Decision details

The MCS Foundation is offering organisations the opportunity to bid for grant funding. They are looking to fund retrofit-related projects as defined as supporting energy efficiency or renewable generation measures to domestic buildings (including improving uptake). This is in line with their objective to make every UK home carbon free. Grants of up to £50,000 are available through a competitive bidding process.

This decision is to agree to CBC to lead and submit a consortium bid (with other district councils within Gloucestershire) for grant funding from the MCS Foundation.

The proposal: Future Fit Homes Heat Pump Roadshow

Domestic (Total events: 12 over a 12-month period)

As an extension of the very successful Future Fit Homes Cheltenham retrofit project, and as a direct result of positive feedback to ‘test and learn’ heat pump demos in Cheltenham in March 2025, this proposal focusses on taking an air source heat pump out to communities across
Gloucestershire (this is a fully operational heat pump with working radiators, hot water cylinder and buffer tank giving people an opportunity to experience the sound, size and heat type for themselves). The events revolve around the value of show and tell, seeking to debunk the myths and position heat pumps (and wider associated renewables) as a highly viable low-carbon option to gas and oil boilers.

Green Skills (Total events: 6 over a 12-month period (bi-monthly))

To make best use of the mobile rig and trainer’s time, in some locations we propose to extend the demos to Career Hub (and hopefully trade) locations for staff-only training sessions. We will provide careers advisers with a tailored 45-minute overview of heat pumps and the countywide opportunities available for heating engineers. Our aim is to engage and enthuse those who have a frontline opportunity to influence others; an audience who we believe has been overlooked in terms of their importance to communicating the benefits of Green Skills.

CBC will be lead applicant, and funds recipient, on the MCS bid, and will host the officer responsible for leading the project work. Funding will cover an additional 9 months off CBC officer time (REO officer or externally recruited) to lead the project. CBC match funding is for staff time in-kind and has been reviewed by relevant Teams. Three of the other district councils and the county council, supported by the CLG Climate Change Coordinator are also providing staff time in kind. In addition, GCC are providing match funding of £5,000.

This decision is in line with the recent Grants Management Policy. As per the policy the Council is aiming to “maximise its resources by attracting external funding” and the funding requirements and conditions have been reviewed and do link to the Council’s strategies (Climate Change Pathway), specifically the Climate Emergency Plan Update 2024:

• Finance, Funding and Procurement (page 7): has a proposed action to: Work with other authorities and organisations in Gloucestershire to rapidly grow the green economy, by investing in economic activities that promote reduced carbon emissions and pollution, enhanced energy efficiency and prevention of the loss of biodiversity. (External)
This project directly contributes to that action by working with Gloucestershire-wide educational establishments to support interest and training in low carbon technology

• Building and Energy (page 9): has a proposed action to: Help owner-occupiers to create more energy efficient homes. For example, by …… or by helping influence the retrofit market to ensure there is effective demand for energy efficient measures by those that are classified as “able to pay”. This may include supporting the provision of skills-training for local workers, actively encouraging applications for new installations….. (External)

This project directly contributes to this action by providing support to home-owners to allow them to understand ASHP heating systems, support local skills groups and encourage and facilitate understanding for new installations.

This project will support the Council’s Climate engagement work, but without this external funding the resource requirement is currently unavailable to support this project.

If the bid is successful, the proposal will be brought back to Leadership team for final scrutiny.

Not to apply for the funding and hence not carry out this engagement work.

This would not be making use of the opportunity to maximise the Council’s resources by attracting external funding.

The bid is being prepared as part of a consortium led by CBC (and including Stroud DC, Tewkesbury BC, Forest of Dean DC and Gloucestershire County Council), and the bidding process is being supported by Climate Leadership Gloucestershire, who have utilised their bid writer to support the application process.