Applications close soon for 3rd round funding from Scotland’s e-Bike grant fund
The application deadlines to apply for the third round of Scotland’s e-Bike Grant Fund 2019/20 are closing soon.
Announced in May, Transport Scotland has made £1.14 million available for round three of the e-Bike Grant Fund this year, a scheme founded to support the adoption of e-Bikes and e-Cargo bike as an alternative to car journeys.
The grant covers the purchase of e-Bikes, e-Cargo bikes, adapted bikes and associated safety equipment.
Public and third sector organisations based in Scotland are invited to apply for grant funding to help the delivery of e-Bike and e-Cargo bike pools, public hire and loan schemes, including local authorities, public sector agencies, further and higher education institutions, active travel hubs and community groups.
The fund is split into two; Category A Fund, and Category B Fund.
Category A is for applications from community groups, third sector, and public sector organisations looking for up to £25,000 per application towards projects that will provide opportunities to trial e-Bikes.
The deadline closes tomorrow, 29th November 2019.
Meanwhile, Category B is again aimed at the groups above, with the addition of local authorities, who wish to use the fund to provide large scale fleets of pool bikes, bikeshare and hire schemes, and promote large-scale uptake of e-Bikes as an alternative to cars and vans. Applicants can apply for up to £200,000 of funding towards their project.
The deadline closes 9th December 2019.
Guidance and information for round three applicants can be found here. Request an application form by emailing eBikeGrantsScot@est.org.uk or calling 0131 555 8642.
While Scotland is leading the UK in funding electric bike take-up, other parts of the UK seem to be falling behind. Not least is Northern Ireland, which after the collapse of the province’s power-sharing government in January 2017, saw legislation classifying e-Bikes as mopeds fail to be repealed or replaced; e-Bikes are classed as mopeds and thus their owners are subject to insurance, road tax, gaining a licence and MOTs.
There are other schemes underway to promote active travel, such as the Department for Transport making almost £1 million (£960,000) available for entrepreneurs and innovators pioneering new ways of creating a better transport system, and its £2 million e-Cargo bike fund.
However, cycling advocates believe there is still a long way to go before we start seeing the e-Bike take-off present in ‘cycling countries’ such as the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark. Listen to former Olympian Chris Boardman, Ruth Cadbury MP, London’s Cycling and Walking Commissioner Will Norman and Brompton boss Will Butler-Adams talking all things cycling advocacy on the CI.N Podcast. Can catch up on the latest episodes here.
