PSDS for schools: PSC scheme guide, Phase 5 watch, eligibility wizard

How to apply for PSDS through the Salix portal

The Salix portal opens, you log in, you submit. The hard work is the pre-bid pack; the portal itself is a structured form. Phase 3c closed in roughly 90 minutes [Salix], so the form is filled out before the window opens, not after.

Oliver Wakefield-Smith

Founder · Digital Signet

Verified for Phase 4 / Phase 5 watch · refresh expected on Phase 5 window opening

Step by step

Create or refresh the organisation account on the Salix portal.
Confirm body-type eligibility and grant-condition acceptance.
Upload feasibility study + GCC calculation + measure schedule.
Enter lifetime kgCO2e, capital £, £/tCO2e, GCC kgCO2e/£.
Confirm procurement route and delivery programme.
Sign and submit before the window closes.

Common rejection reasons

£/tCO2e above £325 (most common).
Missing landlord or SPV consent for non-freehold sites [DESNZ].
Underspecified fabric-first consideration on heat-pump bids.
Delivery programme that misses the phase deadline.
Body type out of scope (independent schools).

The 90-minute lesson

If Phase 5 mirrors Phase 3c the portal will close fast. Have the application pre-filled in draft, the evidence pack uploaded ahead of open, and a single signatory ready.