The latest round of the Scottish Government’s Community and Renewables Energy Scheme (CARES), which has received record levels of interest, has now closed to applications.
More than 170 Expressions of Interest were received from Scottish communities, public sector organisations and rural businesses looking to play a part in the green recovery after COVID-19 and develop renewable energy projects.
Up to £4.5 million is being made available to support rural and urban communities to install renewable energy generation, such as solar panels on a community owned building, or support local renewable energy projects working towards Scotland’s net zero ambition.
Chris Morris, Local Energy Scotland Manager, said “It’s incredibly encouraging to see the high level of interest that this latest round of CARES funding has attracted.
“Our Local Development Officers are working their way through all the Expressions of Interest received and we will be in touch soon to discuss next steps and support communities to develop a full application for September, where appropriate.
“If you missed out on this round, don’t worry – there will be future CARES funding calls with similar themes. CARES enablement grants are also available all year round to help with non-capital costs such as feasibility studies, community consultations and other preparatory costs.”