pscscheme.co.ukPSDS / Schools

Post-PSDS: live funding routes for schools right now

Phase 4 closed November 2024 [Salix]. DESNZ has not confirmed Phase 5 as of 22 June 2026 [DESNZ]. These are the routes that are live for schools today.

Oliver Wakefield-Smith
Founder · Digital Signet
Verified for Phase 4 / Phase 5 watch · refresh expected on Phase 5 window opening
Primary source · Salix Finance PSDS portal salixfinance.co.uk/PSDS last verified 22 Jun 2026

The live routes

DfE Renewal & Retrofit (£710m)Open
Largest school-specific allocation, announced April 2026. State-school estate. Closest replacement for a PSDS heat-pump scheme by ticket size.
[DfE]
CIF for academiesOpen
Annual DfE round. Decarbonisation eligible where it remedies a condition need. Academy-only.
[DfE]
GB Energy schools solarOpen
Publicly-owned company funding rooftop PV directly. Pulls solar out of the PSDS bundle.
[GB Energy]
Warm Homes PlanOpen
Residential-led but has public-estate touchpoints, especially for co-located residential blocks.
[DESNZ]
Re:Fit frameworkOpen
Not a fund. Procurement vehicle for ESCO-led performance contracts. Pair with capital grant or PPA.
[LGA]
Local Net Zero HubsOpen
Free regional advisory. Expanded role after LCSF closure. First port of call for pre-application help.
[DESNZ]

Closest to PSDS-equivalent for £400k–£3m

DfE Renewal & Retrofit is the closest single replacement by ticket size, but the decision route is different. PSDS scored on Grant Carbon Cost; R&R is allocated by DfE on condition need and educational impact. Schemes built for PSDS need to be re-narrated to that test.

What to do in the watch interval

  1. Pull the pre-feasibility pack now. When Phase 5 opens, the window may be 90 minutes (Phase 3c precedent [Salix]).
  2. Run the scheme through the grant-size estimator to confirm £/tCO2e under £325.
  3. Apply to DfE R&R or CIF in parallel where eligible.
  4. Watch the Phase 5 watch page.