The criteria for the Go Greener Faster Grants Scheme can be found to the right of this page. Our criteria are regularly updated so please read this document carefully before making an application, even if you have applied for a grant from us before please refer to this criteria ^{(pdf, 491kb) (pdf, 207kb)}.

Please note that you cannot apply for funding retrospectively. 

Should you find you are eligible to apply to the scheme, please visit Flexigrant to complete your application. You will need to register with Flexigrant if you have not made a previous application.

This is a competitive fund and each application will be assessed against the grant eligibility and criteria. Please ensure all sections of the application form are completed and the required supporting documents are uploaded at the time the application is submitted.

The community grants team can help with any questions you may have about the scheme and the application process. Please email climateemergency@winchester.gov.uk 

If you are a new applicant please email Alex Eburne, Sustainability Manager AEburne@Winchester.gov.uk

Key Dates

• Fund opens for applications: 1 August 2024
• Fund closes to applications: 30 September 2024, 5:00pm 

You are able to track the status of your application using the FlexiGrant account you would have created. Please visit Flexigrant 

You will then be able to log in using the details you provided when submitting your application.

Should you require any further assistance you can contact us at climateemergency@winchester.gov.uk 

CNAP Pathway: Reduce energy consumption

Grant Amount = £7,310

Trinity are a Winchester-based charity, providing support to people experiencing the effects of homelessness and vulnerability. They applied for a Go Greener Faster grant to find out how they could reduce the carbon footprint of their day centre.

Trinity received a grant of £7,310, supplemented by match funding from Hampshire County Council, to commission an independent energy review.

The review helped them identify that installing better insulation for the building was not cost effective. The payback would have been over 100 years! It showed them that the most cost effective and carbon-saving measure would be to install further solar panels on the roof of the Day Centre. They were also provide with a planned maintenance schedule that allows them to plan ahead and save for replacing the major capital items, rather than waiting for a critical failure.

Paul Williams the Development Manager at Trinity had this advice for anyone considering applying for the Go Greener Faster Grant – “Clearly decide what you are looking to achieve and get expert independent advice before committing to capital expenditure. Look at what will give you the maximum return for the resources expended - this could be measured in financial savings or kgCO2 saved (or both). The Go Greener Faster grant is definitely worth applying for!”

CNAP Pathway: Increase renewable energy generation

Grant Amount = £7,500

The Gratton Pavilion in Sutton Scotney is used by the community to host a variety of events and is also available for hire.

The Gratton Trust applied for the Go Greener Faster Grant to enable them to install solar panels on the roof of the Pavilion. In their original application, they proposed to have 36 panels and to install a battery. However, following consultation with their contractor and Winchester Action on Climate Change through the Community Solar Support Scheme, they found it would be more beneficial to have 50 panels and to not install a battery.

The installation was completed in June 2024 and, although it is too early for exact numbers, the Gratton Trust estimate that using renewable energy created by the solar panels will save 2.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year - equivalent to a return, economy flight from London to Chicago. It will also allow the Trust to save money on their energy bills.

Grant Amount = £8,100

CNAP Pathway: Increase renewable energy generation

Energise South Downs is a non-profit cooperative which focuses on facilitating community energy projects. They received funding from the Go Greener Faster Grant to run Future Energy Landscape workshops, two of which will take place soon; in Upham on 19 September and in Otterbourne on 5 October. If you live locally and would like to attend either of these, take a look at the Energise South Downs website - Future Energy Landscapes - Energise South Downs (esd.energy) 

The workshops bring local people together to discuss the type and scale of renewable energy that could meet their needs, while also taking into account what the community feels is acceptable. The findings from these workshops are compiled into a report which is then shared with the wider community. This provides local communities with a springboard from which interested local residents can continue to explore the viability of a community energy project.

Community energy projects involve groups of people coming together to purchase, manage, generate, or reduce consumption of energy. 

Grant Amount = £10,000

CNAP Pathway: Increase renewable energy generation

Durley Parish Council used their Go Greener Faster Grant to install two batteries in Durley Parish Memorial Hall. The Hall already had 20 solar panels and the Council wanted to be able to store the excess electricity generated by these to lower their energy costs and reduce their carbon emissions. They have since installed further solar panels on the roof.

Installing batteries has allowed the Hall to use renewable energy at times when the solar panels are not producing electricity, for example on dull days or in the evening.

The installation of the batteries took 4 and a half days. In the six weeks following the installation, the council reported that the hall was 97% self sufficient in energy.