Scotland’s Heat Network Fund: optimisation study grant funding - how to apply

How applications are assessed

We'll assess your application against these criteria. You must demonstrate: 

• your optimisation study will seek to  reduce carbon emissions through lower energy consumption
• you intend to connect a clean heat source to your network, if it currently relies on heat from fossil fuels
• your optimisation study will seek to reduce customer detriment
• you need funding support at the level you've requested
• you can support the consultants conducting the optimisation study to completion by March 2027

If demand for funding exceeds our budget, we'll prioritise networks that supply mostly domestic customers, particularly those at risk of fuel poverty. This supports our objective to reduce fuel poverty.

Monitoring and evaluation

Once your project starts, we'll assign you a key contact at Zero Waste Scotland. Throughout project delivery, they'll attend all project meetings and will be responsible for managing the appointed technical consultant to ensure the optimisation study is delivered in line with the scope agreed in the grant agreement. You must work collaboratively with Zero Waste Scotland and your appointed consultant to ensure that the project is delivered by 31 March 2027. This may include (but is not limited to):

• confirmation of the grantee resource allocation to support project delivery
• timely provision of all data (to be agreed at kick-off meeting) and responses to all questions relevant to the study
• facilitation of site visits

At the end of your project, you must complete a report that outlines:

• your project outputs
• lessons learned
• your future plans, for example for system decarbonisation or expansion

We'll send you a project report template once your project is complete. This will help you record your recommended efficiency improvements, along with their impact on carbon emissions and operating costs.

Your grant agreement will include further detail on monitoring requirements.