Grants awarded for Biomass heating systems: EIR release

Information requested

“I would like to request information relating to Scottish Government grants made for biomass heating between 01/01/2020 and today. In particular I would like to know financial amounts as well as the reason for the grants”.

Response

As the information you have requested is ‘environmental information’ for the purposes of the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (EIRs), we are required to deal with your request under these Regulations. We are applying the exemption at section 39(2) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA), so that we do not also have to deal with your request under FOISA.

An exception under regulation 10 (5) (e) of the EIRs (substantial prejudice to confidentiality of commercial information) applies to some of the information you have requested. This exception applies because disclosure of this particular information would, or would likely to, prejudice substantially the confidentiality of commercial information provided by the managing agent of the Warmer Homes Scotland Scheme, Warmworks and thus cause substantial harm to their commercial interests. Disclosing this information would be likely to give competitors an advantage in future similar tendering exercises, which would substantially prejudice the suppliers ability to submit competitive tenders and so could significantly harm their commercial business.

This exemption is subject to the ‘public interest test’. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exception. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exception. We recognise that there is a public interest in disclosing information as part of open and transparent government, and to help account for the expenditure of public money. However, there is a greater public interest in protecting the commercial interests of companies which enter into Scottish Government contracts, to ensure that we are always able to obtain the best value for public money.

Please find below some of the information you have requested:

Funding between 01/01/2020 and 12/01/2023 for biomass heating systems was made through a number of Scottish Government schemes, namely:

Scheme	Description	Total Value of Grants Awarded
Home Energy Scotland Loan and Cashback Scheme	Offers loan and grant support to domestic owner occupiers to install energy efficiency and renewables improvements	£778,435
SME Loan and Cashback Scheme	Offers interest free loans to non-domestic organisations to install energy efficiency and renewables improvements	£49,759
Warmer Homes Scotland Scheme	Offers grant funded installation of energy efficiency and heating measures, targeted at households in or at risk of fuel poverty.	Exempt under Section 10 (5) (e) of the EIRs
Community and Renewables Energy Scheme (CARES)	Work with Local Energy Scotland consortium to encourage the local and community ownership of renewable energy across Scotland.	£50,462
Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund	Supports the decarbonisation of social housing in Scotland and is designed to speed the rollout of energy efficient, low carbon heat provision across social housing	£171,339

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.