Depot Charging Scheme: What Fleet Operators Need to Know Before Window 2

What is this scheme and how much it offers

The Depot Charging Scheme supports the uptake of zero-emission HGVs, vans and coaches by part-funding the installation of charging infrastructure at fleet depots. It follows a 2025/2026 pilot and now runs as a £170 million programme from April 2026 to 2030.

Government has made £66 million available across the first two application windows: £28 million in Window 1, to be spent in 2026/27, and £38 million in Window 2, to be spent in 2027/28.

Grant rates are set to fall over the life of the programme as charging infrastructure becomes more affordable. Do not build a Window 2 business case on the 70% rate continuing.

Key dates

Window 2 dates are published as expected dates. Check the Depot Charging Scheme listing on GOV.UK for confirmation before you plan around them.

Who can apply

These are the Window 1 eligibility requirements. Window 2 terms are still to be confirmed, so check them again when GOV.UK publishes the next guidance.

Your organisation and fleet

• Your fleet includes, or will include, at least one battery-electric van, HGV or coach. Your application must quantify what this means for your charging needs
• You are registered and operate in the UK, and both your organisation and your vehicle fleet have operated in the UK for at least one year at the time of application
• You own or lease one or more UK depots. If you lease, the contract must run for at least three years after the projected completion of the works, and you need landlord permission for them
• A senior leader in your organisation has approved the proposal

Your project

• Funding is used only within the UK. The Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey are excluded
• The primary users of the funded infrastructure are commercial vehicles
• You will not apply for, or obtain, similar Government funding for the same activities
• If the infrastructure is shared with other fleet operators, pricing is based on cost recovery for at least three years after the grant is awarded

What you agree to

• Ongoing monitoring and evaluation, including physical site audits or visits
• The terms of the Grant Funding Agreement
• Expenditure is only eligible if it takes place after the Agreement has been signed

There is no limit on the number of sites in an application, but each organisation can submit only one application.

What the scheme funds and what it does not

The scheme funds charging infrastructure, not vehicles. In Window 1 the grant covered 70% of charge point and civil costs, up to £1 million across all sites. It is designed for battery-electric vans, HGVs and coaches.

Vehicle purchase support sits in a separate scheme, the Zero Emission Van and Truck Grant (GOV.UK). Government's stated aim is for the two to work together: part-funding both the vehicle and the infrastructure so that operators can install reliable charging at their depots for any battery-electric vehicle they buy.

The application form is clear that some costs are not eligible. These include VAT, project management fees and grid connection costs, and grid reinforcement costs are not eligible for grant funding either. Leave them out of your budget, and check the published workbook and FAQ for the full position before you cost your project.

How to apply

The scheme is not open to applications today. Window 2 is expected to open on 28 October 2026, and further information is due to be published before then. Applications are made through the Depot Charging Scheme listing on GOV.UK Find a grant, where you can also sign up for updates.

The listing publishes the documents applicants must use. Alternative templates are not accepted. The Window 1 set was:

• Application form (Word document)
• Workbook (Excel spreadsheet)
• Letter of intent (Word document)
• Overview of the application process (Word document)
• Draft Grant Funding Agreement (Word document)
• Frequently asked questions (Word document)
• Recording of the information session (MP4 video)

Check whether updated versions are published for Window 2.

Evidence you need to upload

The form asks for supporting documents, and several are mandatory. Start collecting them now:

• Proof that you own or lease each depot. If you lease, the contract must run for at least three years after the projected completion of the works, and you need landlord permission for them
• Proof of grid capacity: a letter or connection agreement from your network operator, or recent energy bills if neither can reasonably be obtained. Evidence should allow for at least 75% of the planned chargers' maximum load
• Contractor quotes or contracts that cover all eligible project costs, and your contractor's qualifications
• Evidence that you can fund at least 30% of eligible project costs, such as bank statements, loan or investment documents, or a letter from a senior leader or the board
• A project plan with quotes and timelines showing that installation will be complete on time
• Your operator licence. Van-only operators without one can submit evidence of British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) membership, Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS) accreditation or Logistics UK Van Excellence accreditation

The letter of intent

A senior leader signs this letter on behalf of your organisation. It lists the internal combustion engine HGVs, coaches and vans you currently operate, and the battery-electric vehicles you plan to buy or lease each year. It also commits you to order at least one eligible battery-electric vehicle once a grant award decision is communicated. The letter justifies the number of chargers you request, so its figures must match the rest of your application. If you have already leased or ordered battery-electric vehicles, you also upload proof of acquisition.

If you are requesting more chargers than eligible vehicles planned, the form directs you to discuss your plans with the scheme's technical support partner, Cenex/EST.

What the application form asks for

The Window 1 form has five sections:

• Eligibility statement. A tickbox confirming that you meet the criteria and accept the terms of the Grant Funding Agreement
• Due diligence checks. Organisation details, the grant amount you need and the UK region where the investment will mainly take place
• Operational profile. A description of your business, your operator licence or accreditation, how your fleet matches the number of chargers you are requesting, and your depot ownership or lease
• EV charger infrastructure. Existing chargers, grid connection and capacity, any battery storage or solar, your contractor, supplier quotes and civil works
• Project financing and delivery assurance. Total costs, how you will fund the remainder, proof of finance, a plan to complete installation on time, and operation and maintenance arrangements

Three points shape how you plan:

1. Applications are first come, first served. The order of submission matters, so a complete application submitted early is worth more than a polished one submitted late.
2. Spend only after the Grant Funding Agreement is signed. Costs incurred before then are not eligible.
3. Award decisions take time. For Window 1, which closed on 30 June 2026, Government aimed to conclude decisions by 30 September 2026. Window 2 works cannot begin before April 2027, and must finish by 31 March 2028 on the current expected terms.

