What is a community benefit fund?
A community benefit fund is money set aside by a renewable energy company to support the local community hosting a project. Energy providers usually set up the fund once a site starts generating power. Local groups, charities, and community organisations nearby help shape how we use the fund.
The UK solar industry has a standard rate for these funds set by Solar Energy UK: £1,000 per megawatt (MW) of power a project can generate. The government refers to this figure and is actively considering making community benefit funds compulsory for solar projects. We’re part of working groups run by Solar Energy UK (SEUK) and Regen, who are helping shape this change.
How BSR's community benefit funds work
How we work out the amount
Our standard rate is £1,000 per MW of solar power a project can generate. We’ve built our approach to meet, or go beyond, the industry standard rate for community benefit funds. For communities near our sites, that means our fund isn’t optional, but a fixed part of every project we deliver.
Where other local projects have cropped up and timings align, we have been able to support in additional ways, such as installing a defibrillator funded through our North Dairy project in Mappowder Parish. That’s why we look for opportunities to support local priorities and create benefits that last beyond construction.
We also look for chances to do more where projects allow. At Mappowder Parish, for example, we funded a defibrillator through our North Dairy project, on top of the standard fund. It’s an example of how we look for ways to support local priorities and leave something that lasts well beyond construction.
Who manages the money
The way we manage funds is evolving as projects evolve. In the past, we have worked with parish councils to manage the funds. Now, we are also working with independent community foundations to manage the fund on the community’s behalf, such as the Essex Community Foundation or the Dorset Community Foundation. This means we make decisions together with a group of local people, not just one parish council, keeping them collaborative and relevant to the communities.
Knowl Green is a great example of how this works. The £50,000 fund covers seven parishes. A panel of three or four local people, plus someone from BSR, decides who gets grants. The foundation checks each application, promotes the fund to local groups, and makes sure all seven parishes get a fair share. Small local organisations come first, and national charities can apply if they’re delivering a service in the local area. People in financial hardship can also apply for a grant, after a means test. Most grants are around £7,000, though smaller amounts are available too.
Wherever a fund goes, we aim to stay involved and follow the progress of the local projects that the fund is supporting, to make sure it keeps meeting what the community needs.
How long a fund lasts
So far, our funds have been paid as a single, one-off amount, based on how much power the project generates. We’re now looking at whether future funds should be paid every year instead, considering what works best for the communities.
Who can benefit from a community benefit fund
Eligible recipients are typically community groups, local charities, voluntary organisations, and in some cases individual households in financial need – all within a defined geographic area around the project site. National charities and commercial organisations can apply to the funds if they service the local area. BSR sets the parameters for each fund; the community foundation or administering body then promotes the fund, receives applications, and makes grant decisions independently from us.
Every fund has its own rules based on what the local area needs. Common priorities include supporting community facilities, environmental and biodiversity projects, social isolation and community transport initiatives, accessible spaces, and local events. At Knowl Green, for example, the fund focuses on energy savings and community resilience projects. The community raised these key priority areas during consultations.
How to find out if there is a fund near you
Whether there’s a fund near you depends on two things: is there a BSR project in your area, and is it up and running yet?
Each fund has its own manager (sometimes a parish council, sometimes a community foundation) and its own application process. The best place to start is to find your nearest BSR project, then get in touch with the project team or the fund manager.
Where our funds are making a difference
These are the funds we’ve committed so far, across sites currently in construction. Each fund will start once the site is up and running.
| Site | Location | Fund recipient | Amount committed | Basis |
| Knowl Green Solar Park | Belchamp St Paul, Essex | Essex Community Foundation / Belchamp St Paul Energy Savings Project | £100,000 | £1,000/MWp (additional discretionary grant given)
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| North Dairy Solar Park | Dorset | Dorset Community Foundation | £62,000 | £1,000/MWp |
| World’s End Solar Park | Ham and Stone, Gloucestershire | Ham and Stone Parish Council | £50,000 | £1,000/MWp |
| Whaddon Solar Park | Wiltshire, UK | Hilperton Parish Council | £35,000 | £1,000/MW installed |
| Little Crow Solar Park | North Lincolnshire | North Lincolnshire Council | £250,000 | Basis not held by BSR |
| Preston Solar Park | Preston Candover and Nutley, Hampshire | Preston Candover and Nutley Parish Council | £40,000 | – |
| Dengie Solar Park | Essex | Essex Community Foundation | £20,000 | £1,000/MW installed, one-off |
| Town Farm Solar Park | Kelsale-cum-Carlton, Suffolk | Kelsale-cum-Carlton Parish Council | £21,000 | £1,000/MW installed |
| Coldharbour Solar Park | Ashreigney, Devon | Ashreigney Parish Council | TBC | £100/MW/annum |
MWp measures how big a project is – its maximum possible output. MWh measures how much electricity it actually generates over time. Funds can be based on either, depending on whether payments are tied to a project’s size or its output.
Knowl Green Solar Park, Belchamp St Paul, Essex
Knowl Green Solar Park is a great example of how a community benefit fund works from start to finish.
This park is a 49.99MW solar project in development near Belchamp St Paul in Essex. Braintree District Council granted planning permission in December 2024.
The fund is £100,000, which is double our standard rate, to support a local Community Energy Savings Project. We committed the first £50,000 before the site was even up and running. The funding went to Belchamp Community House, a well-loved local facility, to make it more energy-efficient with new windows and underfloor insulation in the main hall.
The Community House marked the finished work with an open day on 5 February. Clive Waite, Trustee of Belchamp Community House, said: “
We couldn’t have asked for more. The works have gone extremely well, and the halls look absolutely wonderful. And most importantly, we are lovely and warm. This is in large part thanks to the generous grant from BSR for which we are incredibly grateful.”
A further £50,000 will become available through the Essex Community Foundation once Knowl Green Solar Park is fully up and running. Local groups across all seven surrounding parishes will be able to apply.
solar park
community benefit fund
Community benefit funds and the planning process
People often ask us: is a fund conditional on getting planning permission? Does offering a fund influence the planning decision? The answer to both is no.
As standard, we commit to setting up a fund on every project once it’s operational. It’s never a response to objections to a project plan, and never a way of buying consent from the community hosting the project.
Project planning and community benefit funds are two separate things. Funds are independent of both our business interests and the planning process. Using independent community foundations to manage the money is part of how we keep it that way.
How BSR's approach compares to industry practice
Solar Energy UK sets the industry’s standard rate – £1,000 per MW of installed capacity – and planning policy discussions widely reference it. We always meet this as a minimum, and we go further where a community needs more or a project calls for it.
Community benefit funds aren’t yet a legal requirement, but the government is actively considering making them compulsory. We take an active role in working groups run by Solar Energy UK (SEUK), Energy UK, and Regen, who are helping shape that change. We build our approach to meet future standards, not just react once they arrive.
We want to support the communities where we operate beyond the industry minimum. As we grow, we keep reviewing our approach to community investment, so we can commit further and make the biggest difference we can to the communities we work in.
Our partnership with Kelsale-Cum-Carlton Parish Council, at Town Farm Solar Park in Suffolk, is one example of how our funds work in practice. Want to know if there’s a fund near you?