£60 million to the Innovation Fund to support the delivery of innovative low carbon energy infrastructure projects: FOI release

You asked for information on the £60 million funding to accelerate innovation in new technologies, including low carbon and digital projects. Specifically: 

• How much has been paid out by 31 October 2018;
• A breakdown of type of projects supported; and
• A breakdown of allocation of funding by Local Authority area.

The Scottish Government has committed £60 million to the Innovation Fund to support the delivery of innovative low carbon energy infrastructure projects. The Low Carbon Innovation Funding Invitation is being delivered through the existing Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme (LCITP). 

The Fund is designed to accelerate the delivery of large scale innovative low carbon infrastructure projects that support the ambitions set out within the recently published Scottish Energy Strategy. The full details are publicly available at http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Business-Industry/Energy/Action/lowcarbon/LCITP.

The open and competitive call for projects was launched by Scottish Ministers on 21 January 2018, with a closing date for applications of 30 April 2018. Two stages of support were offered to projects:

1. Development support of up to £100,000 per project to produce investment grade business cases;
2. Capital support of up to 50% of capital costs with maximum of £10 million per project.

72 applications were received, with 41 projects seeking Development support and 31 projects seeking Capital support. 

Offers of support for Development stage projects have been agreed with 14 projects and an announcement of successful projects is imminent.

Capital stage projects submitted more detailed applications, which were further assessed at an evaluation panel during September 2018. Successful projects are now undergoing an independent due diligence process.  Information relating to projects that will be supported are scheduled to be made publicly available in December 2018.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested because an exemption under section s.27(1) (Information intended for future publication) of FOISA applies to that information. The reasons why that exemption applies are explained below.

Reasons for not providing information 

An exemption applies.

An exemption under section s.27(1) (Information intended for future publication) of FOISA applies to the following information you have requested;

• How much has been paid out by 31 October 2018,
• A breakdown of type of projects supported, and
• A breakdown of allocation of funding by Local Authority area.

This exemption is not subject to the ‘public interest test’, so we are not required to consider if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption.