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Heat Network Efficiency Scheme (HNES)

The Heat Network Efficiency Scheme (HNES) is a grant that part-funds improvements to existing district or communal heating systems for organisations that run them in England and Wales. This scheme has closed.

Run by Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Talan (Delivery Partner)

Checked against the official page (hnes.uk) on 5 Oct 2026.

This scheme has closed

It closed on 9 October 2026. It stays here in case it reopens; check with the organisation for future rounds. We do not know where it was open, so these are for the whole North.

Grants for improvements to existing district or communal heating projects in England and Wales that are operating sub-optimally. Revenue grants fund Optimisation Studies; capital grants part-fund installation of improvement measures.

Status and deadline

Status

Closed

Confirmed on the official page

Deadline

Closed 9 October 2026

As stated: Round 13 closes on 9 October 2026; the deadline to request an application place was 25 September 2026.

Checked by a person

How much

Capital grants: up to (but not including) 50% of eligible project costs. Revenue (Optimisation Study) grants: up to 100% of eligible project costs, within the budget range in the guidance.

Whole fund: £75,000,000, shared between applicants

You put in: Capital grants need the applicant to fund the remaining share of eligible costs (up to 50% is paid by the scheme).

Not confirmed on the official page

Who can apply

Applicants must be responsible for operating or managing existing district heat networks or communal heating systems in England and Wales. This includes public sector organisations, private sector registered companies, and third sector registered organisations. Individuals cannot apply.

Confirmed on the official page

Business size

Not stated

How to apply

Email an expression of interest to hnes@talan.com; once it is reviewed you get access to the HNES online portal to apply.

Checked by a person

Where it is open: England and Wales

England, Wales

Confirmed on the official page

HartlepoolMiddlesbroughRedcar and ClevelandStockton-on-TeesDarlingtonHaltonWarringtonBlackburn with DarwenBlackpoolKingston upon Hull, City ofEast Riding of YorkshireNorth East LincolnshireNorth LincolnshireYorkCounty DurhamCheshire EastCheshire West and ChesterNorthumberlandCumberlandWestmorland and FurnessNorth YorkshireBurnleyChorleyFyldeHyndburnLancasterPendlePrestonRibble ValleyRossendaleSouth RibbleWest LancashireWyreBoltonBuryManchesterOldhamRochdaleSalfordStockportTamesideTraffordWiganKnowsleyLiverpoolSt. HelensSeftonWirralDoncasterRotherhamNewcastle upon TyneNorth TynesideSouth TynesideSunderlandBradfordCalderdaleKirkleesLeedsWakefieldGatesheadBarnsleySheffield

Open across England and Wales, so every council area in the North of England is shaded.

Drawn from the areas the funder names. If a scheme is only for part of a council area, check its own page. Boundaries from the Office for National Statistics.

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Related open schemes

Everything open across the North

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About Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Source and last checked

Local Landscape gathers this information automatically from the pages below, then checks the key details against the official page. Checked against the official page (hnes.uk) on 5 Oct 2026. Its details last changed on 13 Oct 2026. A person last checked it on 4 Oct 2026, so confirm the details with Department for Energy Security and Net Zero before you apply.

Run this scheme? Claim Department for Energy Security and Net Zero's page to keep it right.