The British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS), which aims to reduce electricity costs for eligible manufacturers, is due to open on 1 October and close on 30 November 2026. The scheme is set to benefit over 10,000 businesses, reducing electricity costs by up to £40 per megawatt hour, equivalent to an average discount of around 25% off electricity bills. Eligible businesses will also receive an additional payment in 2027 to cover costs approximately equivalent to an extra year’s benefit.
Eligible businesses will be exempted from the indirect costs of the Renewables Obligation, Feed-in Tariffs and the Capacity Market, worth up to £40 per MWh, with exemptions reaching bills from April 2027. They will also receive an additional payment in 2027 to reflect the support businesses would have received had the scheme been in operation earlier. To qualify, a business must be registered at Companies House, operate in an eligible sector, manufacture eligible products at a site in Great Britain, and use at least 33 MWh of grid-supplied electricity a year at that site.
Applications open on 1 October 2026 and close at 23:59 on 30 November 2026. There is one application round a year and applications cannot be amended once submitted, so businesses should prepare early. Start with the eligibility checker on GOV.UK to see whether your business is likely to be eligible, read the business guidance to start understanding evidence requirements.
You can join the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade for a webinar on 24 September to find out more.
