EV Charger Grants for UK Businesses: Every Funding Option for 2026

The Workplace Charging Scheme grant is jumping from £350 to £500 per socket on 1 April 2026. That’s a 14% increase. At the same time, the EV Infrastructure Grant for SMEs disappears entirely on 31 March. If you’re running a business with any interest in EV charging, the next four weeks are the most consequential funding window we’ve seen in years.

The UK government has committed over £2.3 billion to EV charging infrastructure, with £6 billion in private investment expected to 2030. As of January 2026, there are 116,729 public chargepoints across 45,242 locations (Zapmap data). The target is 300,000 by 2030. That gap represents an enormous amount of funded installation work still to come.

Last reviewed: March 2026.

At a Glance: UK EV Charger Grants

Here’s what’s available right now. Scroll down for the full breakdown of each scheme.

Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS)

The WCS is the workhorse of business EV charging grants in the UK. It’s administered by OZEV, it’s straightforward to apply for, and it’s just been given a significant boost.

The big news: from 1 April 2026, the grant per socket increases from £350 to £500. The scheme has been extended to 31 March 2027 – but OZEV has described this as the final year. Don’t assume there’ll be another extension. Since launching, the WCS has funded over 60,000 charging sockets with £21.8 million in total grants. It works.

How the Numbers Work

Who Qualifies

Businesses of all sizes, charities, not-for-profits, public sector bodies, and small accommodation providers (B&Bs with fewer than 10 rooms). You need to own the premises or have written landlord permission, with dedicated off-street parking. The installation must be done by an OZEV-approved contractor.

Premises can be anywhere in England, Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland.

Application Process

Apply online through the OZEV portal to receive a voucher code. Hand it to your approved installer, who claims the grant directly and deducts it from your bill. The whole thing needs completing within 180 days of the voucher being issued.

Practitioner Tips

A few things to consider with these applications. First, the 180-day voucher window sounds generous but it isn’t. If your site needs electrical upgrades – a new distribution board, DNO capacity increase, or trenching across a car park – lead times can eat through that window fast. Vouchers could expire mid-install because the DNO connection took 12 weeks. Get your site survey done before you apply.

Second, when reviewing OZEV-approved installers ask to see previous commercial installations, not just domestic ones.

Third, the 40-socket cap is per applicant, not per premises. If you’ve got multiple sites, plan your allocation across all of them. You can’t come back for more once you’ve hit the cap.

Our take: if you’ve been putting off workplace charging, the jump to £500/socket in April makes it worth waiting a few weeks. But don’t sit on it. OZEV has called this the final year of the scheme. 

EV Infrastructure Grant for Staff and Fleets (SMEs)

This scheme is being withdrawn on 31 March 2026. Installers have until 26 May 2026 to submit claims, with final resubmissions by 6 July 2026.

This was specifically aimed at small and medium businesses (fewer than 249 employees) wanting to install charging for staff or fleet vehicles. It offered up to £15,000 per application, covering 75% of costs, with up to 5 grants available across 5 separate sites.

If you’re an SME and haven’t applied yet, you’ve got days. Not weeks. After 31 March, this funding disappears entirely and you’d be relying on the standard WCS instead – which, while improved, caps at a lower total amount per site.

The Commercial Landlord Grant closes on the same date. If you own commercial property with tenant parking, that’s another funding stream about to disappear. 

On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS)

Status: Closed to new applications

ORCS ran from 2017 to 2024, with £83 million allocated across its lifetime supporting an estimated 21,000 chargepoints across 177 local councils. It was the government’s primary tool for getting chargepoints into residential areas where off-street parking isn’t available.

Businesses couldn’t apply directly, but if you’re seeing new on-street chargers appearing near your premises, that’s likely ORCS-funded infrastructure. Its successor, the LEVI Fund, picks up where ORCS left off – with significantly more money behind it. 

Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund

The LEVI fund totals £381 million for English local authorities – substantially larger than ORCS and designed to fill gaps in public charging coverage, particularly in areas the private sector hasn’t reached.

The target is ambitious: over 100,000 new chargepoints from this fund alone. Most local authorities are expected to have completed procurement by March 2026, with installations accelerating through 2026 and 2027. A new EV Infrastructure Support Service launching in April 2026 (run by Energy Saving Trust, Cenex, and PA Consulting) will help councils that have struggled with procurement.

What This Means for Businesses

You can’t apply for LEVI directly. It goes to councils. But the opportunities are real.

Councils actively seek partners to host charging infrastructure on private land. If you’ve got car park space near residential areas, you could become a charging hub location without paying for installation. 

