The answer
Could your group and building qualify for CARES?
If you are applying on behalf of a charity or community group, it is your organisation—not you personally—that would apply for CARES. Check whether your group can apply, whether it owns or has a qualifying lease on the building, how the community uses the space and whether the proposed work fits the current fund rules. Local Energy Scotland decides eligibility and funding.
01 / 03
Is your organisation and building likely to fit?
Start with the organisation that owns or leases the building. The fund is aimed at eligible non-profit distributing Scottish charities or companies, not at an individual trustee. Find your registration or governing documents and make sure the name on them matches the organisation that would apply. A familiar building type—a village hall, faith building or sports facility—is not enough on its own.
The building must already exist, be used regularly by the community and have high energy costs. Gather a year's bills and a booking calendar so you can show what happens there in practice. If your group rents, find the full lease rather than relying on a verbal arrangement. Local Energy Scotland says the lease must run for at least five years after March 2027; check the current dates in its guidance before applying. New buildings and those whose high annual membership fees exclude much of the community are among the stated exclusions.
02 / 03
Does the work meet the heating and technology rules?
CARES has a heating requirement as well as a list of eligible measures. A building that still uses gas or oil generally needs to replace that fossil-fuel heating as part of the proposed project. A solar-and-battery proposal on its own will not meet that requirement for a gas-heated building. By contrast, a building with qualifying electric or low-carbon heating may be able to propose solar PV as its core measure.
The project must include a core measure such as a heat pump, heat-network connection, solar PV or solar water heating. Storage and certain insulation measures are add-ons, not a route to funding by themselves. The current guidance also excludes some popular ideas, including LED lighting and wider renovations. Ask for a survey that separates the fundable energy work from roof repairs, decorative work and other costs your group would have to meet separately.
03 / 03
What should you do before committing money?
Give the committee a short brief showing your legal status, lease or title, how the building is used, current heating, bills and the improvement you want. Then ask Local Energy Scotland about any eligibility point you cannot establish from the published rules. FLO can inspect the building and develop an installation scope, but its survey cannot approve an application or reserve a grant.
The fund is open to applications, yet awards depend on eligibility, the available budget and the written offer. Do not place a grant-dependent order or start retrospective work on the assumption it will be paid for later. This is particularly important if a contractor has given your group a time-limited price.
Where this guidance comes from
Check the original guidance.
These primary sources support the technical or scheme points above. Rules can change; follow the current source before making a commitment.
Apply this to your property
Let FLO assess the building and proposed work.
A free CARES building survey can help shape a realistic technical proposal. Local Energy Scotland remains the decision-maker on eligibility and any award.