UK regional solar funds compared 2026
Comprehensive comparison of 30+ UK regional solar funding programmes — combined authorities, Investment Zones, devolved-nation schemes, foundation grants, and innovation funding. Use as a reference; cross-check eligibility against current programme rules before applying.
Last updated 4 May 2026.
All UK regional and national solar funding programmes
Each programme listed has been verified to current programme rules at time of publication. Programmes evolve — current eligibility and terms vary with each application window. Use this table as a starting reference, not a definitive guide.
| Region | Authority | Programme | Ownership | Sector | Size | Terms | Solar eligible | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greater London | GLA / MEEF | Mayor's Energy Efficiency Fund | Public + private | Public + non-profit | £500m+ revolving | Senior debt, 6–8% APR | Yes | Administered by Amber Infrastructure. Multiple London public-sector solar deployments funded. |
| Greater Manchester | GMCA | GMCA Net Zero Capital Programme | Public | Council estate | Varies | Capital investment | Yes | Cross-borough programme covering 10 GMCA authorities. Solar PV on council estate. |
| West Midlands | WMCA | WMCA Energy Capital | Public + private | Various | Varies | Capital + grant | Yes | Energy Capital programme supports commercial-scale energy projects. Investment Zone designation adds capital allowance enhancements. |
| West Yorkshire | WYCA | WYCA Net Zero Capital Programme | Public | Council + community | Varies | Capital investment | Yes | Covers Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield, Calderdale, Kirklees. Investment Zone designation across West Yorkshire. |
| South Yorkshire | SYMCA | SYMCA Net Zero Capital Programme | Public | Council + community | Varies | Capital investment | Yes | Covers Sheffield, Rotherham, Barnsley, Doncaster. |
| North East | NECA | NECA Net Zero strategy | Public | Council estate | Varies | Capital investment | Yes | Includes North East Investment Zone covering Newcastle, Sunderland, Northumberland, Durham, Gateshead, North Tyneside, South Tyneside. |
| Liverpool City Region | LCRCA | Strategic Investment Fund | Public | Strategic regional | £190m | Strategic investment | As part of broader package | Solar PV qualifies where part of broader site decarbonisation. Mersey Tidal Power adjacent. |
| Bristol / West of England | WECA / Bristol City Council | Bristol City Leap | Public + private (Ameresco) | Public + commercial | £424m | Capital investment | Yes | 20-year energy services partnership delivering decarbonisation infrastructure across Bristol. |
| Cambridge & Peterborough | CPCA | CPCA decarbonisation | Public + community | Various | Varies | Capital + grant | Yes | East England Investment Zone designation across Cambridgeshire-Peterborough. |
| East Midlands | EMCCA | East Midlands CCA Investment Zone | Public + private | Strategic | Varies | Capital allowance enhancements | As part of broader package | Covers Derbyshire-Nottinghamshire. Investment Zone for green-economy investments. |
| Solent / Hampshire | Solent Cluster | Solent Cluster Industrial Decarbonisation | Public + private | Industrial | Varies | Capital investment | As part of broader package | Industrial cluster decarbonisation across Southampton, Portsmouth, Solent industrial estates. |
| Humber | Humber Cluster | Humber Cluster Decarbonisation | Public + private | Industrial | Varies | Capital investment | As part of broader package | Includes Hull, Grimsby, Immingham. Track-2 carbon capture with adjacent energy generation. |
| South West | Western Gateway | Western Gateway partnership | Public | Various | Varies | Cross-border partnership | Yes | Cross-border M4 corridor partnership Bristol-Cardiff-Swindon. |
| Black Country | Black Country | Black Country Industrial Decarbonisation | Public + private | Industrial | Varies | Capital + grant | As part of broader package | Wolverhampton, Walsall, Dudley, Sandwell industrial cluster. |
| Coast to Capital | Coast to Capital LEP successor | Coast to Capital green-economy | Public | SME | Varies | Grant + match-funding | Yes | Surrey, Sussex, Croydon coverage. |
| Greater Brighton | Greater Brighton Economic Board | GBEB green-economy | Public | SME | Varies | Grant + match-funding | Yes | Brighton & Hove, Adur, Crawley, Lewes, Mid Sussex, Worthing. |
| Constellation Partnership | Constellation Partnership | Cross-border Cheshire-Stoke | Public + private | Various | Varies | Capital + grant | Yes | Cheshire West, Cheshire East, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. |
| Mersey Dee Alliance | Mersey Dee Alliance | Cross-border Cheshire-Wales | Public | Cross-border SME | Varies | Cross-border partnership | Yes | Cheshire West, Wirral, Wrexham, Flintshire. |
| Coalfields | Coalfields Regeneration Trust | Coalfield community projects | Charity | Community + SME | Varies | Grant | Yes (community) | Funding for community and SME activities in former-coalfield areas (Yorkshire, Lancashire, Northumberland, etc.). |
