With the first application window for the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS) opening on 1 October 2026, manufacturers that think they may qualify should be preparing now.
BICS could significantly reduce electricity costs for eligible manufacturing businesses from April 2027. But accessing that support will require businesses to demonstrate that they meet the scheme criteria and the first application window is open for just two months, closing on 30 November 2026.
What should manufacturers be doing now?
Before applications open, there are some important areas to get in order.
Businesses should check whether their activities and manufactured products fall within the eligible categories, including reviewing relevant SIC and product codes.
They should also start gathering the site and energy information that may be needed to support an application, including:
- Companies House details
- MPANs and electricity supply information
- Site-level electricity consumption
- Electricity attributable to eligible manufacturing activity
- Metering and half-hourly consumption data
- Current treatment of Renewables Obligation, Feed-in Tariffs and Capacity Market costs
- Details of any existing energy support arrangements
For manufacturers operating across several locations, mixed-use premises or shared electricity supplies, this could take time. Establishing how much electricity is being used for qualifying manufacturing activity at each site will be particularly important.
Don’t wait until October
The application itself is only one part of the process. Businesses first need to understand whether they are likely to qualify and make sure they can evidence their position.
Leaving this work until applications open could create unnecessary pressure on energy, finance, operations and procurement teams, particularly where information needs to be brought together from several sites or suppliers.
Core can help you prepare
If you’re unsure where to start, Core Facility Services can help you prepare for BICS.
Our Energy team can work with you to review your current electricity arrangements, identify relevant sites and supplies, examine consumption and billing data and help you understand what information you may need ahead of an application.
With potential savings of around 3.5p to 4p per kWh for eligible electricity, preparing properly could have a significant financial impact.
Applications open on 1 October. Now is the time to get BICS-ready.
Speak to the Core Energy team on 01422 880180 to start reviewing your position.
