Helping to build more inclusive and sustainable communities.
From climate change to the cost of living crisis, the UK continues to face huge challenges. This means communities across the country are in need of support.
So we’re on a mission to help create the community champions of this generation and the next — providing grant funding and support to innovative initiatives that can deliver affordable, accessible and sustainable energy solutions for all.
This September we’re looking for innovative projects in London — so whether you need £20,000 to install an EV (electric vehicle) charging point or £100,000 to fund a transformative energy tool, we want to hear from you!
The closing date for applications is the 13th of October - so register your interest now to make sure you don’t miss out!
Our history
Over the past eight years, our network of volunteers from Centrica have been helping communities on their journey to net zero. We’ve backed non profits, charities and social enterprises from Scotland to Cornwall, giving them the tools and funding they need to make a lasting impact in their area.
Whether that’s providing energy advice to residents in Fife (BRAG Enterprises) or making social housing more energy efficient in Liverpool (Flutter Shutter), we’re committed to building more inclusive and sustainable communities across the country.
Our impact
In 2011, British Gas installed solar panels onto the roofs of 268 schools, allowing them to reduce their energy bills by using the electricity they generate.
The revenue generated from this energy is used to award grants to projects that will help to tackle climate change and positively benefit communities.
To date, the school's portfolio has saved 13,460 tonnes of CO2, with £5,817,570 in savings generated.
26 projects or organisations in our portfolio.
Over £4.3 million awarded over the past 8 years.
Projects we've supported
We’ve been building our portfolio since 2015 - supporting a huge range of projects across the UK. Meet some of our past grant awardees:
Flutter Shutter
In 2020, Energy for Tomorrow awarded a grant to Flutter Shutter to continue developing its innovative thermal plantation shutter, designed to help homes save energy, especially those in the social housing market.
BRAG Enterprises
With the support of the Energy for Tomorrow grant BRAG Enterprises were able to make their three community sites more energy-efficient spaces, acting as examples to the wider community on what can be achieved and becoming a carbon-neutral organisation, as well as supporting their communities with energy and employability advice.
Energy Sparks
Funding from Energy for Tomorrow will allow Energy Sparks to support 65 schools across Scotland to equip more children and young people with the knowledge, skills, and tools to take measurable action in their school and the wider community to reduce carbon emissions.
Cornwall Local Energy Market
In 2018, Energy for Tomorrow awarded a grant to the Cornwall Local Energy Market trial which has created a blueprint for a smarter and flexible energy system by testing how homes and businesses can generate, store and trade their renewable energy. The project installed solar generation and/or storage units, as well as the very latest smart technologies, in 100 homes. The project in Cornwall helped:
-
Save 8.3kt of CO2 emissions per year
-
Save the homes and businesses £10.7 million
-
Educated 3,000 students through the energy demonstrator
Beyond funding: what we offer
-
We’ll work closely with you and your team and will make commercial introductions where appropriate
-
We’ll monitor, report and advise on social impact and KPI performance for the duration of the partnership
-
If your performance exceeds expectations, we will discuss the provision of additional funding. Note: enterprises that miss targets could have their funding reduced or withdrawn
-
We have an extensive network of Centrica employees and experts who can offer mentoring and support on a wide range of subjects, from marketing to operations
What are we looking for?
Energy For Tomorrow is seeking projects, initiatives and ideas that can accelerate the energy transition.
We want to support those who have a clear social mission; a viable and feasible idea; and can demonstrate one or more of the following:
You're energy innovators
You're changing behaviours
You're supporting communities
We want to hear from community groups or other registered organisations who are enabling a more inclusive and sustainable future for our communities.
Are you a community champion of London? Get in touch now!
Who we can support:
We welcome applications for projects in London from charities, CICs, registered community groups, not-for-profit and for-profit companies that can demonstrate both a positive environmental and social impact. There will also need to be a financially sustainable project plan once the funding has come to an end.
For the current campaign we are accepting applications from projects based in the below boroughs:
- Barnet
- Camden
- Bexley
- Bromley
- Brent
- Harrow
- Barking and Dagenham City
- Newham
- Tower Hamlets
- Croydon
- Sutton
- Ealing
- Hillingdon
- Greenwich
- Lewisham
- Havering
- Redbridge
- Lambeth
- Southwark
- Merton
- Wandsworth
- Hackney
- Islington
- Waltham Forest
- Hounslow
- Kingston upon Thames
- Richmond upon Thames
- Hammersmith and Fulham
- Kensington and Chelsea
- City of Westminster
We cannot support:
- Individuals or Local Authorities (this includes Parish/Town Councils, although we can support a partner working with a Local Authority)
- Requests to support staffing and/or management costs only (unless related to Energy Efficiency/Debt Advisers)
- Requests to support marketing costs only
- Requests for funding to re-pay loans
- Feasibility projects (unless this is a small part of the application or part of a pilot scheme that can then be scaled)
- Proof of concept projects (unless it's a pilot scheme in the community)
If you have a great idea that you think we would be interested in but it doesn’t fit within the specific criteria above, please submit an application and we’ll review it against our objectives and priorities. We’re a big organisation with lots of business units so we’re always interested in hearing from you.
More about us
Energy for Tomorrow is helping to build more inclusive and sustainable communities through innovation, support and funding.
It was established with a mission to help tackle climate change and now empowers communities and social entrepreneurs who have initiatives that can deliver affordable, accessible and sustainable energy solutions for all.
If you want to know more, please contact us by emailing: eft@centrica.com
Energy for Tomorrow, and our application criteria, support Centrica’s People & Planet Plan, and its commitment to create a more inclusive and sustainable future for communities, our planet and each other.
