owned or leased buildings. For eligible organisations, this is typically the primary route for accessing commercial solar grant funding in Scotland.

Eligible organisations:

• Non-profit distributing Scottish charities or companies (OSCR or Companies House registered)
• Faith groups, community centres, sports clubs, village halls
• Organisations that own or lease their building and use it primarily for community benefit
• CICs and unincorporated charities registered with OSCR

Key conditions:

• Applications queued on a first-come, first-served basis — submission time and date determines queue position
• Grant offers cannot be issued until after the May 2026 Scottish election — applications can be submitted now and will be queued
• Fair Work First compliance required — evidence required before grant claims are processed
• All work must be completed and claimed by the programme deadline

Fund closes October 2026 or when fully allocated. Always verify current status at localenergy.scot.

2. CARES Community Energy Generation Growth Fund

Status: Active | Administrator: Local Energy Scotland | Funding: Grants & Loans | Scale: 100kW+ | Delivery deadline: March 2027 | Verified: April 2026

For community organisations wanting to own and operate their own renewable energy generation at scale. Provides grant and loan funding across feasibility, development, and construction stages. Competitive assessment — not first-come, first-served.

Eligible organisations:

• Non-profit distributing Scottish charities or companies
• Projects must install over 100kW of renewable energy
• Projects must deliver concrete economic benefits to the local community

Key conditions:

• Applications assessed competitively by panel — project quality and community benefit scoring applies
• Delivery milestones must be met by March 2027

Verify current fund status and application guidance at localenergy.scot.

3. Great British Energy — Public Buildings Programme

Status: Programme active — tenders from Q1 2026 | Administrator: Great British Energy | Scale: £180 million national | Verified: April 2026

Great British Energy has committed a £180 million programme specifically for solar on public sector buildings — schools, leisure centres, and NHS facilities. This is a significant route for solar funding for schools in Scotland and other public sector properties. The programme works through competitive tenders where delivery partners are appointed, not direct applications from building owners.

What this means for your organisation:

• Organisations managing eligible public sector buildings may benefit from funded installation through this programme
• Schools and education authorities should pay particular attention — the programme has a specific focus on education buildings
• Early engagement with a delivery partner like Caledonia Solar is the best way to stay informed and prepared

Programme details and tender timelines subject to change. Contact Caledonia Solar for current status.

4. East Ayrshire Renewable Energy Fund (REF)

Status: Active — rolling applications | Administrator: East Ayrshire Council | Geographic restriction: East Ayrshire only | Verified: April 2026

Funded by wind farm developer contributions. Supports community and voluntary sector projects delivering grassroots local community benefit in East Ayrshire. Capital and revenue funding available. Match funding expected in most cases.

Key conditions:

• Projects must be in East Ayrshire and deliver quantifiable local economic and community benefit
• Profits from funded projects must be reinvested rather than distributed
• Not routinely funded at 100% — match funding expected

Contact EAC Community Asset and Investment Team: 01563 578104 / eacrenewableenergyfund@east-ayrshire.gov.uk

Funding Sources That Are Not Applicable to Solar Projects

Some commonly referenced Scottish funding programmes are not applicable to solar installations or not-for-profit energy projects. To save you time: the Robertson Trust (poverty and trauma reduction only), National Lottery Community Fund, Scottish Land Fund, Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund, Participatory Budgeting funds, and RCGF 2 (social housing sector only) are not relevant routes for solar.

If you have been told a specific fund may support your solar project, Caledonia Solar is happy to review the eligibility criteria with you before you spend time on an application.

Working With Caledonia Solar

We support organisations from initial feasibility through to grant-aligned system design and delivery. Most successful grant-funded solar projects do not start with a grant application — they start with a properly scoped project.

Caledonia Solar provides formal feasibility assessments and indicative system designs that are structured to support grant applications. We do not administer grant funds, but we ensure your project is designed and documented in a way that meets funder requirements from the outset.

Organisations that engage early are significantly more likely to secure funding before allocation limits are reached.

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View our Not-for-Profit & Public Sector page →