Great British Energy

Great British Energy (GBE) Supply Chain Fund: Offshore Wind and Networks

Capital grants from Great British Energy for companies building new, or extending existing, UK factories that will primarily make one of 29 listed 'Critical Components' for offshore wind and the electricity networks (for example blades, towers, monopiles, HVDC cables, power transformers and switchgear). There is no set minimum or maximum grant: the request must be the minimum needed for the project to go ahead, and GBE expects an average grant intensity of about 15% of eligible costs, so most of the investment must come from the applicant. Applications go through Eligibility, Readiness Review and Full Application stages; Round 4, the final round, closes at 5pm on 10 December 2026, or earlier if the £300 million fund is fully allocated.

Apply on the funder’s site

You could get: £1 – £300,000,000
Deadline: 53 days left; 10 December
Effort: Heavy; budgets, references, often several stages

Who can apply

Companies registered under the Companies Act 2006 by the time they submit the Full Application (an applicant need not be registered yet at the Eligibility stage, but must confirm it will be; a special purpose vehicle can be proposed, subject to GBE's approval at due diligence)
The applicant (or its SPV) must own the constructed assets, hold the employment contracts for the direct jobs and carry out the funded activity
The project must be in the UK and, when completed, primarily manufacture one or more of the Fund's Critical Components; other secondary products are allowed
Applicants must show a genuine case for assistance (the project would be reduced, delayed, moved abroad or abandoned without the grant), must not be ailing or insolvent, and must confirm the grant will not relocate existing UK production
All areas of the UK are eligible, but projects in scope of Article 10(1) of the Windsor Framework (most likely Northern Ireland applicants) are only eligible if the funding could be given under EU GBER
Companies meeting section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 need a compliant Modern Slavery Statement
Other public funding is allowed but must be disclosed, and applicants can also be funded by the Offshore Wind Growth Partnership's Industrial Growth Fund

What it funds

Capital expenditure directly related to constructing new, or extending existing, UK manufacturing facilities that will primarily produce one or more Critical Components:

Buildings, production equipment and machinery
Any associated infrastructure that facilitates delivery and is linked to the specific product being manufactured
Research and development costs associated with the manufacturing facility, provided the grant is also for construction of those facilities
Ramp-up costs only to the extent they are directly attributable to bringing the asset to the condition necessary for it to operate as intended
Offshore wind Critical Components: mooring and anchoring; blades; nacelles, generators, gearboxes and power converters; towers; monopiles; transition pieces; jackets
Electricity networks Critical Components: HVDC cables; HVAC cables (including dynamic); power transformers (AC and DC), HV bushings and tap changers and selectors; HVDC converter stations, DC capacitors, IGBTs, converter valves, protection relay panels and control cabinets, and HVDC converter station jacket foundations; switchgear and HV circuit breakers; reactive power management and control systems and FACTS devices; HVAC substations, substation topsides and substation jacket foundations

Components must be for the listed component family and sector (a gearbox counts only if it is for an offshore wind nacelle). Electricity network components must be compatible with the GB transmission network (132kV and above), except HVAC cables, which may be rated at 66kV. Eligible costs must be capitalisable under IFRS. Grants are paid quarterly in arrears against defrayed expenditure, and must be drawn down between April 2026 and 31 March 2030.

What it will not fund

Operating expenditure (OpEx)
Costs related to land purchase or property transactions
Associated service and maintenance agreements
Embedded warranty costs
Interest costs
Costs that facilitate relocating existing production activities within the UK
Projects that are already viable without grant support, or would go ahead at the same scale and timing in the UK anyway
Grants to rescue an applicant from an ailing or insolvent position
Facilities that do not primarily produce a listed Critical Component
Projects in scope of Article 10(1) of the Windsor Framework, unless the funding could be awarded under the EU General Block Exemption Regulation (most likely to affect applicants located in Northern Ireland)

How to apply

Read the Scheme Guidance (Version 3, published 1 October 2026) and the offline application questions on the GBE website
Register on the GBE application portal (gbesupplychainfund.energysecurity.gov.uk) and submit the Eligibility form
If you pass, complete the Readiness Review form, assessed against eight readiness criteria; allow around 2 weeks, and a 'Not Ready' application can be resubmitted later in the window
If deemed Ready, submit the Full Application form and accompanying documents by the Round 4 deadline, 5pm on 10 December 2026; it is scored 1-5 on six criteria across Strategic, Technical, Economic and Financial assessment and needs at least 3 on each and a weighted average of 3.5
Applications that pass go to the Portfolio-Based Review held after the round deadline (no further submission)
Successful projects go through due diligence and, if satisfactory, receive a grant offer and sign the non-negotiable Grant Funding Agreement

The application window closes early if the budget is fully allocated, and from Round 2 onwards each round only goes ahead if money remains. You cannot reapply with the same project after failing a stage, except at Readiness Review. Questions go to SupplyChainFund@gbe.gov.uk with the subject 'GBE Supply Chain Fund: Offshore Wind & Networks Clarification - [Project Title]'.

Have ready

Project plan with Gantt chart, critical path, milestone overview and dependency log
Procurement strategy
Project team structure diagram
CVs for key personnel (up to two sides of A4 each, compiled into one document), with evidence of in-house engineering and compliance capability
Workforce and skills plan
Project risk register
Evidence of market interest (orders aligned with planned output, or a credible plan to secure them)
Technical specification for the Critical Component(s)
Planning and consenting documentation, and land purchase or leasing evidence where relevant
Jobs Spreadsheet (GBE template)
Business case (business and financing plan)
Financial information: the last two sets of statutory accounts (and parent company accounts where applicable), financial forecasts, a total project budget with quarterly profile, project financial forecasting and evidence of all other funding sources
Modern Slavery Statement (where section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 applies)
Social value commitments plan

These are for the Full Application stage. Optional documents include a supply-demand gap analysis, supply chain investment plan, sustainability and business ethics policies, healt…

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