| England-wide | Salix / DESNZ | Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) | Public | Public sector | Multi-billion | Grant (30–80% qualifying cost) | Yes (in bundles) | PSDS Phase 4 active. Bundled applications (solar + heat pump + fabric) score better than solar-only. |
| England-wide | Salix | Salix Public Sector Loans | Public | Public sector | Varies | Zero-interest loan | Yes | Revolving facility for public-sector decarbonisation. Often combined with PSDS grants. |
| England-wide | Innovate UK / UKRI | Innovate UK competitions | Public + private | Innovation | Varies (project-by-project) | Grant (50–70%) | Where novel R&D component | Solar+storage demonstration, novel inverter architectures, agrivoltaic pilots, second-life battery integration. |
| Scotland | Scottish Enterprise | Scotland Public Sector Heat Decarbonisation | Public | Public sector | Varies | Capital grant | Yes (heat-paired) | Scottish equivalent of PSDS. Heat focus with solar as supporting measure. |
| Scotland | Resource Efficient Scotland | Energy Efficiency Business Support | Public | SME | Varies | Grant + advisory | Yes | Scottish SME energy efficiency support including solar. |
| Wales | Welsh Government | Welsh Government Energy Service | Public | Public sector | Varies | Capital grant + advisory | Yes | Welsh public-sector decarbonisation support including solar. |
| Wales | Welsh Government | Local Energy in Wales | Public + community | Community + SME | Varies | Grant + equity | Yes | Community-scale and SME-scale generation projects. |
| Wales | Cardiff Capital Region | Cardiff Capital Region City Deal | Public | Various | £1.2bn | Capital investment | Yes | Cross-authority covering Cardiff and 9 surrounding authorities. |
| Northern Ireland | NI Executive | NI public-sector decarbonisation | Public | Public sector | Limited | Project-by-project | Yes | Limited dedicated capital; most projects funded through standard tax-allowance routes. |
| England-wide | Big Lottery | Climate Action Fund | Charity | Charity + faith | Multi-million | Grant (£50k–£250k) | Yes | Community decarbonisation including faith-based organisations. |
| England-wide | Patagonia | Environmental Grant Programme | Charity | Environmental | Limited | Grant (£10k–£40k) | Yes | Competitive environmental projects. |
| England-wide | Garfield Weston | Garfield Weston Foundation | Charity | Charity + faith | Multi-million | Grant | Yes (charity) | Wider charitable infrastructure that can include solar. |
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Reference data may be reproduced with attribution to Commercial Solar Finance. Programme rules update — verify current rules before applying.
How to use this list
Three practical filters to narrow the relevant programmes for any given project:
By organisation type
Public-sector and not-for-profit organisations have access to PSDS, Salix loans, devolved-nation schemes, and most regional combined-authority programmes. Private-sector organisations primarily access Investment Zones (where designated), Innovate UK / UKRI competitions for novel projects, and the standard tax-allowance routes (50% FYA, AIA) which apply UK-wide regardless of region.
By geography
Cross-reference your operating address against the regional programmes. Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland have their own dedicated schemes that don't overlap with English regional programmes. Within England, Investment Zone designations and Combined Authority footprints determine specific programme eligibility.
By project structure
Solar-only applications struggle in cluster decarbonisation programmes. Most regional cluster funds (Solent, Humber, Black Country, Mersey-Dee) prioritise heat decarbonisation and process electrification, with solar accepted as a supporting measure. Solar-led applications work better in dedicated solar funds and PSDS where bundled with heat pumps or fabric efficiency.
Cross-checking before application
Programme rules update annually or more frequently. Before any formal application, verify:
- Current application windows (most regional funds run 2-3 windows per year)
- Current programme rules (eligibility, qualifying spend categories, geographic boundaries)
- Current grant intensity (varies by programme phase and budget allocation)
- Match-funding requirements (some programmes require 30–50% private match)
- Evaluation criteria (cost-per-tonne thresholds in particular)
When the standard tax-allowance route is the answer
For most private-sector commercial solar projects in the UK, the regional funds listed above are not directly accessible — and the standard tax-allowance route (50% FYA + special-rate pool, or AIA) delivers materially more value than what most regional funds would offer to private-sector applicants. Don't over-invest in regional fund hunting if your project sits squarely in the tax-allowance-route category.
Need this assessment for your specific project?
We map your eligibility across the relevant national, regional, and sector-specific funding routes alongside the standard tax-allowance routes — and recommend which to pursue based on cost-per-tonne, application competitiveness, and capital availability.
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