Electric Vehicle Chargepoint Grant for Businesses, Charities and Public Sector

About this scheme

The Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS) is a voucher-based government grant administered by OZEV and DVLA. It provides eligible organisations with support towards the upfront costs of purchasing and installing EV chargepoint sockets at their sites. The grant covers 75% of the total cost of purchase and installation (including VAT), up to £500 per socket and a maximum of 40 sockets across all sites per applicant.

The scheme is open to businesses, charities, public sector organisations and small accommodation businesses in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. It is not available in the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man. There is a separate scheme for state-funded education institutions.

What you can get

Grant rate: 75% of the total purchase and installation cost (including VAT), whichever is lower.

Maximum per socket: £500 for installations completed on or after 1 April 2026. £350 for installations completed before this date.

Maximum sockets: 40 sockets across all sites per applicant.

Maximum total grant: Up to £20,000 per applicant (40 sockets x £500).

How paid: Via voucher. The grant is deducted from your final invoice by your OZEV-authorised installer. Your installer must not charge you before they have received the grant payment.

Voucher validity: 180 days from the date of issue. Installation must be completed and the grant claimed within this period.

You may apply for subsequent vouchers for additional sockets, provided your cumulative total does not exceed 40. For example, if you initially claimed 10 sockets, you remain eligible for up to 30 more.

Eligibility

Who can apply

The WCS is open to:

Businesses (including small and medium enterprises and sole traders).
Charities.
Public sector organisations (for example, government departments, local councils, NHS bodies, the armed forces and emergency services).
Small accommodation businesses (for example, hotels, B&Bs and guest houses).

You can apply on behalf of a company, charity or public sector organisation, but it must be registered in the UK. The grant is only for existing sites — it cannot be used for buildings under construction.

Site requirements

You must own the property or have written consent from the landlord for chargepoints to be installed.
The site must have dedicated off-road parking clearly associated with the premises.
The parking must be designated for you. The rest of a shared car park may be used by others, but chargepoint bays must be yours.
You must be able to evidence that the parking is for staff or fleet use, not solely for customer use. It must be on-site or a reasonable distance from the place of work.
If you do not own the parking land, you must have permission from the landowner.
Have your site surveyed by an authorised installer before you apply.

For businesses, chargepoints may only be used by staff and fleet vehicles during working hours. You may allow local residents to use them outside of office hours. For public authorities, charities and small accommodation businesses, there is no restriction on who may use the parking. If you make chargepoints available to the public, you must comply with the Public Chargepoint Regulations 2023 and associated government guidance.

Working from home

If your primary place of work is also your home, you can apply under the WCS, provided your address is either listed as your place of business with Companies House or recorded on your business (non-domestic) rate bill from your local council or Land and Property Services (LPS). You must have off-road parking and must use an authorised installer and a chargepoint eligible for both residential and commercial use. Residential-only chargepoints will result in a declined claim.

Employers may also install chargepoints at an employee’s home for a company vehicle if the employee cannot charge at work. You will need to provide DVLA with a letter confirming the employee works for you and that you have permission to install. Use the standard WCS application portal.

Sites that are not eligible

Locations outside England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland (Channel Islands and Isle of Man are excluded).
Parking not designated to you.
Parking facilities solely for customer use.
Parking facilities that have not yet been built.
Parking that is part of a domestic property and is not your primary place of work.
Sites that have previously claimed under this scheme, the Electric Vehicles Homecharge Scheme (EVHS) or the Domestic Recharging Scheme for the same address.
Installations that were a mandatory requirement — for example, under Part S Regulations for non-residential buildings with more than 10 car parking spaces, planning conditions, or equivalent devolved regulations.

Financial assistance limit

You are allowed to receive up to £315,000 in minimal financial assistance (MFA) over 3 financial years (the current year plus the previous 2). This includes all state grants, subsidies and government-funded financial incentives. Public authorities are exempt from this MFA declaration requirement during the application process.

Evidence required to apply

You must provide one of the following:

Companies House company registration number.
VAT registration number.
A business rate (non-domestic) bill issued by your local council or Land and Property Services (LPS).

