PSDS feasibility study after LCSF closed

The Low Carbon Skills Fund used to underwrite feasibility studies. That route is closed [DESNZ]. Schools now fund feasibility internally or via Net Zero Hub support.

Oliver Wakefield-Smith
Founder · Digital Signet
Verified for Phase 4 (final phase) · refresh expected on any Salix or DESNZ policy change
Primary source · Salix Finance PSDS portal salixfinance.co.uk/PSDS last verified 22 Jun 2026

Who pays now

Schools and MATs fund feasibility from internal reserves or as part of a wider estates capital plan. Local Net Zero Hubs [DESNZ] provide free pre-bid advisory but do not write feasibility studies.

What a PSDS-grade study contains

Cost and time

Feasibility and technical-survey fees are quoted per project, not published as a standard rate. As an order-of-magnitude planning band, budget around £8k to £35k for a school-scale study depending on site count and survey complexity, with larger MAT bundles higher; timeline is usually 6 to 10 weeks from kick-off. Confirm against your own consultant quotes before relying on the figure.

Feeds the Salix portal

Feasibility output is the evidence pack the Salix portal application points at. The portal does not redo the maths; it tests it.

See: pre-feasibility, application, GCC threshold, Ridge, Anthesis.