The answer
Will CARES pay £80,000 towards any renewable project?
No. £80,000 is the cash ceiling, not a standard award, and CARES can cover up to 80% only of costs it accepts as eligible. Your group needs to pay the remaining eligible share and all excluded work. Local Energy Scotland says groups should ask for the funding they need, rather than automatically asking for the maximum.
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The two limits work together
Take an illustrative £100,000 of eligible costs. Eighty per cent is £80,000, so that is the highest award the headline rules could allow; the group would still need £20,000. If eligible costs were £120,000, 80% would be £96,000, but the £80,000 cash cap would leave at least £40,000 for the group. These examples are arithmetic, not an indication that either application would be approved or receive the maximum percentage.
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A whole-building quote is not all eligible
The fund supports named renewable and related energy-efficiency measures, subject to its heating and core-measure rules. Its current guidance excludes wider building renovation and retrospective work. For a heat-pump project, additional radiators may be part of the eligible system, while lifting and replacing floors for underfloor heating may not be. Ask the installer to split those elements rather than presenting one undifferentiated price.
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The amount you need to request may be lower
Local Energy Scotland's FAQ says up to 80% is for groups that can demonstrate need. It may offer a smaller percentage, for example where the group has reserves or can obtain other funds. Give trustees a budget with confirmed cash, other funding still to be secured, costs CARES may cover and costs it will not. Check whether the group can pay invoices when they fall due, not only whether its final contribution looks affordable.
What should the board see before approving a budget?
Ask for a cost schedule with four columns: the installer price, whether the item appears eligible, who would pay for it, and whether it is confirmed or only an allowance. Equipment, electrical work, access, permissions, commissioning and building repairs should not disappear inside one headline total. If the condition of a roof or electrical board is still unknown, mark that risk openly rather than pretending its cost is nil.
Run at least two award scenarios. The first can use the maximum percentage only as an upper-bound illustration; the second should use a smaller award. Add excluded works and contingency to both. Then put supplier payment dates next to the likely grant-claim process, because being able to fund a project eventually is different from being able to pay each invoice when due.
Local Energy Scotland alone decides what it will fund. A survey and quote can help your group describe a technically credible project, while trustees decide what it can afford if the grant is reduced or declined. That is a much safer question than whether the building can 'get £80,000'.
What to check next
Your next steps
Where we checked the facts
Check the original information.
These official pages back up the rules and technical details above. They can change, so check them again before spending money or starting work.
Apply this to your own property
Could your community building be suitable?
Tell FLO about your building and the work your group is considering. A free survey checks what may fit; Local Energy Scotland decides CARES eligibility and funding.