COMMUNITY ENERGY FUND

The Community Energy Fund is available to constituted community groups and social enterprises. Projects involving joint ventures with the private sector can be considered and will be judged upon their merits. Projects that have the potential to impact upon disadvantaged areas are particularly welcome.

Amount and Term

The amount and availability of finance from the Community Energy Fund (CEF) is assessed against the viability and the nature of your scheme. Financial assistance received from the CEF is repayable, plus a fee, when you raise the capital to fund the installation of your renewable energy scheme. If you cannot raise the finance to do this, you can walk away with no liability incurred. Robert Owen Community Banking Fund does not take any profit from the CEF. The premium charged by the Fund on repayment contributes to covering the losses from those schemes that do no not go forward – making the CEF a form of solidarity finance for the Community Energy sector.

Security

If finance is agreed, you will be asked to enter into a temporary agreement(s) that places the development rights of your scheme with Robert Owen Community Banking Fund for the duration of the development phase. This agreement will also enshrine your rights to be identified as the developer of the scheme.

Social Investment Criteria

All projects will need to demonstrate a clear social benefit. This can be a case of directly creating or safeguarding jobs in the local economy, or through linking the distribution of profit from your scheme to sustaining services that are of benefit to your local community.

Environmental Investment Criteria

Projects will need to show that they do not have a negative impact upon the environment.

Application Procedure

All applications must be made using the standard CEF application process.

Appeals & Complaints

In the event of a complaint about the way in which your application is handled by our Fund Managers, or the process by which your application is assessed, please contact Mick Brown, CEO of Robert Owen Community Banking Fund at the address below.