UK industry accounts for 16% of national greenhouse gas emissions and approximately half of these emissions come from “dispersed sites” such as industrial or commercial zones within a local area.

As part of our mission to assist local authorities in the Midlands deliver on their Net Zero commitments, the Midlands Net Zero Hub is running a funding competition to support the decarbonisation of small industrial and commercial zones.

To further develop the knowledge base available to local authorities as they support the decarbonisation of industrial areas, the Hub is offering applicants up to £30,000 of match funding to help cover the cost of developing a plan for their area, including feasibility studies for a range of industrial archetypes to develop costed case studies.

This competition run by the Hub aims to address the knowledge gaps around placed-based, non-domestic decarbonisation and foster closer working between, commerce, industry, and local authorities. The Midlands Net Zero Hub will award up to £30,000 to five local authorities as match funding to a proportion of no more than 65% of the study cost.

This award is to be used to produce a study for one selected ‘zone’ in line with the aims and objectives laid out in the competition guidance.

The aims of this competition are to:

• Support the development of place-based decarbonisation plans for industrial or commercial sites identified by the LA.

• Identify barriers and provide place-based solutions enabling the decarbonisation of dispersed industrial and commercial sites.

• Identify opportunities presented by place-based decarbonisation.

• Increase organisational collaboration and strengthen decarbonisation planning skills, capacity, and capability in local industrial or commercial zones.

• Gather and disseminate information and supporting evidence to inform the decarbonisation of other local industrial or commercial sites.

It is anticipated that the reports produced will identify barriers and provide solutions to the decarbonisation of dispersed industrial and commercial sites in a way that is both effective and fair. We expect the reports funded through this scheme to detail approaches that will overcome some of the issues raised such as electricity grid constraints, peer to peer energy trading, and the decarbonisation of industrial ‘process’ heat.

The competition is also seeking to identify opportunities for upskilling local workforce capacity ahead of introducing low-emission technologies and solutions. It is important that this work references and integrates with regional cross-sector decarbonisation plans and other policies (both local and national) affecting Iocal industrial or commercial zones.

The Midlands Net Zero Hub expects that this competition fund will encourage local authorities and their partners to come together to identify, form, and support local industrial and commercial zones, with the aim of developing a detailed and realistic plan for the decarbonisation of their identified area. This includes the identification of a pipeline of projects that could be taken forward for deployment.

Please see below the application and project timeline with key actions and outcomes. These timelines are subject to change.

• The competition will be launched on 11th September 2024.

• Applications need to be received by midnight on 14th October 2024.

• Winning bidders will be notified w/c 21st October 2024.

• All studies commissioned using funding from this competition will need to be completed by 30th June 2025.

Please note, this competition is only open to local authorities within the Midlands Net Zero Hub region.

1. Read the guidance document for the full details on the competition. 
2. Applicants must complete the ‘Local Industrial Zone Decarbonisation Plan Competition’ application form. 
3. Please return your application to us via email at MidlandsNetZeroHub@nottinghamcity.gov.uk by 14/10/2025.

Local Industrial Zone Decarbonisation Plan Competition – Application Form

Local Industrial Zone Decarbonisation Plan Competition – Guidance Notes