£4 million to decarbonise community transport

Community transport operators are invited to apply for Scottish Government funding to invest in zero emission vehicles and charging infrastructure.

The latest round of the Plugged-in Communities Fund makes £4 million available for the purchase or lease of electric vehicles, including wheelchair accessible vehicles, and the associated charging infrastructure.

Since the launch of the Plugged-in Communities Fund in 2021, over £4.2 million in grants has been provided to 49 community transport organisations to procure 64 new, zero emission vehicles to replace their current diesel vehicles.

By switching their vehicles to electric, the recipients of the fund have saved around 8,000 tonnes of CO2.

Minister for Connectivity Jim Fairlie said:

“The community transport sector provides many of our most vulnerable groups with access to essential goods and services and to employment, social or leisure activities, helping them to connect with their local areas and wider communities.

“We recognise that these organisations may not have the same access to finance as commercial entities, so I am pleased to announce a further round of our successful Plugged in Communities Fund.

“We’re making £4 million available for zero emission vehicles and charging infrastructure for operators which provide affordable transport for those who are unable to use conventional public transport, or where public transport is not available.

“Supporting these vital services to decarbonise ensures a just transition and that communities are not left behind as we journey towards Net Zero.”

The grant fund is managed and administered by Energy Saving Trust.

This grant requires organisations to fit the following criteria:

• Applicants must be a recognised community transport organisation or operator in Scotland with a UK bank account.
• Applicants must be providing community transport services. The Community Transport Association define community transport as “flexible and accessible community-led solutions in response to unmet local transport needs, and often represents the only means of transport for many vulnerable and isolated people, often older people or people with disabilities”.
• Applicants must commit to providing appropriate charging or powering infrastructure to support the running of the zero-emission vehicle. This can include public or shared access. Funding is available to each applicant via the Plugged in Communities charge point funding to enable applicants to power their vehicle.
• Applicants must have operated for at least 12 months. Any operators running less than 12 months can be assessed on a case by case basis.
• Applicants must be committed to providing quarterly monitoring reports to Energy Saving Trust that detail miles driven, number of journeys and customers of the funded zero-emission vehicle.
• Applicants must be able to demonstrate that receipt of additional funding will not breach new Public Subsidy rules. Further details on subsidy rules are included in the Application Form or on request.
• Applicants must ensure that any vehicle ordered is delivered and any charge points installed and claimed by 31 March 2026.

For the Charge points:

• The charge point installer must be an Approved Installers.
• The installed charge point must be a model on the OZEV authorised charge point model list.

This funding will run on a first come, first serve basis until all funding has been allocated.

Find out more and apply HERE