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Government funding for fleet depot charging

The next round of the Government’s Depot Charging Scheme is expected to open on 28 October 2026 and close on 29 January 2027.

In Round 1, Mer supported organisations including IKEA, Wren Kitchens, SIXT car rental and CitySprint through their Depot Charging Scheme applications.

Funding could be allocated quickly, and we can help get your next depot project ready today.

We’ve been through the process.
We know what it takes.

The funding application is only one part of the process. Before you can apply, you need to know what you actually need and have the technical detail to support it.

Having already been through the application process, we understand the nuances of the scheme and can act quickly.

TURN FUNDING INTO A DEPOT PLAN

The funding is available. The opportunity is understanding what you can achieve.

Getting funding for depot charging isn’t as simple as buying a few chargers.

You need to understand:

  • How many vehicles you’re going to charge
  • When they’ll need to charge
  • How much power your site has available
  • Whether your existing connection can support the demand
  • What infrastructure you’ll need to install
  • What the project is likely to cost
  • How the solution can support your fleet as it grows

That’s where Mer can help.

We can support your application with:

Fleet requirements

We’ll look at your fleet, routes, operating patterns and depot to work out what you actually need.

Install scope

Identify the charging infrastructure and associated works your depot needs.

Power needs

Understand how much power your charging operation will require and what your site can support.

Technical design

Develop the technical solution and project scope behind your application.

Your investment

What the project could cost and a breakdown of how funding can help.

Clarification questions

Support you through the questions and clarifications that may come back during the application process.
Cars parked under a sun canopy in a car park

The scheme goes beyond charging: energy management

Energy management infrastructure is included alongside charging infrastructure and civil works.

That means there’s an opportunity to think beyond the charge points themselves and consider how your depot will generate, store, manage and use energy as your electric fleet grows.

With battery energy storage included within the criteria, the scheme could help fleets take a more joined-up approach to their charging and energy infrastructure.

Talk to us about what's possible

FROM ASSESSMENT TO DELIVERY

More than an application. A charging solution that works.

The challenge isn’t simply installing charge points. It’s designing a system that works around your vehicles, your depot, your power connection and your operation both now and in the future.

With over 12 years of experience in delivering charging infrastructure for fleets, Mer can support you from initial assessment through to the design, installation and management of your charging infrastructure.

 

DNO applications

We work with DNOs and IDNOs and have the expertise to manage connection applications on our client’s behalf.

Supply and installation

We supply and install high-performance charging infrastructure which offers exceptional reliability, modular scalability, and the power levels needed for busy fleet operators.

Software and power management

Our Operating Portal helps you monitor usage, optimise energy, and maintain uptime across multi-charger sites.

Ongoing support

With our service and maintenance packages, we offer 24/7 aftercare support to ensure your fleet is always on the road.

Don't wait until applications open

The application window is expected to open on 28 October 2026 and run through to 29 January 2027, but the work behind a strong application starts before then.

In Round 1, applications were assessed in the order they arrived and the window could close early if funding was exhausted. With the next window expected to open on 28 October, doing the assessment and design work early puts you in a stronger position when the next-round terms are confirmed. Don’t risk missing out.

Understanding your site’s power capacity, fleet requirements and charging needs takes time.

And because we’ve already been through Round 1, we know the process and can help you prepare without starting from scratch.

Start planning your application

Who we supported in Round 1

Mer supported IKEA, Wren Kitchens, SIXT car rental and CitySprint through their Round 1 Depot Charging Scheme applications. We design, install and manage depot charging for commercial fleets across the UK.

Questions we get asked about the Depot Charging Scheme

The Government expects it to open on 28 October 2026 and close on 29 January 2027. Applications are assessed in the order they arrive, and the window can close early if the funding is committed.

These were the conditions in Round 1. The Government has not yet published the conditions for the next round, and we will update this page when it does.

✓ Your fleet includes, or will include, at least one battery electric van, HGV or coach

✓ Your organisation is registered in the UK and has been operating here for at least a year

✓ You own or lease one or more UK depots

✓ The funding is spent in the UK

✓ A senior leader in your organisation has approved the proposal

✓ You agree to monitoring and site visits after the work is done

✓ You are not claiming other government funding for the same work

✓ The vehicles using the charge points are mainly commercial vehicles

✓ If you share the charge points with other businesses, you charge them at cost for at least three years

✓ You have not started the installation before you apply

In Round 1 it paid 70% of charge point and civil costs, up to £1m. The rate for this round has not been confirmed.

The limit is per organisation, across all of your sites. You make one application and it can cover as many depots as you want.

Yes. You will need written consent from your landlord for the works.

Your fleet needs to include at least one battery electric van, HGV or coach, or be about to.

In Round 1 grid connection and substation costs sat outside the scheme. Part of what we do is establish what your existing connection can support, so the project is built around the power you already have wherever that is possible. One positive addition to this forthcoming round is battery energy storage which could provide a lower-cost alternative to grid upgrades.

Yes. The application is made by your organisation, not by us. What we provide is the scope, the technical design and the costs the application asks for, and support with the clarification questions that come back.

The scheme runs to 2030 with £170m committed, so there will be further rounds. The assessment and design work you do now carries over. However, when the money’s gone it’s gone, so we recommend starting your application early.

Planning to electrify your fleet?

Talk to Mer about your depot and we’ll help you understand what needs to be scoped, designed and prepared ahead of the next funding round.

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We supported four Round 1 applications

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Related fleet charging information

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Fleet EV grants and incentives

About the Depot Charging Scheme

The Government’s Depot Charging Scheme provides funding towards infrastructure to support the electrification of eligible commercial fleets.

Want the official scheme guidance? View the Government’s Depot Charging Scheme listing on Find a Grant.