London Community Energy Fund Accepting Development Stream Applications

Funding for charitable organisations across London to cover community energy project development costs

Development grants of up to £3,000 are available for small charities, voluntary and community groups, and other charitable organisations across London to cover development costs associated with community energy projects.

This stream of funding is part of phase nine of the London Community Energy Fund (LCEF), which supports the Mayor of London’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions and supporting energy projects that:

• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions in London.
• Lead to collective action to reduce, manage, and generate energy.
• Promote community-led development and delivery of energy projects that provide direct benefit to the local community.
• Increase community awareness and action on clean energy.
• Increase the resilience of communities vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and high energy costs.

The Development Stream will support community organisations to overcome practical development barriers and help them progress their community energy projects from development-stage to delivery. Eligible costs include:

• Grid connection fees.
• Legal costs for lease agreements.
• Planning application submissions.
• Structural surveys.

This is a rolling fund that will operate across 13 application rounds, with application windows opening for four weeks at a time, between October 2026 and September 2027. All funding projects must be completed by December 2027.

There is a two-stage application process. Groups must submit an online expression of interest before being invited to complete a full application.