Energy Relief Scheme

The aim of the grant is to help with energy costs while ensuring the widest possible reach of a limited funding source.

We know hospitality businesses are often more energy intensive because of their reliance on gas cookers, fridges, chillers etc, and will be feeling the impact of rising energy costs particularly keenly.

Additionally, the further challenges the hospitality industry faces with rising cost of food and long-term impacts from Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic for example, mean the council wants to focus some support on this sector. 

Eligibility criteria

To apply to the Energy Relief Scheme for cafes and restaurants, you must:

• Be a small business employing 1-25 people in the following sector(s): Restaurants and cafes (businesses that are primarily takeaway outlets are not eligible).
• Have no more that 50 covers (seating available for customers to dine in).
• Be registered on Companies House or the Charity Register.
• Have a physical trading address in Islington (i.e. an operating or trading address in Islington from which the bulk of business activities take place) and pay a regular (monthly) business mortgage or rent. Market trading pitches are ineligible.
• Be the ratepayer, licensee, and/or have a legal agreement to occupy the property where applicable.
• Be licensed by Islington Council.
• Have a food hygiene rating of three or above.
• Have no unresolved enforcement action taken by Islington Council in the last 12 months.
• Be an independent business – national and international chains and Public Limited Companies (PLCs) are excluded (including subsidiaries and businesses owned by hedge funds).

Additional notes

• Individual applications must be submitted per eligible business premises.
• Businesses with more than one premises and common directors will not be permitted to submit more than one application covering all of their premises in Islington.
• Businesses will need to notify the council if they no longer meet the eligibility criteria (for example, if they become insolvent or have maximised subsidy allowances).
• Grant recipients are advised that they may be contacted for research and evaluation purposes.
• Islington Council will not accept deliberate manipulation and fraud. Any business caught falsifying their records to gain additional grant money will face prosecution and any funding issued will be recovered, as may any grants paid in error.
• Businesses should submit all relevant documentation at the point of application. If not, we may contact you to request additional documentation in order to process your application. This will slow down our assessment and your application will be de-prioritised, and you may miss out on funding.
• Applicants commit at application stage to engaging with the council’s Net Zero Carbon ambitions by signing up to relevant newsletters and receiving marketing material about relevant council services through the business bulletin. Businesses can opt out at any time from mailing lists. Please see our Energy Relief Scheme Privacy Notice.  

How to apply

This is a budget limited scheme and awards will be made on a first come first served basis. The scheme will close when we have received 150 eligible applications.   

Click on the ‘Apply here’ button below to make an application. Please ensure you provide all documentation requested.

Apply here

If your applications is successful, payment will made into your business bank account by BACS payment shortly after closure of the fund application.