What 'eligible' means
The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) eligibility test has three legs: body type, building ownership, and the works being decarbonisation works against the grant conditions [DESNZ]. A state-funded school on owned estate displacing gas, oil or LPG heat satisfies all three.
Eligibility does not guarantee award. Phase 4 was decided on Grant Carbon Cost, not first-come-first-served [Salix], so an eligible scheme above £325/tCO2e is filtered before allocation.
The evidence pack for the Salix portal
- Asset list with GIFA (gross internal floor area) per building.
- Last 12 to 24 months of fossil-fuel consumption in kWh.
- Display Energy Certificate (DEC) and any Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) [DESNZ].
- Heat-loss model and proposed measure specification from feasibility.
- Lifetime kgCO2e calculation and the Grant Carbon Cost number.
- Procurement route (CCS RM6238, Re:Fit, SCAPE, direct).
- Governance sign-off pack: trust board or LA cabinet minute.
Realistic timeline
- Pre-feasibility: 2 to 4 weeks, in-house with hub support.
- Feasibility: 6 to 10 weeks, external consultant. Funded internally now that the Low Carbon Skills Fund is closed [DESNZ].
- Application: the Salix portal window. Phase 3c closed in roughly 90 minutes [Salix].
- Decision and award: 8 to 12 weeks after close.
- Delivery deadline: Phase 4 runs to 31 March 2028 [DESNZ].
Who signs off
For an academy or MAT the trust board signs the grant offer. For an LA-maintained school the LA is the legal applicant via its capital programme team. Governing bodies ratify the bid before submission and the award after offer.
Continue: pre-feasibility, application, £325 ceiling, grant-size estimator, Salix as funder.