The Depot Charging Scheme in 2026/27: What It Pays and Who Qualifies
The Depot Charging Scheme part-funds charging infrastructure at fleet depots: its first application window offered to fund 70% of charge point and civil costs, up to £1 million across all sites. That window closed on 30 June 2026. A second is expected to open on 28 October 2026 and close on 29 January 2027, but the government listing says the terms and grant rates for this phase are still to be confirmed. This page sets out what the listing says, what it leaves out, and how a depot with solar should prepare.
The Depot Charging Scheme at a glance
| What it is | Part-funding for the installation of charging infrastructure at fleet depots, to support the uptake of zero emission HGVs, vans and coaches |
|---|---|
| Size | A £170 million multi-year programme from April 2026 up to 2030, following a 2025/26 pilot. £66 million is available in two application windows |
| Rate and cap (window 1) | 70% of charge point and civil costs, up to £1 million across all sites, for projects implemented in 2026/27 |
| Window 1 | 25 March to 30 June 2026 (closed). The listing aimed to conclude award decisions by 30 September 2026 and set 31 March 2027 as the deadline for project works |
| Window 2 | Expected to open on 28 October 2026 and close on 29 January 2027. Terms and grant rates for this phase are still to be confirmed |
| How applications are judged | First come, first served. One application per organisation; no limit on the number of sites in it |
| Not covered | The purchase of vans and HGVs, which has its own grants (the listing refers to the Zero Emission Van and Truck Grant) |
Source: GOV.UK Find a Grant, “Depot Charging Scheme” (find-government-grants.service.gov.uk/grants/depot-charging-scheme-1), read on 14 October 2026. The listing shows no “last updated” date.
Who can apply
The listing’s eligibility conditions for an application are that the organisation:
- is registered and operates in the UK, and both the organisation and its vehicle fleet have been operating in the UK for at least one year at the time of application;
- owns or leases one or more UK depots, and uses the funding only in the UK;
- has a fleet that includes, or will include in future, at least one battery electric van, HGV or coach, and will quantify the impact of this on its EV charging needs;
- has senior-leader approval for the proposal and agrees to the terms of the Grant Funding Agreement;
- consents to ongoing monitoring and evaluation, including physical site audits or visits;
- consents not to apply for, or obtain, similar Government funding for any part of the funded activities;
- consents to commercial vehicles being the primary users of the funded infrastructure; and, if the infrastructure is shared with other fleet operators, to a pricing model based on cost recovery for at least three years after the grant is awarded.
Two practical rules follow from the same list. Expenditure is only eligible if it is carried out after the Grant Funding Agreement has been signed, so a depot that orders equipment before winning an award cannot count it. And under window 1 the funded infrastructure had to be installed by 31 March 2027 — a project needs a realistic programme before it applies.
What the listing does not say
These gaps matter more than the headline rate, because they decide whether a depot’s project fits:
- Which costs count. The listing refers only to “charge point and civil costs”. It gives no itemised list. It does not mention grid connection, electricity supply upgrades, solar panels or batteries, so none of them should be assumed to be eligible. Some third-party guides say grid upgrades are excluded; the listing itself does not say so, and does not say they are included.
- The window 2 terms. The listing states that terms and grant rates for this phase are still to be confirmed and that rates and future windows will be confirmed in due course. The 70% rate and £1 million cap are window 1’s.
- The closing date. The listing’s header shows “Closing date: 27 October 2026, 12:00pm” while its summary describes the next window as running from 28 October 2026 to 29 January 2027. The page does not explain the difference. Treat the dates as unconfirmed until the listing is updated, and use its “get updates” sign-up.
- The funding body. The listing’s text does not name one.
The Depot Charging Scheme and solar panels
The scheme funds charging infrastructure, not generation, so panels, inverters, canopies and batteries are not described as eligible in the listing. That leaves the solar half of a depot project to tax relief: the Annual Investment Allowance gives 100% relief on up to £1 million of qualifying plant a year, including solar (which is special-rate plant). Capital allowances are given on expenditure the business bears itself, so costs paid by a grant do not qualify. New, unused chargepoint equipment also qualifies for a 100% first-year allowance until 31 March 2027 for companies — the capital allowances guide sets out the order of claims.
