Mcs Charitable Foundation

Charity Number: 1165752

Annual Expenditure: £6.5M
Throughout England And Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland

Contact Info

Website: www.mcscharitablefoundation.org / mcsfoundation.org.uk

Phone: 07780545580

Email: info@mcscharitablefoundation.org

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £300,000 (2025 grant round)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available
  • Decision Time: 4-6 weeks after deadline
  • Grant Range: £5,000 - £50,000 (occasionally up to £100,000)
  • Geographic Focus: UK-wide
  • Total Assets: £8,036,173 (as of 31 December 2023)

Contact Details

Website: www.mcscharitablefoundation.org / mcsfoundation.org.uk

Email: info@mcscharitablefoundation.org

Phone: 07780545580

Address: First Floor Violet 3, Sci-Tech Daresbury, Keckwick Lane, Warrington, Cheshire WA4 4AB

Overview

The MCS Charitable Foundation was registered on 25 February 2016 (charity number 1165752) with the mission to advance education and environmental protection by educating the public about renewable energy and low carbon technologies. The Foundation's vision is to make every UK home carbon-free. With assets of over £8 million, the Foundation has awarded grants totalling over £3 million to support the scaling up of retrofitting and research into positive solutions. Chair Fabio Nehme describes it as “one of the leading voices in the UK in efforts to decarbonise homes, delivering a unique combination of intellectual and technical capital, financial resources and mobilisation capabilities to inform policy-making, ensure quality standards, and drive large-scale innovation.” The Foundation operates major programmes including the Local Area Retrofit Accelerator (LARA) in partnership with Ashden, Connected Places Catapult, the National Retrofit Hub, and UK Green Buildings Council.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Main Grants Programme

  • Amount: £5,000 - £50,000 (occasionally up to £100,000 for exceptional projects)
  • 2025 Total Fund: £300,000 (expected to fund approximately 6 grants)
  • Application Method: Two-stage process via online enquiry form, then full application if criteria met
  • Schedule: Annual main grant call (2025 call now closed)

Focus Areas for 2025 Round:

  • Retrofit in Action: Projects demonstrating or experimenting with methodologies in the real world and actively evaluating results
  • Retrofit Research: Research projects investigating particular issues to better inform future retrofit work

Low Carbon Heating Technician Apprenticeship (LCHTA) Grant Scheme

  • Supporting development of the UK's first dedicated heat pump apprenticeship

Priority Areas

Primary Focus: Specific time-bound projects that accelerate the adoption of renewable energy and low carbon technologies with particular emphasis on scaling up whole house retrofit delivery.

Funding Themes:

  • Business case development and implementation of whole house retrofit schemes
  • Whole house retrofit supply chain development
  • Skills development and Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
  • Community engagement
  • Education and training in renewable energy technologies
  • Standards and safety initiatives
  • Research and consumer information
  • Community capacity building

Project Requirements:

  • Must have UK-wide impact through national reach OR demonstrate an innovative approach that could be replicated, adapted, or scaled up
  • Should be time-bound projects with clear objectives

Eligible Costs: Direct project costs including staffing, venue hire for events, focus group expenses, grants to homeowners, or project-specific equipment.

What They Don't Fund

Specific exclusions are not explicitly detailed on public sources, but projects must align with renewable energy and low carbon technology adoption. While matched funding is not essential, it is encouraged and the Foundation is likely to prioritise applications with confirmed matched funding in place.

Governance and Leadership

Trustees

  • Fabio Nehme - Chair
  • Karen Shearer - Vice Chair
  • Rebecca Ritchie - Head of Sustainability at Clarion Housing Group, brings experience in decarbonising homes and expertise in strategic leadership and community engagement for net zero
  • David Pinder - Former CEO of Baxi Heating UK, holds senior leadership roles in heating and net zero buildings sector
  • Matthew Billson - Former senior civil servant with over 20 years' experience in central government, managed major £600m capital expenditure portfolio of net zero innovation projects
  • Sarah Gosling - Experienced charity governance specialist
  • Professor Mary E Black

