Energy Master Plan Funding
Apply for SEAI funding to create your own community Energy Master Plan.
Funding for your Energy Master Plan
Open all year round
The grant programme is open all year round and you can apply for funding by completing a funding application form. The grant offer is valid for 12 months to give you plenty of time to identify the community priorities, find an external expert and develop your energy masterplan in consultation with your community.
For more information on what is involved and how to apply please see our EMP Funding Application Guidelines. Your mentor will also be able to guide you step-by-step through the application process.
Download EMP GuidelinesSEAI can provide a 100% grant to cover the costs of an external expert to help your community develop an Energy Master Plan. The Energy Master Plan funding ranges in value depending on the level and scale of the Sustainable Energy Community. The scale of the SEC is linked to the estimate of the energy spend in your community.
The table below will give you an idea of the funding scale you can apply for. This is also available in the SEC Handbook.
| SEC Level | Scale | Community Energy Spend | Funding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Street / Village | Up to €2,000,000 | €10,000 |
| Level 2 | Town / Island | Up to €20,000,000 | €15,000 |
| Level 3 | County / Regional | Up to €50,000,000 | €20,000 |
| Level 4 | National / Other | Up to €50,000,000 | €25,000 |
Community engagement
When your community decides that it will apply for Energy Master Plan funding it can be useful to share the proposal with the rest of the community and generate buy-in to the process. A portion of the Energy Master Plan application can be used to help share the outputs and engage the community in the next stage.
So it is a good idea to decide what portion of the funding you will need for this and who you might need to support this process. Remember, before you apply for funding, you must join the Network.
Join the networkHelpful steps before applying
Before carrying out your Energy Master Plan application, we recommend you work with your mentor to complete 2 short documents.
- Community Charter: Your SEC Committee community charter is a one-page overview of your SEC’s vision and goals. It outlines your commitments and is signed on behalf of your SEC by nominated Steering Committee members (your mentor can share examples from other communities and help guide you through this process). Find out more about how to develop you Community Charter here.
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Competency assessment: The competency assessment is a short survey to assess what existing competencies your community has available and to help you identify areas that you might need more assistance with. The Competency assessment is not a requirement but is a useful first step to understand your communities’ strengths and weaknesses.