It may be worth reaching out to your local authority’s transport or climate strategy team. Only around 49 councils out of 317 had accessed LEVI funding as of early 2025, so many are still in early stages and actively looking for sites.

Fleet Depot Charging Scheme

This was a significant one for fleet operators – up to £1 million per organisation, covering 75% of costs for installing charging infrastructure at fleet depots. The application deadline passed on 28 November 2025, with all works needing completion by 31 March 2026.

If you missed it, keep an eye on OZEV announcements. Fleet-specific support is likely to return in some form given the government’s push toward commercial vehicle electrification. The July 2025 announcement of £63 million for EV infrastructure included NHS fleet electrification, which signals continued appetite for fleet-specific funding. 

Educational Institutions Grant

Available UK-wide for state schools, academies, independent schools, FE colleges, and universities. Currently offers up to £2,500 per socket at 75% cost coverage.

Change coming: from 1 April 2026, this drops to £2,000 per socket. But there’s a wrinkle. If you apply before 1 April and receive your voucher, you keep the £2,500 rate provided installation is completed and the voucher redeemed by 30 September 2026. For a 10-socket installation, that’s £5,000 saved.

That six-month redemption window gives you genuine breathing room on the installation side. 

Scotland-Specific Grants and Infrastructure

Scotland has moved faster than any other UK nation on public charging. Hit the government’s target of 6,000 public chargepoints two years early, in October 2024. Over £65 million invested since 2011. As of mid-2025, there were over 7,100 public chargepoints across Scotland.

That said, the landscape is shifting. The ChargePlace Scotland network – previously government-owned – is transitioning to commercial operators, with the deadline now extended to December 2026 (pushed back from December 2025). For businesses, this transition creates both opportunity and uncertainty. Commercial operators will want site partners, but pricing and access terms are still being negotiated in many areas.

Cross-Pavement Charging Grant

For Scottish homeowners and tenants without off-street parking, this grant covers up to £350 toward installing cable channels or gullies that let charging cables cross pavements safely. That’s down from a £3,500 pilot scheme – a massive reduction.

Why does a domestic grant matter for businesses? Because employees who can’t charge at home become reliant on workplace charging. The more domestic charging barriers exist, the more valuable your workplace chargepoints become.

Wales-Specific Funding

The Welsh Government has a net zero commitment, and Business Wales periodically offers top-up funding, but at present, there’s no standing scheme equivalent to Scotland’s infrastructure investment.

Welsh businesses can and should apply for all UK-wide schemes – the WCS, education grant, and domestic grants all cover Wales. When Welsh-specific grants do open, they typically cover 75% of costs with caps varying by scheme. But don’t plan your installation timeline around them.

The practical route for most Welsh businesses is the WCS combined with local authority partnerships. Several Welsh councils have used LEVI-style thinking even without direct LEVI funding, partnering with charge point operators to get infrastructure installed. Contact your local authority’s economic development team.

Northern Ireland Grants

Northern Ireland currently has a relatively low EV charging infrastructure provision compared to the other UK nations. Around 20 public chargers per 100,000 people compared to Scotland’s significantly higher density. That said, NI businesses also have access to the OZEV-administered grants.

The Department for Infrastructure received £1.35 million in ORCS funding in 2022 for on-street residential charging. Two specific schemes are still relevant:

If you’re operating in Northern Ireland, the WCS may be your most reliable funding route. The infrastructure deficit actually makes workplace charging more valuable as an employee benefit – staff with EVs will genuinely appreciate it because the public network is so thin. 

Tax Incentives That Stack on Top of Grants

Grants aren’t the only financial lever. Tax incentives can significantly reduce the real cost of EV charging infrastructure, and they stack on top of grant funding.

100% First-Year Capital Allowance

Qualifying EV chargepoint equipment is eligible for 100% first-year capital allowances. That means you can deduct the full cost of the non-grant-funded portion from your taxable profits in year one. For a business paying corporation tax at 25%, that’s a meaningful reduction in effective cost.

Benefit in Kind (BiK) Rates for Company EVs

If you’re providing company cars alongside workplace charging, the BiK rates remain compelling:

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At 3–5%, the tax savings on a company EV versus a petrol equivalent are substantial. Worth factoring in when building the business case for workplace charging infrastructure.

Note: EVs now pay Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) from April 2025 – £195 annually, with an additional £425/year for models over £40,000. Still significantly cheaper than ICE vehicles, but no longer zero. 

