The seventh round of South Cambridgeshire’s Zero Carbon Communities (ZCC) grants is now open, offering a share of £125,000 to successful applicants.
The grant scheme supports projects which help reduce carbon emissions or ‘lock up’ carbon, as well as projects that foster community engagement on climate change.
Since its launch in 2019, the scheme has awarded over £625,000 in grants, supporting more than 70 community-led climate action projects.
The ZCC grants are open to parish councils and community groups in South Cambridgeshire and provide financial support for schemes that demonstrate a sustainable and lasting impact. Grants range from £2,000 to £15,000 per project.
Projects are invited under two themes:
- Projects that reduce carbon emissions or ‘lock up’ carbon. The grants have previously supported village halls and other community buildings to reduce their energy use by installing measures such as heat pumps, LEDs, insulation and solar PV. Projects funded under this theme have allowed organisations to reduce their emissions in other ways, such as replacing vans needed for their work with electric vehicles.
- Projects that achieve wider community engagement on climate change and promote sustainable behaviour change. Projects in previous years have included support for repair cafes, sustainable food projects and training for community climate leaders such as Cambridge Carbon Footprint’s Net Zero Now course.
The ZCC grant scheme is funded through the Council’s renewables reserve (business rates from renewable energy projects).
Closing date for applications is 5pm on Tuesday 1st July 2025. Applications can be made online: https://bit.ly/SCDCZeroCarbonCommunities
