Workplace Charging Scheme

The scheme is open to applicant organisations that fulfil all of the following criteria. Your organisation must:

• be a registered business, charity or public sector organisation or

Note: public sector organisations include: government departments and their agencies, the armed forces, local governments, the NHS and emergency services.  

• have received – or have currently pending at the time of application – less than €200,000 of public support in the last 3 financial years (meaning the previous 2 financial years plus the current financial year) and satisfy the state aid requirements for de minimis aid

• declare a need for EV charging equipment, or an intent to encourage uptake among their staff and/or fleet (you do not need to possess a plug-in EV)

• be located in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland (applicants in the Channel Islands and Isle of Man are not eligible)

• have dedicated off-street parking for staff and/or fleet use only

• own the property or have consent from the landlord for chargepoints to be installed at all the sites listed in the application

If your business is a charity of small accommodation business, from March 2022 the following eligibility rules will apply:

• be a registered accommodation business with less than 250 employees; or a charity 

• have received – or have currently pending at the time of application – less than €200,000 of public support in the last 3 financial years (meaning the previous 2 financial years plus the current financial year) and satisfy the state aid requirements for de minimis aid

• be located in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland (applicants in the Channel Islands and Isle of Man are not eligible)

• have dedicated off-street parking 

• own the property or have consent from the landlord for chargepoints to be installed at all the sites listed in the application

• An accommodation business is defined using the Standard Industrial Classification for accommodation. This includes: Hotels and similar accommodation (55100); Holiday centres and villages (55201); Youth hostels (55202); Other holiday and other collective accommodation (55209); Recreational vehicle parks, trailer parks and camping grounds (55300); and Other accommodation (55900)

Each site where chargepoints are installed must:

• have designated off-street parking facilities with spaces that are suitable for chargepoint installations. All parking must be designated to the applicant, although the rest of the car park may be shared with other organisations

• have a minimum power supply of 3kW to each individual socket that is not diminished by their simultaneous use

• have no more than one socket installed for each accessible parking space

• the parking facility must exist, the grant will not be provided for parking facilities that have not yet been built

OZEV approved installers must be used for the work, Workplace Charging Scheme authorised installers - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

OZEV approved equipment must be used for the work, Workplace Charging Scheme approved chargepoint list - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The aim of the scheme is to help the transition to electric vehicles through accelerating the provision of chargepoints in workplaces. This short term stimulus will help businesses make the switch and aid their staff to do so, particularly those who may find it difficult to charge at home.

The grant is currently open. 

Use the Workplace Charging Scheme application form - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The following is a summary of the process applicants must follow to receive and redeem a voucher towards the installation of chargepoint units under the WCS.

1. Applicant completes online application form. As part of this application, the applicant:

   • declares any support they have received from public sources that was given under de minimis state aid regulations

   • agrees to the terms and conditions of the scheme

2. Applicant receives a decision from the scheme administrator, by email within 5 working days.

   • if successful, this email will contain their unique voucher code

   • if further checks are needed, the applicant’s claim will be placed on hold and their position in the queue reserved while these are carried out

   • if unsuccessful, the DVLA will feed back on the issue that caused the application to fail. The applicant may appeal this decision

3. Applicant arranges for a WCS-approved authorised installer to complete the installation within 6 months of the voucher expiry date.

4. Installer completes the installation and redeems the voucher online via the installer portal.

5. The applicant will receive an email from DVLA containing the information provided by the installer and confirming the grant level generated by the system.

6. Applicant checks: are the details in the confirmation email accurate?

   • if they are inaccurate, the applicant has 7 calendar days to email  workplacechargingscheme@dvla.gov.uk and raise any concerns

   • if they are accurate and the installation has been carried out as the installer has stated, the applicant does not need to reply to the email and the installer’s claim will be processed on their behalf

7. Applicant pays the installer.

8. Installer receives a grant from OZEV within 30 working days. If the installer has not previously claimed any grants from OZEV, payment may take up to 3 months to process.

9. Applicant keeps a record of their claim for 3 years. If chosen for an audit check, the applicant sends OZEV requested documentation including arrangements for a site visit.

10. Applicant responds to customer survey from OZEV.

Before applying

Before applying, we strongly advise applicants to check they:

• meet site eligibility requirements and have undertaken a site survey

• are intending to install authorised chargepoints with an OZEV-approved installer

• agree with the scheme terms and conditions, including those around declaration of de minimis state aid

Grant Total Award Amount

Please be aware that the grant scheme size of £50,000,000 is shared between the following schemes:

• Chargepoint Grant for people renting and living in flats (formerly Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme)

• Workplace Charging Scheme

• EV chargepoint grant for landlords

Guidance for applicants is provided here: Workplace Charging Scheme: guidance for applicants - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/workplace-charging-scheme-guidance-for-charities-and-small-accommodation-businesses

Evidence required

If your organisation is a registered business, charity or public sector organisation, this should be:

• primarily evidenced by a Companies House reference number

• if you do not have this, you may use a VAT registration number

• if you have neither of these, you may use an HMRC registration letter

Charities not in possession of any of this documentation can upload a copy of their registration to the Charity Commission or a letter from a principal regulator by using the upload field reserved for the HMRC registration letter.

Schools and colleges in England and Wales registered at Get Information about Schools can upload a pdf document of ‘establishment details’ showing the establishment’s ID number.

Schools in Northern Ireland registered at Department of Education Institution Search can upload a pdf document of ‘institution details’ showing the institution’s reference number.

Schools in Scotland listed at Parentzone Scotland: Parent Zone can upload a pdf document of ‘school details’ showing the school’s SEED number. This can be done by using the upload field reserved for the HMRC registration letter. The person applying for the grant on behalf of a school or college needs to make sure their email address domain matches the email domain of the school or college concerned.

Installers will be asked to provide details about the chargepoints installed and provide photographs of the installation to verify the chargepoints installed.

Before applying

Applicants are encouraged to:

• discuss their needs with one or more authorised WCS installers  

• identify which of the models listed on the Workplace Charging Scheme approved chargepoint list they wish to install

• undergo a site survey with an authorised installer to ensure the electrical capacity of the site can support the number of sockets for which you are applying

• consider the needs of disabled drivers and drivers with reduced mobility

• consider how the chargepoint will be maintained and any associated costs 

• consider how the cost of electricity usage will be covered and if/how you would charge users for it

• consider whether to make the chargepoint open for public use and if so whether to make the location of the chargepoint public 

If the applicant does not own or manage the land where they wish to install chargepoints, they must also secure the necessary permissions ahead of making an application.

Audits

As part of the grant applicants must agree to participate in audit activity if they are selected. 

OZEV will involve a third-party organisation to audit claims and determine compliance with the scheme’s rules, which will require access to WCS data, statements and records held by the applicant and chargepoint installer.

Occasionally, there may be an on-site visit that will require access to the chargepoint itself.