Two interactions need care:
- The Workplace Charging Scheme. A depot’s chargepoints could in principle also fit the Workplace Charging Scheme, which funds staff and fleet charging at up to £500 a socket until 31 March 2027. But an applicant to the Depot Charging Scheme consents not to apply for or obtain similar Government funding for any part of the funded activities. Do not assume the two can be combined on the same chargers; confirm with the scheme administrator before applying.
- Solar share. Whether solar helps a depot depends on when its vehicles are parked, not on the grant. Vans parked 10:00–16:00 on weekdays can take around 25% of their energy from an array half the size of their yearly demand if chargers follow the sun; vans parked only overnight get about 3% even from an array as large as their yearly demand. The calculator models your own pattern, and the fleet depot charging guide applies it to a 20-van depot.
An illustration of the 70% rate
This is arithmetic, not a forecast, and it uses window 1’s rate, which window 2 may not repeat. If a depot’s eligible charge point and civil costs came to £300,000, 70% would be £210,000 and the business would fund £90,000. Because the cap is £1 million across all sites, eligible costs would need to reach about £1.43 million before the cap bound at 70%. The business’s own share is the part that attracts capital allowances.
How to prepare for window 2
- Confirm eligibility on paper. Evidence of one year’s UK operation for the organisation and the fleet, depot ownership or lease, the planned battery electric vehicles, and senior-leader sign-off.
- Quantify the charging need. The application asks you to quantify the impact of the electric vehicles on the depot’s EV charging needs: vehicles, daily mileage and parking schedule, from which the energy and the power follow. Twelve months of half-hourly meter data show the supply headroom.
- Cost it in a way the funder can split. Charge point costs, civil works, and everything else (grid, generation, storage) should be separate lines in the quotes so the eligible part is clear.
- Do not commit spend early. Eligible expenditure begins when the Grant Funding Agreement is signed. A longer-lead item, such as a DNO application, can still proceed in parallel — see the grid connection guide.
- Plan to the works deadline. Window 1 required works to conclude by 31 March 2027; check the deadline that window 2 sets, and work back from it with the grid timetable.
The blog post on what to prepare before round 2 opens covers the same ground as a checklist.
Depot Charging Scheme questions
What is the Depot Charging Scheme?
A government scheme that part-funds charging infrastructure at fleet depots to support zero emission HGVs, vans and coaches. The GOV.UK Find a Grant listing describes a £170 million multi-year programme from April 2026 up to 2030, following a 2025/26 pilot.
How much does the Depot Charging Scheme pay?
In its first window the listing offered to fund 70% of charge point and civil costs, up to £1 million across all sites. It also says terms and grant rates for the next phase are still to be confirmed, so do not assume the second window repeats 70%.
When does the next application window open?
The listing says the next window is expected to open on 28 October 2026 and close on 29 January 2027. Its header shows a different closing date (27 October 2026, 12:00pm) that the page does not explain, and applications are assessed first come, first served, so have the application ready and use the listing’s sign-up for updates.
Does it fund grid upgrades, solar panels or batteries?
The listing refers only to “charge point and civil costs” and does not mention grid connection, supply upgrades, solar panels or batteries, so none of them should be assumed to be eligible. Confirm with the scheme administrator before including them in a cost plan.
Can I use the Depot Charging Scheme and the Workplace Charging Scheme together?
An applicant to the Depot Charging Scheme consents not to apply for or obtain similar Government funding for any part of the funded activities. Treat stacking on the same chargers as not permitted unless the scheme administrator confirms otherwise.
Who can apply?
Organisations registered and operating in the UK (with their fleet) for at least a year, owning or leasing a UK depot, whose fleet includes or will include at least one battery electric van, HGV or coach, with senior-leader approval, and who consent to monitoring and to commercial vehicles being the primary users of the funded infrastructure.
Can I start work before I apply?
Expenditure is only eligible if it is carried out after the Grant Funding Agreement has been signed, so equipment ordered or installed before an award cannot be counted.
Sources
- GOV.UK Find a Grant — Depot Charging Scheme (summary, funding rate and cap, windows, eligibility, dates). Read on 14 October 2026.
- GOV.UK — Annual Investment Allowance; HMRC Capital Allowances Manual CA22335 (solar as special-rate expenditure).
- HM Treasury — capital allowances: extension of first-year allowances for zero-emission cars and chargepoints (26 November 2025); Capital Allowances Act 2001 s45EA.
- GOV.UK Find a Grant — Workplace Charging Scheme.
Checked 14 October 2026. This page explains published scheme terms and is not advice on any application.
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