Eligible manufacturers in the North East can access financial support with industrial electricity costs as part of a new scheme launched by the UK government.
The British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS) will reduce electricity costs for:
- Eligible manufacturing frontier industries within the Industrial Strategy growth driving sectors (the ‘IS-8’).
- Manufacturing foundational industries that provide important inputs to the frontier industries.
The government’s aim is to help to strengthen industrial competitiveness, encourage investment and support high-quality manufacturing jobs in the region.
Successful applicants will receive exemptions from the indirect costs associated with the following existing electricity policy schemes:
- The Renewables Obligation (RO) and Feed-in Tariffs (FiT) which require electricity suppliers to make payments to support generation of electricity from renewable sources.
- The Capacity Market (CM) which requires electricity suppliers to make payments to ensure the UK has adequate electricity capacity.
Applications for BICS can be made from 1 October 2026 through to 30 November 2026.
Who can apply?
To be eligible to apply, businesses must meet all four of the following criteria:
- You must be registered on Companies House
- You must operate within an eligible sector
- You must manufacture eligible products in Great Britain
- You must use at least 33 megawatt-hours (MWh) of grid-supplied electricity per year at the manufacturing site for which support is being claimed
Businesses can check their eligibility for the programme using the government’s online eligibility tool.
Full, detailed guidance for the scheme is also available on GOV.UK
How to apply
Once you’ve checked your eligibility for the programme, businesses can apply for the first round of the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme from 1 October 2026 by:
- Compiling and submitting the required evidence. Full details are available on GOV.UK
- Completing the online application form when it goes live on 1 October 2026.
Businesses are encouraged to prepare all required evidence in advance of the application window opening to make the process quicker and easier.
The timeline for applications is as follows:
01 October 2026
Application window opens
30 November 2026 (11:59pm)
Application window closes.
January 2027
Businesses receive confirmation of their eligibility decision.
April 2027
Exemption from paying the indirect costs of the RO and FiT start.
October 2027
Exemption from paying the indirect costs of the CM (in addition to RO and FiT) start.
Where to find more information?
Full details of the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme can be found at GOV.UK