For community energy groups, development trusts and co-ops in Yorkshire and the North

Community Energy Solar Funding

Community energy groups put solar on roofs and land that the community owns or leases, then use the income for local good. Getting a project from idea to generation takes funding at each step: feasibility, development and then the capital to build it. BrightEdge Solar is an MCS-certified commercial installer based in Beverley, East Yorkshire. We help groups with the technical side: roof and site surveys, system designs, generation estimates, grid applications and the installation itself.

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Current round (check before you apply): The Great British Energy Community Fund is open until 11:55pm on Thursday 12 November 2026. It’s an eight-week window, with £20 million available across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The Great British Energy Community Fund

Great British Energy, the government-owned energy company, funds community-owned clean energy in stages. You apply for the stage your project is ready for:

StageWhat it’s forUp to
Stage 1: FeasibilityTesting whether an idea is viable before committing serious time or money£40,000
Stage 2: DevelopmentTurning a viable idea into an investment-ready project£100,000
Stage 3: CapitalHelping a construction-ready project close its remaining funding gap£3 million, or 50% of the total project value

Who can apply: legally constituted, incorporated community organisations set up to run energy projects for local benefit. These include community benefit societies, community interest companies, co-operatives, development trusts and registered charities. The project must be designed to be at least 50% community owned when it’s running. Solar, wind and storage are all eligible.

Stage 3 is for projects that are ready to build. Expect to need your development work done, any planning permission, a grid connection offer, signed roof or land access, a construction plan and the rest of the finance lined up.

Schools and hospitals aren’t eligible for this fund. Great British Energy funds solar for them through a separate programme. See solar panels for schools.

Free help with your application in Yorkshire and the North East

In England, your Local Net Zero Hub can give tailored advice and review a draft application. For Yorkshire, the Humber and the North East, that’s the North East and Yorkshire Net Zero Hub. Talk to them early.

Other community energy funding

  • GBE Partnerships Grant: a separate Great British Energy fund for partnerships between community groups and others, such as councils. Check its own guidance and dates.
  • Community share offers: many groups raise the build cost from local investors, through a community benefit society share offer.
  • Social investment and loans: specialist lenders fund community energy, often alongside a grant.
  • Charitable funds: occasional rounds from energy-company redress funds and local trusts. The most recent Energy Redress round closed in October 2026.

For the full picture, see our solar panel grants guide.

Where an installer fits in

Funders and boards want confidence that a project is real: that the roof can take it, the grid will accept it and the numbers stand up. That’s where we come in:

  • Feasibility: roof and site surveys, shading, structure, a layout and a generation estimate you can put in a Stage 1 or Stage 2 bid.
  • Development: a firm design and quote, and the G99 grid application to the network operator. Larger systems typically add 8–12 weeks for G99.
  • Build: installation to MCS standards, commissioning, handover packs and monitoring.
  • After: servicing and maintenance to keep the system generating.

Many community projects lease roofs from schools, churches, community buildings or businesses, then sell the electricity to the building at a lower rate. If you’re a building owner who’s been approached, see Power Purchase Agreements.

Roofs that suit community solar

Accreditations

  • MCS certified (NIC-601602) and a RECC member.
  • NICEIC accredited.
  • CHAS Elite accredited for health and safety.
  • 24-month workmanship warranty on commercial and community installs.

Related case study

Hessle Sporting Club: a grant-funded 21.6 kWp system on a community clubhouse. Payments were released in stages, so we planned each milestone and its paperwork before the next payment. It’s estimated to generate about 15,432 kWh a year.

FAQ

Commonly Asked Questions

It’s a £20 million grant fund from Great British Energy for community-owned clean energy in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It pays up to £40,000 for feasibility, up to £100,000 for development, and up to £3 million (or 50% of the project value) towards building it.

Legally constituted, incorporated community organisations, such as community benefit societies, CICs, co-ops, development trusts and registered charities. The project must be at least 50% community owned once it’s running.

The current window closes at 11:55pm on Thursday 12 November 2026. Windows open for about eight weeks, so check the Great British Energy site for future rounds.

Yes. We can survey roofs or sites and give you a layout, a generation estimate and a budget cost to put in your bid. Funders want to see that kind of technical evidence.

The North East and Yorkshire Net Zero Hub supports community groups in the region and can review a draft Great British Energy application.

Talk to us about your community energy project

Tell us about the roof or site you have in mind and where your project is up to. We’ll tell you honestly whether solar looks viable and what evidence your next funding stage will need.

Get in touch · Call 01482 765063 · info@brightedgesolar.com

BrightEdge Solar Ltd, Colonial House, Swinemoor Lane, Beverley HU17 0LS. MCS certified (NIC-601602). RECC member.