Executive Team

  • Dr Garry Felgate - CEO (appointed 2024): “It is an enormous honour to be joining The MCS Foundation, an organisation that excels in evidence-based research, ambitious policy work, and action-oriented programmes to drive change. More households than ever before are installing renewable energy in the UK, but we know we need to accelerate installations to meet climate goals.”
  • David Cowdrey - Director of External Affairs: "17% of the UK's total carbon emissions comes from heating our homes, so measures to support energy efficiency and the manufacture and installation of heat pumps are very welcome."
  • Éilis O'Connell - Communications and Marketing Director
  • Brian Wright - Group Finance Director
  • Alastair Mumford - Programme Director
  • Dr Richard Hauxwell-Baldwin - Head of Research, Policy and Campaigns
  • Sarah Howard - Head of People and Culture
  • Lisa Overett - Executive Assistant

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Two-Stage Process:

  1. Stage One - Enquiry Form: Complete an online enquiry form available on the MCS Foundation website summarising what you are seeking to achieve and how this fits with their funding criteria. This can be submitted at any time.
  1. Stage Two - Full Application: If your enquiry meets the Foundation's funding criteria, you will be contacted and sent a full application form.

Eligibility: Applications may be submitted from public organisations, not-for-profit companies, social enterprises, and registered charities.

Decision Timeline

Applications are reviewed by the Foundation, and decisions are made by the Board of Trustees approximately 4-6 weeks following the application deadline.

Success Rates

Success rates are not publicly available. However, for the 2025 main grant call with a total funding pot of £300,000, the Foundation expected to fund around 6 grants if the maximum amount of funding was requested.

Reapplication Policy

Specific reapplication policies are not detailed in public sources. The Foundation's privacy policy states that for unsuccessful grant applicants, personal data will be retained for a period of one year following notification of the unsuccessful application. For specific guidance on reapplication, applicants should contact the Foundation directly.

Application Success Factors

Key Success Factors

Demonstrate UK-Wide Impact: Projects should either have national reach or demonstrate an innovative approach that could be replicated, adapted, or scaled up elsewhere.

Focus on Retrofit and Decarbonisation: The Foundation has a specific focus on whole house retrofit as a pathway to making UK homes carbon-free. Projects that address the UK's ambitious target of retrofitting one house every two minutes for the next thirty years are particularly relevant.

Evidence-Based Approach: The Foundation values projects that actively evaluate results and contribute to the evidence base for retrofit and renewable energy adoption.

Matched Funding: While not essential, confirmed matched funding strengthens applications and is likely to be prioritised.

Financial Stability: Applicants should showcase financial stability, tax-exempt status (where applicable), and successfully pass conflict checks.

Strategic Alignment: Applications should align with the Foundation's emphasis on “evidence-based research, ambitious policy work, and action-oriented programmes to drive change.”

Example Projects

The Foundation's first Impact Report (April 2020 - March 2022) highlighted funded projects including:

  • Zero-carbon parish planning
  • Accelerating local authority climate response
  • Achieving zero-carbon in new builds
  • Research on the value of solar to a home
  • Helping churches achieve net zero
  • Supporting community energy revolution

The LARA (Local Area Retrofit Accelerator) programme represents a flagship initiative piloting in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Liverpool City Region, and Surrey, working with local authorities and stakeholders to create tailored retrofit strategies.

Language and Terminology

The Foundation uses terms such as:

  • “Whole house retrofit”
  • “Low carbon technologies”
  • “Renewable energy adoption”
  • “Area-based retrofit”
  • “Net zero”
  • “Decarbonisation”
  • “Evidence-based”
  • “Action-oriented”
  • “Scale-up delivery”

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Emphasise scalability and replicability: Even smaller projects should demonstrate how learnings could be applied more widely across the UK.
  • Align with whole house retrofit priorities: Projects focusing on comprehensive home decarbonisation rather than single measures are strongly aligned with current strategic priorities.
  • Secure matched funding where possible: While not mandatory, confirmed co-funding significantly strengthens applications.
  • Use the two-stage process strategically: The enquiry form is your first impression—use it to clearly articulate fit with their mission and demonstrate understanding of their priorities.
  • Demonstrate evaluation mechanisms: The Foundation values projects that actively measure and evaluate results to contribute to the evidence base.
  • Understand the wider context: Reference the Foundation's work on LARA, policy advocacy, and standards to show you understand their comprehensive approach to the sector.
  • Be specific about UK-wide impact: Clearly articulate either your national reach OR how your innovative approach could be scaled or replicated.

Similar Funders

These funders frequently fund the same charities:

References