The electric vehicle infrastructure grant for staff and fleets explained

With over a million electric cars on UK roads, it’s no wonder the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) are searching for ways to support the adoption of electric vehicles and provide the necessary charging infrastructure. And while the popular Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme grant came to a close in March 2022, the EV Chargepoint Grant was its replacement, as well as a number of alternative government grants for electric car charging for businesses – including the EV infrastructure grant for staff and fleets.

But what is the EV infrastructure grant for staff and fleets? Who is the grant targeted at? Am I eligible?

In this article, we will explore the EV infrastructure grant for staff and fleets in-depth, let you how much government funding is available, and take you through the eligibility criteria.

What is the electric vehicle infrastructure grant for staff and fleets?

In a word, the electric vehicle infrastructure grant for staff and fleets is a UK government scheme that provides up to £15,000 of financial aid to support to small and medium-sized businesses to install EV charging infrastructure in car parks for staff or fleet vehicle use.

£15,000 of government funding is available per grant, equalling 75% of the cost of installing the infrastructure for EV chargers, in addition to any electric vehicle charge points installed.

It’s hoped that the funding will accelerate the adoption of electric vehicle charging stations among small and medium-sized enterprises, facilitating the UK’s shift towards electric cars and ensuring EV drivers receive the necessary infrastructure to charge at work and at commercial locations.

The EV infrastructure grant for staff and fleets differs from the Workplace Charging Scheme. However, the good news is you can take advantage of the Workplace Charging Scheme and the EV infrastructure grant for staff and fleets simultaneously. This totals nearly £30,000 in government grant funding.

That said, you cannot claim both grants for one EV charging point. You must also be eligible for both.

How much can I claim with the EV infrastructure grant for staff and fleets?

With this version of the EV infrastructure grant, you can receive funding for the charging infrastructure and any EV chargers you are installing, providing they are installed simultaneously with the infrastructure.

1. EV charging infrastructure:

Businesses can receive up to £500 for every parking space that has charging infrastructure installed. The parking spaces can either have chargepoints installed or the required infrastructure to allow chargers to be installed later. Examples of EV charging infrastructure include wiring and posts.

2. EV chargers:

In addition to the funding available for providing spaces with charging infrastructure, businesses can receive up to £350 for purchasing and installing each charging point.

As touched upon before, the EV infrastructure grant can cover up to 75% or a maximum of £15,000 of the cost of the work, which varies based on the number of parking spaces it encompasses.

It is possible to receive up to five grants spread across five different sites, up to a maximum of £15,000 each. The caveats are that each grant must be for a different site and have one working EV charger for every five parking spaces.

What “charging infrastructure” costs are covered by the EV infrastructure grant for staff and fleets?

The charging infrastructure must include, at a minimum:

• A new electrical connection at a metered electrical supply point, such as a consumer unit or feeder pillar.

• A safe and secure pathway for electrical cabling from the power source to the established charging stations and any potential connection spots.

• Measures to enable the secure setup of an electric vehicle charging point

• Any future connection locations

• Any installed electric vehicle charge points.

Am I eligible for the EV infrastructure grant for staff and fleets? 

You are eligible for the EV infrastructure grant for staff and fleets if:

• Your business has 249 or fewer employees
• Your business, charity, or public sector organisation is registered at Companies House or, if not, is VAT registered with Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC)
• Your business must comply with state aid regulations and have received less than £200,000 of public support in the previous three fiscal years.
• The chargers must be used exclusively by the building’s staff and vehicles. Members of the public, such as visitors or guests, cannot use the chargers.
• Your property and business is located in the UK ( properties in the Isle of Man and Channel Islands are not eligible)
• The minimum requirement to claim the grant is five parking spaces, with at least one chargepoint socket installed and EV infrastructure in the remaining four spaces.
• You must have off-street parking spaces that are private and clearly defined. Your business must own these parking spaces or have the legal right to them.
• The chargepoints being installed must be on the list of approved chargepoint models. (see the list of approved chargepoint models here).
• Finally, you must use Office For Zero Emission vehicles (OZEV) approved installers and approved equipment to complete the work.

