RELATED: How much EV charging grant can a school get?
Education Scheme vs Standard Scheme
| Education WCS | Standard WCS | |
|---|---|---|
| Who | State funded schools, academies, colleges, nurseries | Businesses, charities, universities, independent schools |
| Rate | 75% up to £2,000 per socket | 75% up to £500 per socket |
| Cap | 40 sockets per institution | 40 sockets across all sites |
| Runs until | 31 March 2027 | 31 March 2027 |
| Applies via | Find a Grant, institution reference number | Find a Grant |
The £2,000 rate exists because schools were slow adopters with strong potential: big car parks, daytime dwell times that suit 7kW charging, and sites that can serve their communities out of hours. The government’s own count reached 1,407 grant funded sockets at UK schools and colleges by early 2025.
How the Scheme Works in Practice
The order of operations matters. First a site survey with an OZEV authorised installer, the scheme requires it before you apply. Then the school submits the application through Find a Grant using its institution reference number and a school domain email address. Approval issues vouchers, the installation happens, and the installer redeems the vouchers so the school only ever pays the after grant balance.
We run this process for schools as a standard service. The survey is free, the paperwork is ours, and the business manager signs rather than administers.
RELATED: How does a school apply for the EV charging grant?
The Dates That Matter
The rate dropped from £2,500 to £2,000 per socket on 1 April 2026, and schools that applied before that date keep the old rate only if vouchers are redeemed by 30 September 2026. The whole scheme closes on 31 March 2027, and recent grant history says do not bet on extensions. A school starting the process this term has comfortable time. A school starting next summer is cutting it fine.
