UK Government EV infrastructure grant scheme for SMEs

UK SMEs (small to medium sized businesses) can now take advantage of up to £75,000 in Government grants for the installation of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure for the exclusive use of staff or fleet. 

Under the EV Infrastructure Grant Scheme (IGS), UK registered businesses with less than 250 employees can claim grants of up to £15,000, and can claim five grants in total for five separate sites.  

At each site, there must be a minimum of five clearly marked parking spaces with charging infrastructure (cabling) installed, and at least one of those spaces must have an active charge point. 

SMEs can claim 75% of the cost of: 

• EV infrastructure/cabling etc (up to £500 per parking space); 

• Charge points (up to £350 per socket); and 

• Support costs including project management and reporting, site surveys, EV software, load balancing solutions like CTEK’s NANOGRID, communications media like wifi or cellular repeaters, grid connections, concrete plinths and footings, signage, vehicle barriers, civil engineering, reinstatement works and labour costs. 

As such, this scheme goes way beyond the Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS), under which businesses can claim for EV chargers, but not for infrastructure or support costs which can invariably make up the larger part of the cost of an EV installation.  

The introduction of the IGS is an important step forward, as it recognises that building a sustainable, future-proofed EV charging installation extends far beyond the chargers themselves.  

And that’s very much at the heart of our proposal at CTEK. We don’t just sell wall boxes, we are focused on working with installers to develop complete, future-proofed EV solutions including software applications, load balancing and remote, online system management.  

Our team is here to work with businesses and installers right through the process, including helping to scope and plan the project, advice on Government grants, choosing the right charger, integration with a customer’s existing systems and equipment, assistance during the commissioning process and full technical after sales support. 

Businesses can still take advantage of the Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS), which also offers grants of 75% of the cost of EV chargers up to £350 per socket, with a maximum grant of £14,000 for 40 sockets.  

Under the WCS, sockets can be used by anyone on site, including business visitors and customers, whereas chargers installed under the ICS are limited to staff and fleet use. Businesses can claim WCS and IGS grants for chargers located on the same site - but can’t, of course, claim twice for the same unit. 

Under both schemes, as the grants are available ‘per socket’ rather than ‘per charger’, an OZEV approved dual socket charger like the CTEK CHARGESTORM CONNECTED 2 (CC2), which can charge two vehicles and serve two parking spaces at the same time, qualifies for a grant of up to £700 per charger.  

For both schemes, the chargers being installed must be on the OZEV (Office for Zero Emission Vehicles) approved charger list and work must be undertaken by an OZEV approved installer.  

You can find more information about CTEK’s EV charging products and solutions here.