Important to note – Although the minimum requirement to claim the EV infrastructure grant is five parking spaces, you do not have to install an EV charger in each one of these spaces. 

In other words, you can have one active EV chargepoint installed (as the minimum) for five parking spaces, and the remaining spaces can be filled with EV infrastructure to ensure that chargepoints can be installed in the remaining spaces at a later date.

Taking advantage of this grant in 2024 is an excellent opportunity to futureproof your business’ facilities by receiving funding now to create the infrastructure that will allow chargepoints to be installed later down the line – at a cheaper rate.

How do I apply for the grant?

It’s crucial to highlight that to be eligible for the grant funding, you must use an OZEV-approved installer for the works – such as We Power Your Car. In the same instance, your chosen electric vehicle charger/s are required to be OZEV commercial-approved models. Some of our favourite OZEV-approved commercial electric vehicle chargers include the Easee Charge and the Sevadis MaxiCharger.

To apply for the grant, you must start by registering an account on the Gov.UK website and filling in the required details.

Once you have completed the initial step by completing the information, your OZEV-approved installer will then complete the rest of your grant claim. Your installer will provide OZEV with the necessary information about your chargepoint, including installation photographs and an invoice.

Following this, OZEV will email you, asking you to sign into your online account and review the claim. If you find any discrepancies, you will have a week to respond, and instructions on how to do so will be provided in your account.

If there is no response, the claim will be sent to OZEV without any changes. If the claim is approved, the EV charger installer will receive the grant amount and reduce it from your bill. Your invoice will reflect the installation cost minus the amount of the grant, as your installer will claim the grant on your behalf once they have completed the work.

OZEV may audit your installation to ensure it adheres to the grant requirements, and they will contact you directly. Failure to consent to a site visit may result in OZEV withdrawing your registration.

Is the EV infrastructure grant for staff and fleets still available?

Yes, the EV infrastructure grant for staff and fleets is still available, with no closing deadline issued.

Summary:

• The EV infrastructure grant for staff and fleets is available for small-to-medium-sized businesses with less than 249 employees in the UK, and covers 75% of installation costs for chargepoint infrastructure and EV chargers up £15,000 per grant claimed. A maximum of five grants can be claimed, so long as they are across different sites.
• £350 is available per chargepoint socket installed, and £500 per parking space enabled with supporting EV charging infrastructure. A minimum of one EV charger to five parking spaces is needed to qualify for the grant.
• The EV infrastructure grant is different to the Workplace Charging Scheme. However, both grants can be used together for nearly £30,000 of grant aid – but not to be claimed on the same electric vehicle chargers.
• To apply for the EV infrastructure grant for staff and fleets, you should sign up via the government online portal. After this, your chosen OZEV-approved installer will claim on your behalf and manage the grant application.

Interested in claiming the EV infrastructure grant for staff and fleets?

As an OZEV-approved EV charger installation company, we can cater to every EV charging need, including but not limited to:

• Office and workplace properties
• Staff and fleet car parks
• Commercial buildings
• Hotels/small accommodation businesses (B&Bs)
• New builds
• Apartment blocks
• Rental accommodation
• Retail complexes
• Public car parks
• Leisure facilities

If you are a small or medium-sized enterprise with 249 employees or less and are looking to install chargepoints at your business or invest in electric vehicle charging infrastructure, contact us today. There are multiple benefits to investing in workplace EV chargers – future-proof your workplace, improve employee retention and more.

As a trusted, experienced and OZEV-approved installer, we seamlessly implement business/workplace EV charging solutions. Our specialist commercial team will guide you through the entire process, tailoring a plan that perfectly aligns with your budget and chargepoint requirements.

Ready to electrify your workplace or fleet? Contact us for more information or any queries you may have.