SME Loan Scheme

November 9, 2021

Scottish Government funding to help you pay for your energy efficiency projects


Loans up to £100k are available to help you pay for energy and carbon-saving upgrades in your business. You could also receive a cashback grant of up to £20k.

What can it be used for?

An SME loan can be used to finance the installation of energy efficient systems, equipment or building fabric, including:

  • heating, ventilation, and air conditioning upgrades.
  • renewable heat technologies such as installing an air source heat pump.
  • improving insulation, draught-proofing, double or secondary glazing,
  • installing LED lighting.
  • installing solar panels, wind turbines and wood-burning stoves.

Am I eligible?

The loan is available to Scottish businesses that fall within the EU definition of small and medium-sized enterprise (SME), not-for-profit organisations, and charities.

Will I get a cashback grant?

If you are an SME and installing eligible equipment, you could receive a cashback grant of up to £20,000 for your business.

  • 30% of eligible costs up to a maximum of £10,000 can be claimed for energy efficiency measures.
  • 75% of eligible costs up to a maximum of £10,000 can also be claimed for a range of renewable heat measures (heat pumps, biomass boilers and solar thermal).

Look who is already saving

The SME Loan Scheme has already provided Scottish businesses with over £26 million in loans for more than 950 projects.

Check out our case studies to see who is already benefitting.

“The loan was critical in allowing us to go ahead and install our biomass boiler. The support that we received from Zero Waste Scotland was excellent and made the entire process from application to installation extremely straightforward.”  Sine Davis, West Highland Hotel

I have some questions

For further information and answers to FAQs, click here.

How do I apply?

If you have already had an energy efficiency assessment and it details the project you would like funding for in the recommendations, great news, you are ready to start your application. Please fill in the form below to access the SME Loan Scheme application form.

If your business hasn’t had a free energy efficiency assessment yet, you can arrange yours here.

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