Scotland – eBike Grant Fund
Description
Grants for local authorities, public sector agencies, further and higher education institutions and community groups in Scotland for projects that lead to the large-scale adoption of ebikes and ecargo bikes as an alternative to car journeys across Scotland.Current StatusOpen for ApplicationsMaximum value:£ 200,000
Objectives of Fund
The fund aims to support the uptake of ebikes for functional journeys, and the funding should be used to create ebike/ecargo bike fleets, as an active travel, low-carbon transport option.
The main aims of the eBike Grant Fund are to:
- Encourage the large scale uptake of ebikes, ecargo bikes, etrikes, adapted bikes, cargo bikes, tandems and trailers to support sustainable active business travel as an alternative to car and van use.
- Provide opportunities to trial ebike, ecargo and adaptive bike equipment and promote their use within the consumer and business sectors.
- Facilitate subsidised access to ebike hire/loan schemes for people with mobility issues, jobseekers, modern apprentices, young people and students.
The fund is divided into the:
- Community Fund which provides grants to community groups and third sector organisations to support projects that will provide opportunities to trial ebikes.
- Public Sector Fund which provides grants to public sector organisations and local authorities for the purposes of providing fleets of pool bikes, bikeshare/hire schemes, and promoting large-scale uptake of ebikes as an alternative to car and van travel.
Value Notes
A total of £900,000 is available for Round 5 (2021/22).
There are two levels of funding:
- Category A Fund: Grants of up to £25,000.
- Category B Fund: Grants of up to £200,000.
Applicants may also apply for extra funding (up to 5% of the total project cost) to provide subsidised access to ebike hire for targeted groups (eg those on low incomes, with disabilities or mobility issues, jobseekers, modern apprentices, young people, and students) to ensure they have equal access to ebike opportunities.
Match Funding Restrictions
Organisations must provide match funding from an eligible source: 50% cash match funding for Public Sector bodies; and 25% for Community and Third sector organisations, with in-kind funding only considered for the latter groups.
Who Can Apply
Funding is available for the following:
- Category A Fund: available for community groups, third sector and public sector organisations to trial ebikes.
- Category B Fund: available to community groups, third and public sector organisations, and local authorities for the purposes of providing large scale fleets of pool bikes, bikeshare/hire schemes, and promoting large-scale uptake of ebikes as an alternative to car and van travel.
To be eligible, applicants must meet all the following criteria:
- Be a public, community or third sector organisations with a governing body, a democratically elected management committee and a governing document that has been formally adopted.
- Provide sufficient matched funding from an eligible source.
- Have a proven record in delivering and running capital projects of similar scale to the eBike Grant Fund.
- Have the capacity to sustain the use of purchased equipment beyond the initial project period.
For the current Round 5, the Fund will subsidise ebike hire for those on low incomes, with disabilities or mobility issues, jobseekers, modern apprentices, young people and students.
Restrictions
The following are not eligible for funding:
- Throttle assist’ ebikes and ecargo bikes.
- Cycle storage equipment as this is available in Cycling Scotland’s Cycle Friendly Employer, Cycle Friendly Campus, and Cycle Friendly Community Development Funds.
Eligible Expenditure
For the current round:
- Category A: funding towards projects that will provide opportunities for communities to trial ebikes.
- Category B: support for large scale fleets of pool bikes or public bikeshare/hire schemes, and promoting large scale uptake of ebikes.
The funding can be for ebikes, etrikes, ecargo bikes, cargo bikes and trailers, tandems, adaptive bikes and trikes.
For projects applying to the ‘Community Fund’, non-electrified cargo bikes may be purchased if the wider project is focused on encouraging active travel amongst vulnerable groups such as the elderly, disabled or families with young children.
Non-ebike purchases should be limited to equipment that is directly related to the operation of ebikes, limited to the following equipment: bells, helmets, high-visibility clothing, panier bags and racks, lights, pumps, weather covers and security locks.
How To Apply
The remaining 2021/22 deadlines are:
- Category A: 3 December 2021
- Category B: Closed
The guidance notes can be found on the Energy Saving Trust website.
An application form is available upon request by sending an email to eBikeGrantsScot@est.org.uk and including the following information:
- Organisation type (Local Authority, Community Group etc)
- Estimated total project cost (including all match funding)
Applicants should visit the Energy Saving Trust’s website for further information.
