Grants and Funding

Depot Charging Scheme: up to £1m towards your coach depot chargers – window now open

11th November 2026

The Government's Depot Charging Scheme is open again. It pays 60% of the cost of chargepoints and the civil works to install them at your depot, up to £1 million per organisation. Coach operators are eligible. Applications close at midday on 26 February 2027, but funding is first come, first served, so it pays to apply early.

At EVM UK & Ireland, operators tell us charging, not the vehicle, is often the hardest part of going electric. This scheme takes a big share of that cost off the table. Here’s what you need to know.

What is the Depot Charging Scheme?

The Depot Charging Scheme is a £170 million Government programme running to 2030. It helps fleet operators install charging at their own depots to support battery-electric vans, HGVs and coaches. It’s run by the Department for Transport and the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV).

This second round has £38 million available. It opened at midday on 11 November 2026.

How much can you get?

	Window 1 (closed)	Window 2 (open now)
Grant rate	70%	60%
Maximum per organisation	£1m across all sites	£1m across all sites
Pot	£28m	£38m
Applications close	30 June 2026	26 February 2027, midday
Works completed by	31 March 2027	31 March 2028

There’s no limit on the number of depots in your application, but each organisation can apply only once. Further rounds are planned for 2028/29 and 2029/30, but the Government has said grant rates will keep falling. Today’s 60% is unlikely to come round again.

Applicants are encouraged to use the Scheme’s technical partner, WSP, for support and guidance on designing their projects and applying to the scheme. WSP can be contacted at: dcs@wsp.com

Who can apply?

You’re likely to be eligible if your organisation:

has, or will have, at least one battery-electric coach, bus, van or HGV in its fleet
is registered and has operated in the UK for at least a year
owns or leases at least one depot in the UK
will use the chargers mainly for commercial vehicles
has sign-off from a senior leader and agrees to monitoring, including site audits.

If you share the chargers with other operators, you’ll need to charge them on a cost-recovery basis for at least three years.

*This does not include the Crown Dependencies (Isle of Man, Jersey or Guernsey).

Applicants are encouraged to complete a pre-assessment questionnaire. Click here to complete >>

What does it pay for?

The grant covers chargepoint hardware and the civil works to install it. Grid connection upgrades have not been covered previously, so check the Window 2 guidance before you budget. You can only claim costs incurred after you’ve signed the grant funding agreement, so don’t start work early.

Our top tips

Apply early. Funding is first come, first served, and may become competitive if oversubscribed.
Talk to your network operator now. Grid capacity is often the longest lead time, and it isn’t funded.
Plan around your duty cycles. Size the chargers for when your coaches return to the depot and how much range they need the next day.
Allow enough time. Works must be finished by 31 March 2028.
Use the official templates. Applications on any other form won’t be accepted.

What help and advice is available for going all electric?

If you have any questions on the scheme, please contact: ggms_depot_cs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk.
Support for purchasing electric vans and HGVs is available through the Zero Emission Van and Truck Grant. Please direct any questions on the scheme to: plugingrants@dft.gov.uk
Choosing the right electric minibus and planning how you’ll charge it go hand in hand. The EVM team can help you understand the range, battery and charging needs of the vehicles you’re considering, so your application reflects real-world use. Contact our sales team to discuss the EVM electric 9-13 seater Trend, the 9-22 seater EVM Elegance and all-electric low-floor eCityline models.