Stacking Funding: How to Combine Sources

The real savings come from layering multiple funding streams. It takes planning, but the maths can be dramatic.

Combinations That Work

WCS + local authority grants: some councils offer additional funding on top of WCS. Contact your local authority’s economic development or climate strategy team.

WCS + 100% capital allowances: claim the grant to reduce capital cost, then claim full first-year allowances on the remaining spend. This applies to the portion not covered by grants.

WCS + devolved nation top-ups: where Scottish, Welsh, or NI schemes offer additional funding, these may complement your WCS allocation. Check individual scheme rules on double-funding.

What You Can’t Combine

Multiple central government grants for the same equipment. Retrospective claims after installation (the voucher must be in place first). Funding for domestic and business purposes on the same installation.

How to Actually Apply: Step by Step

For Workplace Charging (Most Businesses)

1. Audit your premises. Identify parking locations, electrical capacity, and how many chargepoints you could realistically support. Consider phased rollout – you’ve got 40 sockets maximum across all sites, so plan allocation carefully.

2. Get quotes from OZEV-approved installers. This tells you real-world costs and how much the grant actually covers. Costs vary dramatically depending on electrical infrastructure requirements. A straightforward wall-mounted install on an existing supply might cost £800–£1,200 per socket. If you need trenching, a new distribution board, or a DNO upgrade, you’re looking at £2,000–4,000+.

3. Apply for your WCS voucher through the OZEV portal. It’s an online process and typically takes a few days.

4. Install and claim within 180 days. Your installer claims the grant and deducts it from your invoice. Both installation and claim must happen within the voucher window. If you’re doing phased installation, you’ll need separate vouchers for each phase.

For Public or On-Street Charging

You can’t access LEVI funding directly, but you can position your business as a site partner. Engage with your local authority, offer land or premises for charging hubs, and explore operator partnerships. Charge point operators frequently seek destination partners for publicly accessible chargers. 

Key Dates and Deadlines

Building the Internal Business Case

The funding landscape makes the numbers work more easily than most people expect.

With the WCS at £500/socket from April 2026, your business contribution on a typical 7kW chargepoint installation (usually £800–£1,200 per socket fully installed) could be as low as £300–£700 out of pocket. Claim the 100% capital allowance on that remainder and the effective cost drops further.

Add in the BiK advantages for company EVs, potential revenue from staff or public charging, and the ESG reporting benefits, and the payback period on most installations is under two years. Some businesses with high footfall see a return within months through public charging revenue. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I apply for both the WCS and LEVI funding?

Not directly. The WCS is for businesses installing their own chargepoints. LEVI goes to local authorities. But you can benefit from both – use the WCS for your premises and engage with your local council as a potential LEVI site partner. You can’t receive both grants for the same chargepoints, but you may be able to have WCS-funded chargepoints and separately hosting LEVI-funded public chargers on your land.

What happens if my WCS voucher expires before installation is complete?

You lose the funding for that voucher. The 180-day window covers everything from voucher issue to completed installation to grant claim. If your installer hasn’t claimed within that period, the voucher becomes invalid. You can reapply, but there’s no guarantee the scheme will still have budget. This is why it is recommended getting your site survey and installer quotes sorted before applying.

Do I need to provide charging free of charge to employees?

No. The WCS doesn’t dictate pricing. Many businesses offer free workplace charging as a perk, but you’re within your rights to charge for electricity at cost or at a modest markup. Some businesses use smart charging platforms to manage access and billing.

Which chargepoint brands work best with the grant process?

The grant doesn’t specify brands – your OZEV-approved installer will recommend compatible hardware.

Can sole traders apply for the WCS?

Yes. Sole traders qualify as long as they have commercial premises with dedicated off-street parking. Home-based businesses with a separate commercial parking area may also qualify, but check with OZEV on specifics.

What’s happening with the Rapid Charging Fund?

The original £950 million Rapid Charging Fund for motorway infrastructure was scrapped in June 2025. The government cited lack of interest from motorway service operators and noted that private investment had already significantly expanded the rapid charging network. £400 million has been redirected toward on-street residential charging. For businesses, this means the focus is firmly on destination and workplace charging rather than motorway hubs.

What to Do Next

The funding window is open, but it won’t stay that way. The SME infrastructure grant disappears at the end of March 2026. The WCS has been extended, but OZEV is calling this the final year. Budgets are finite and oversubscription has closed schemes early before.

If you’re serious about installing EV charging infrastructure, the practical next step is getting a site survey and understanding your real costs. Once you know what the installation actually involves, matching it to the right funding mix becomes straightforward.