How to prepare before Window 2 opens

The time between now and 28 October is best spent on the evidence an application depends on. Work through these in order.

1. Define your electric fleet. Identify which vans, HGVs or coaches will be battery-electric at each depot, and when. The application has to quantify what this does to your charging needs.
2. Calculate charging demand per depot. For each site, establish:
   • how many vehicles charge at the depot
   • the energy each vehicle needs per day
   • when vehicles return and how long they are available to charge
   • the charging speeds required
   • how many vehicles charge at the same time
3. Check site electrical capacity. Assess your existing supply and distribution equipment against the peak load your chargers will create. If a connection upgrade is needed, its lead time can decide whether works finish before the deadline. The application requires proof of grid capacity, so start talking to your network operator early. Grid reinforcement costs are not eligible for grant funding.
4. Choose which depots to include. An organisation submits one application, and in Window 1 the £1 million cap applied across all sites in it. Confirm the Window 2 limits when they are published.
5. Build the budget against the workbook. Complete the Budget Tool in the workbook, leaving out VAT, project management fees and grid connection costs. Plan how you will fund the share the grant does not cover, and be ready to evidence at least 30% of eligible costs.
6. Secure approvals. A senior leader must approve the proposal and sign the letter of intent. Have your finance team read the draft Grant Funding Agreement, including the monitoring, site audit and shared-infrastructure terms.
7. Plan delivery against the window. Window 2 works can start from April 2027 and must finish by 31 March 2028. Check contractor and equipment lead times against that period.

The first two steps depend on operational data: routes, dwell times and energy use per vehicle. FPS Transition Planning provides electric vehicle (EV) suitability assessment, cost comparison and phased implementation plans for fleets, which is the fleet-level evidence a depot charging case is built on.

Our analysts and engineers help you build a data-led, costed EV transition plan tailored to your organisation, including the evidence behind your depot charging case.

• Detailed operational analysis and vehicle simulation
• Optimised vehicle and charger specifications
• Comprehensive cost modelling and RoI analysis
• Phased transition roadmaps with clear milestones

Explore Planning Services

After installation

The grant pays for chargers and civil works. It does not pay for the operational work that follows, and the scheme's conditions carry obligations beyond the build.

Monitoring and evaluation. Grant recipients consent to ongoing monitoring and evaluation, including site visits. A single record of charger availability, usage and energy consumption makes those requests easier to answer. FPS Operate Core provides charger management over Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP), performance analytics, a control tower view and automated alerts and reporting across vehicles and chargers.

Peak load. Adding chargers at a depot adds load to a supply that is often already constrained. Smart charging manages this. FPS Operate Optimisation is an add-on to Operate Core, for fleets of 50 or more vehicles, and requires integration with a transport management system and site or sub-metering data. At Waitrose, FPS Operate has reduced peak charging loads by more than 20% and charging costs by up to 40%. Read the full account in the Waitrose FPS Operate case study.

Shared chargers. If you open grant-funded infrastructure to other fleet operators, the scheme requires pricing on a cost-recovery basis for at least three years after the grant is awarded. FPS Operate Book handles booking and access control for shared chargers, but a grant-funded site should not plan on charger sharing as a revenue source during that period.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Depot Charging Scheme open now?

No. Window 1 closed on 30 June 2026. Window 2 is expected to open on 28 October 2026 and close on 29 January 2027.

Will Window 2 fund 70% of costs?

This is not confirmed. Window 1 funded 70% of charge point and civil costs. Government has said grant rates will reduce over the life of the programme.

Does the scheme pay for electric vans or HGVs?

No. It funds charging infrastructure. Vehicle support is available through the Zero Emission Van and Truck Grant (GOV.UK).

Can I include more than one depot?

In Window 1, yes. There was no limit on sites, but each organisation could submit one application, with the £1 million cap applying across all of them. Check the Window 2 rules when published.

Do I need to own the depot?

No. You must own or lease one or more UK depots. If you lease, the contract must run for at least three years after the projected completion of the works, and you need landlord permission for them.

Can I start work before I apply?

You can plan, survey and prepare. Expenditure is only eligible if it takes place after the Grant Funding Agreement has been signed.

Can I let other fleets use the chargers?

Yes, but if you do, pricing must be based on cost recovery for at least three years after the grant is awarded.

Next steps

Window 2 is expected to open on 28 October 2026. Between now and then:

1. Sign up for updates on the Depot Charging Scheme listing on GOV.UK so you see the Window 2 terms when they are published.
2. Read the application documents, in particular the workbook and draft Grant Funding Agreement.
3. Work through the preparation steps above for each depot you may include.
4. Speak to us if you need the fleet and charging-demand analysis behind your application.

Source: Depot Charging Scheme, GOV.UK Find a grant. Window 2 terms are subject to change.