Grants and loans

Low emission zone retrofit fund

About low emission zones
About the Low Emission Zone Retrofit Fund
Eligibility criteria
How to apply
Terms and conditions
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Location notice

Please note that this page contains information and links most relevant for people living in Scotland.

Important information

This fund is now open for the funding year 2024/25. Customers who registered interest in the fund have been notified and invited to apply. This fund is expected to be highly popular and may be subject to delays due to high demand.

Energy Saving Trust can help micro businesses within a 20km radius of the low emission zones in Scotland to retrofit their non-compliant vehicles.

Low emission zones in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee are now in effect and aim to improve air quality.

For more information, please visit our low emission zone webpage.

About the low emission zone retrofit fund

The low emission zone retrofit fund provides eligible micro businesses, who operate within one of Scotland’s four low emission zones, with support to retrofit their existing non-compliant vehicles. This retrofit is done with clean vehicle retrofit accreditation scheme (CVRAS) approved solutions that meet the minimum standards of the Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee low emission zones.

Grants are available to cover up to 70% of the cost of a vehicle retrofit, subject to the following terms and conditions:

Up to £5,000 per light commercial vehicle and wheelchair accessible taxi that are installing retrofit exhaust after-treatment systems.
Up to £10,000 per wheelchair accessible taxi installing re-powering technology.
Up to £16,000 per heavy goods vehicle or refuse collection vehicle.

If you have received funding from the low emission zone support fund within 12 months of applying, the value of the fund claim will be deducted from any grant offered for retrofit.

If a grant is awarded and vehicle retrofitted, you must commit to running the vehicle for a period of three years (taxis and light commercial vehicles) or five years (heavy goods vehicles or refuse collection vehicles).

If the vehicle becomes unroadworthy (including failing licencing requirements), is sold, written off or exchanged within the three to five year timeframe, you must repay a proportion of the grant. This will be based on the time remaining within the committed timeframe.

For more information about the fund, please view our Low Emission Zone Retrofit Fund leaflet

Eligibility criteria

The retrofit solution applied for must be CVRAS approved. Please review available CVRAS-approved solutions for different makes and models of vehicle and download our eligibility criteria and terms and conditions document. If there is currently no available retrofit solution for your vehicle but you’re still interested in the fund, email LEZFund@est.org.uk 

To apply for funding, you must meet our eligibility criteria at time of application and have contacted one of the CVRAS-approved suppliers to secure a quote for the work. You’ll need to submit this quote dated within one calendar month, within the online application form, Energy Saving Trust will assess your application and issue a grant offer letter subject to availability.

Please do not commission or pay for any work prior to receiving and accepting a formal grant offer, as this will render your application ineligible.

How to apply

To check eligibility and request access to the online application form, please fill out our self referral form.

Self referral form

If you are eligible for funding, you will be sent a confirmation email containing a link to the online application portal.

Grants are offered on a first come, first served basis subject to availability.

You must not retrofit your vehicle until you have received and accepted a grant offer letter from Energy Saving Trust confirming grant award, otherwise funding will be withdrawn.

Terms and conditions

Energy Saving Trust is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. This fund is subject to availability and terms and conditions apply. Please be aware terms and conditions are subject to regular review and may change.

If you don’t meet the eligibility criteria for the low emission zone retrofit fund, you may be interested in the low emission zone support fund for businesses.

1. How do I secure funding?

You must complete an online application; this will be assessed. If eligibility and all evidence provided is acceptable and funding remains available, a grant offer will be made. To secure funding, the grant offer must be accepted and evidence of deposit/order for the solution must be provided within 30 days. Funds will not be allocated to your vehicle if this deadline is missed. Grants are offered on a first come, first served basis, subject to availability.

2. When will I receive the grant?

The grant is paid only after the retrofit installation is completed and the full claim evidence is received. The grant is paid directly to your chosen CVRAS approved supplier. We will not pay deposits on any works.

3. How much grant is available per vehicle?

We will fund 70% of the cost of the installation up to the following caps:
- Exhaust after-treatment systems for taxis/light commercial vehicles – £5,000.
- LPG fuel conversion solution for taxis – £10,000.
- Heavy goods vehicles/refuse collection vehicles – £16,000.
If installing exhaust after-treatment systems, you will be required to install telematics, the cost of which is fully covered in addition to the solution grant value.

Any grants awarded from the Low Emission Zone Support Fund in the past 12 months, will be deducted from any grant offer for the Low Emission Zone Retrofit Fund on a vehicle by vehicle basis

4. Why have the grant values available changed?

Grant offerings are regularly reviewed by funders Transport Scotland. Funding value changes have been made into order to support as many individuals as possible with the funding available.

5. How is the grant claimed?

When the vehicle is retrofitted, we will need four things to process a grant claim: a sales invoice showing the final cost of the retrofit, a certificate of completion, a photo showing the new engine installed with the registration plate visible, and the completed claim form at the end of your grant offer letter. The retrofit company will be able to issue the first three proofs, and you will need to complete your grant claim form.
1. Will the funds be transferred to me?
No, the funds will go straight to the retrofit company following completion of the works and receipt of the claim evidence needed to make payment.

7. What if I change my mind?

The grant offer does not commit the vehicle owner to completion. You can withdraw at any point from the grant offer by emailing LEZFund@est.org.uk to explain this. However, if you have paid a deposit to a retrofit company, you may forfeit this, so please discuss this with them.

8. When does the conversion need to be completed?

Grants awarded in the 2024/25 financial year need to be claimed by the date advised on your grant letter and cannot exceed the deadline of 15 March 2025.

9. Can I apply for more funding?

No, applicants can apply for one vehicle only to be retrofitted, following this, applicants are no longer eligible for further funding from the Low Emission Zone Retrofit Fund.

Six months following the payment of all Low Emission Zone Retrofit Fund grants, applicants can apply for the following (subject to fund availability and applicant eligibility): Low Carbon Transport Business Loan or Switched on Taxi Loan for new vehicles.

Applicants can apply to the following at any time (subject to fund availability and applicant eligibility): used electric vehicle loan for business.

10. Why has the maximum number of fundable vehicles changed?

Grant terms are regularly reviewed by funders Transport Scotland. Maximum vehicle support changes have been made into order to support as many individuals as possible with the funding available.

11. What if there is no solution available?

If no solution is available for your vehicle, you can register your interest. Should a solution become available for your vehicle, email LEZfund@est.org.uk with the subject: ‘Retrofit register’, stating your name, business postcode, and vehicle make and model within the email. We cannot guarantee a solution will become available.

Last updated: 23 April 2024