The UK government's grant for fleet depot chargers is expected to open for a second round on Wednesday, 28 October 2026. The pot is set. The terms are not. According to the scheme's GOV.UK Find a grant listing, the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) expects the Depot Charging Scheme (DCS) window 2 to run from 28 October 2026 to 29 January 2027, with £38 million for projects delivered in the 2027/28 financial year. As of 27 October 2026, the grant rate and terms for this window have not been confirmed, and the listing says rates will fall over the life of the programme.
Fleet operators working out whether to apply now, or to wait for clearer terms, have a dated timeline but no grant percentage yet. This explainer sets out what the sources confirm and what is still open.
The Numbers at a Glance
- Programme size: £170M over several years, April 2026 to 2030 (GOV.UK Find a grant).
- Committed so far: £66M across the first two windows: £28M for window 1 (2026/27) and £38M for window 2 (2027/28).
- Reserved for later: £104M for windows in 2028/29 and 2029/30, terms to be confirmed, according to charger maker Zaptec's scheme guide. That figure equals the £170M total minus the £66M committed.
- Window 2 dates (expected): opens 28 Oct 2026, closes 29 Jan 2027. Projects can start from April 2027 and must be delivered by 31 March 2028.
- Window 2 grant rate: not confirmed. The listing says grant rates will reduce over the lifetime of the programme.
What Window 1 Offered
The first window gives the clearest reference point for what window 2 will be measured against. Per the GOV.UK listing, it ran from 25 March to 30 June 2026 and covered 70% of charge point and civil works costs, capped at £1M across all of an organisation's sites. There was no limit on the number of sites, but each organisation could submit one application, and funded works must be finished by 31 March 2027. Applications were assessed on a first-come-first-served basis.
The scheme was launched as part of a wider package. In a 25 March 2026 press release, the Department for Transport and OZEV announced a £1 billion package for commercial vehicles. It included a Zero Emission Truck grant covering up to 40% of cost, worth up to £81,000 off the heaviest zero-emission trucks; a van grant of up to £5,000; and the Depot Charging Scheme, which the release said would let businesses and public authorities save up to £1M installing chargers for vans, coaches and HGVs.
Window 2 has £10M more to award than window 1 (£38M against £28M). The listing also says grant rates will reduce as charging infrastructure becomes more affordable. It does not say how the larger pot will be divided between projects or how large each award will be.
Who Is Eligible
The GOV.UK listing sets out the eligibility conditions. Applicants must be registered and operating in the UK, with the organisation and its vehicle fleet operating in the UK for at least one year at the time of application. They must own or lease one or more UK depots, and their fleet must include, or will in future include, at least one battery-electric van, HGV or coach. The scheme pays for infrastructure only. Grants for buying vehicles are handled separately through the Zero Emission Van and Truck Grant.
What It Pays For, and What It Does Not
Zaptec's guide sets out the eligible cost categories:
- Covered: chargepoint hardware, civil works, in-depot electrical infrastructure, integrated battery storage and dedicated solar PV.
- Not covered: grid connection upgrades and public charging.
The grid exclusion may be the condition that rules out the most applicants. According to Zaptec, applicants must show they already have enough grid capacity, through a signed connection agreement, a letter from the distribution network operator (DNO), or an accepted connection offer. A depot that needs a new or upgraded connection before it can support heavy-vehicle charging needs that evidence before it applies. Zaptec describes confirming grid capacity as the longest-lead-time item, so operators without it in place may find the window 2 deadline hard to meet.
Grant eligibility is a funding question only. It does not change any requirements that apply to how a depot's electrical work is specified and carried out.
The Unanswered Questions
What is the grant rate? Unknown as of 27 October. The GOV.UK listing says terms and grant rates for window 2 have not yet been confirmed and that rates will reduce over the programme. Zaptec's guide says the same. Neither source gives a number, so any figure below 70% is speculation until OZEV publishes it.
Will the £1M cap and one-application rule stay? Neither the listing nor Zaptec's guide confirms whether window 2 keeps the window 1 per-organisation cap or the single-application limit as it was set for window 1.
Is the opening date fixed? The listing describes 28 October as the date the window is "expected" to open, and says further information will be published in due course. Its page header still shows a closing date of 27 October 2026 and says the scheme is not currently open to applications, which differs from the 28 October opening described in its summary. Applicants should check the live listing on opening day.
How much funding is there? The GOV.UK listing and Zaptec's guide both put window 2 at £38M, to be spent in 2027/28.
Timeline for a Window 2 Project
- Before applying: secure evidence of grid capacity (a connection agreement, DNO letter or accepted offer), per Zaptec.
- 28 Oct 2026 to 29 Jan 2027: application window (expected).
- From April 2027: funded projects may begin.
- By 31 March 2028: projects must be delivered.
Window 1 projects are on a separate schedule and must be completed by 31 March 2027.
What It Means for Drivers
The Depot Charging Scheme funds private chargers at fleet depots, not public chargepoints. Zaptec's guide states that public charging is not eligible. Drivers of private cars will not see new public chargers as a direct result of this round.
The people most affected are drivers of battery-electric vans, HGVs and coaches based at depots run by eligible UK fleets. Where an operator wins window 2 funding, the sources indicate that new depot charging would be installed between April 2027 and 31 March 2028. Projects funded in window 1 are due to be finished by 31 March 2027. Any rollout depends on each operator applying, being approved and completing the works on time. The sources read for this article do not name which operators have received funding in either window.
For fleets, the practical change is a second chance to apply, with known dates and a known funding pot, but a grant rate that will not be known until OZEV publishes the window 2 terms.