Charities, NHS surgeries and schools without the above documents can upload alternative evidence:

Charities: a copy of their Charity Commission registration or a letter from a principal regulator.
NHS surgeries: a PDF showing the name and address of the surgery from the relevant NHS portal. The applicant must use an NHS email domain (@nhs.net, @nhs.scot or @hscni.net) and the installation address must match the registered address.
Schools and colleges: a PDF showing the establishment details from the appropriate national register (Get Information about Schools for England/Wales; Department of Education Institution Search for Northern Ireland; Parent Zone for Scotland). The applicant’s email domain must match the school’s.

If none of these documents can be provided, a voucher will not be issued. Contact workplacechargingscheme@dvla.gov.uk if unsure.

How to apply

The WCS continues to use the existing OZEV application portal. This process has not changed as part of the April 2026 updates.

Before you apply

Confirm your organisation and site meet the eligibility criteria above.
Arrange a site survey with an OZEV-authorised installer. They will confirm whether your site’s electrical capacity supports the number of sockets you want and advise on the most suitable chargepoint models.
Choose an eligible chargepoint model from the OZEV authorised list: gov.uk/government/publications/authorised-chargepoint-model-list
Find an OZEV-authorised installer: gov.uk/electric-vehicle-chargepoint-installers

How to apply

Complete the online WCS application form at: apply-workplace-chargepoint-grant.service.gov.uk. You will need your organisation details, site address(es), number of sockets required and your evidence documentation.
If successful, you will be emailed a voucher code within 5 working days. The email will also confirm your contact details, installation site(s), expiry date and the number of sockets and sites the voucher covers.
Share the voucher code with your chosen OZEV-authorised installer. Do not proceed with any installation until the voucher has been issued — installations made before voucher approval are not eligible.
Your installer carries out the installation within 180 days of the voucher issue date. All chargepoints must be installed and claims submitted within this window.
Your installer submits the claim on your behalf. They will provide OZEV with chargepoint details, photographs of the installation and a copy of your invoice.
The grant is paid directly to your installer. They deduct the amount from your final invoice. Your invoice will show the total cost minus the grant.

If your application is unsuccessful

You may appeal by emailing DVLA at workplacechargingscheme@dvla.gov.uk. Your case will be reviewed by a manager, and the outcome of the appeal is final.

Managing your voucher

Changing circumstances

If your circumstances change after you apply (for example a change of site or ownership), contact your installer immediately. We will advise whether you remain eligible. You may need to reapply with updated details. If you proceed with an installation that has been invalidated by a change of circumstances, OZEV reserves the right to reclaim the grant.

Installation cannot be completed within 180 days

Email workplacechargingscheme@dvla.gov.uk to withdraw your current voucher and reapply for a new one. Vouchers are non-transferable. If some chargepoints have been completed by the expiry date but others have not, your installer should claim the completed ones and you should reapply for a new voucher for the remainder. Installations completed before the new voucher is issued will not be eligible.

Changing the installation site

You cannot change the site once a voucher has been issued. If you wish to install at a different site, email workplacechargingscheme@dvla.gov.uk to withdraw your current voucher and reapply for a new one at the new address. Vouchers are non-transferable.

Moving or decommissioning chargepoints

You may move a chargepoint but OZEV will not contribute to the cost. If a chargepoint is removed or taken out of commission within 3 years of installation, you must notify DVLA by emailing workplacechargingscheme@dvla.gov.uk and provide a brief explanation. This may result in the grant being reclaimed.

After installation — fire safety and maintenance

You must comply with fire safety responsibilities under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Property managers and owners must assess potential fire risks and put in place adequate and proportionate fire protection measures, updating these when EV chargepoints are installed. Government fire safety guidance for covered car parks is available at: gov.uk/government/publications/covered-car-parks-fire-safety-guidance-for-electric-vehicles

You should also arrange regular maintenance checks of installed chargepoints and decide how electricity and running costs will be managed and charged.

Tax benefits

Employers providing workplace EV charging facilities to employees will not be taxed on the cost of electricity, provided certain conditions are met. See HMRC’s Employment Income Manual for details.

Businesses can also claim 100% of the costs of installing an EV chargepoint as a capital allowance in the year of installation. Some expenditure may additionally qualify for the super deduction, equating to a 130% enhanced deduction of the total cost. Combined with the WCS grant, these reliefs can significantly reduce the net cost of installation.

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