What civil works does the Depot Charging Scheme actually cover?
The grant covers eligible chargepoints and the civils to install them — trenching, ducting, cabling — but not grid reinforcement or vehicles.
Last updated 15 August 2026
Because civil works are often the second-biggest cost in a project, whether the grant helps with them matters. The good news is that it does — within limits worth understanding.
What’s covered
The Depot Charging Scheme covers eligible chargepoints and the civil works to install them — the trenching, ducting, cabling and groundworks that get power to the chargers. In the first window it contributed 70% of eligible costs up to £1m per organisation. That makes the civils, often a painful line, considerably more affordable.
What’s not covered
Two big items fall outside the scheme. Your DNO’s grid reinforcement or connection upgrade is not covered — budget for that separately. Neither are the vehicles themselves, which have their own funding routes. And solar and battery eligibility is not confirmed, so treat those as outside the grant unless official guidance says otherwise.
Design your civils with the grant in mind
Because eligible civils are covered, it’s worth designing them well and documenting them clearly for the application — including the future-proofing ducting that supports your planned rollout. Being application-ready before a window opens, with quotes and plans in hand, is what lets you claim promptly before funds are committed.
Scheme terms can be refined between windows, so always confirm the current eligibility list on the Funding tracker before finalising your budget, and use the Grant Eligibility Checker for a quick first read on what you might receive.