The decision was made by the Scottish Government this week and will help Community Transport operators to add low- or zero-emission vehicles – including electric and plug-in hybrid models to their fleet.
The Network Support Grant (NSG) is a discretionary grant which has been in place since April 2022. The scheme is designed to help organisations reduce their carbon footprint by offering financial support toward the cost of low or zero emission vehicles. Despite being available across more vehicles in England and Wales, the scheme only covered long covered larger vehicles Scotland.
With this change, Scottish operators can now apply for up to £2,500 per vehicle, depending on type and emissions profile, to help to offset the cost of low-emission alternatives.
The criteria for the NSG Scheme are as follows:
Vehicles now eligible:
Full guidance on the scheme and eligibility criteria can be found here Network Support Grant | Transport Scotland
According to the CTA, more than 1 in 3 Community Transport operators claim NSG with some dependent on it to deliver their services. Many Community Transport operators use smaller vehicles with fewer than 9 passenger seats to deliver essential transport services (especially in rural, remote and island communities and in accessible transport for disabled people).
The ability to access government grants for cleaner vehicles lowers the barrier to electrification, reduces operational costs in the long run, and supports national net-zero goals.
At EVM UK Ltd, we welcome this move and are ready to help you make the most of it. As a leading supplier of high-quality, energy-efficient passenger transport vehicles, we offer a wide selection of 8-seat and 9-seat minibuses, including electric models eligible for the NSG grant.
Let us help you make the switch. Contact our friendly team today.
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