Local electric vehicle infrastructure fund

The LEVI Capital fund aims to: 

• deliver a step-change in the deployment of local, primarily low power, on-street charging infrastructure across England 

• accelerate the commercialisation of, and investment in, the local charging infrastructure sector 

For local authorities to access their indicative funding, they must follow a three-stage process:   

There are three stages to the LEVI Capital fund application process: 

• Stage one: expression of interest 

• Stage two: application form, criteria compliance and tender document review  
• Stage three: contract review  

You can find more information on the process in the LEVI Capital Fund information pack, including the full assessment criteria. 

Local authorities can access the LEVI Knowledge Repository which contains information and advice on planning and delivering EV infrastructure.

Stage one – expression of interest  

Local authorities must show evidence of how they plan to use their LEVI capital funding by completing an expression of interest (EOI) form. All local authorities will need to submit their EOI by 26 May 2023. 

During the EOI stage, local authorities will be asked if they’d like to receive their capital funding in either the 2023/2024 financial year (referred to as tranche one during the application process) or the 2024/2025 financial year (tranche two).  

Local authorities should indicate their preferred tranche based on how prepared they are to submit a full LEVI Capital fund application and receive funding. 

The LEVI Support Body will assess the EOIs and determine which tranche the local authority will progress in.  The Support Body will notify local authorities of their tranche, and then help local authorities with the next stage of their application.   

London boroughs should consider collaboration principles when completing the EOI form.

• Access and complete the LEVI Expression of Interest form.
• You can also download the EOI questions for reference. 

Stage two – application form, criteria compliance and tender document review 

Local authorities that have been assigned a tranche will be given access to the stage two application form. The application form will ask local authorities to produce a draft tender document for review. Applications must satisfy the scope and conditions of the LEVI fund, as set out in pages 15 to 19 of the LEVI Capital Fund information pack.

We have developed a concession contract Heads of Terms for local authorities seeking to deploy electric vehicle infrastructure. This provides best practice guidance on the key contractual and commercial terms that local authorities will need to consider for a contract. We advise local authorities to use these Heads of Terms, however it is not mandatory to do so.

The deadline for stage two applications for 2023/2024 funding (tranche one) is 30 November 2023. The application deadline for 2024/2025 funding (tranche two) will be announced shortly. Local authorities in both tranche one and tranche two will receive ongoing support from the Support Body to develop the stage two application form, and will be encouraged to complete their applications ahead of final deadlines.   

Once the stage two application form has been approved, 90% of funding will be released and the local authority can open procurement for a provider(s). The final 10% of funding will be delivered following stage three of the application process (see below). 

• You can download the questions for stage two here.

Stage three – contract review 

Local authorities that have completed stages one and two will submit their draft EV infrastructure contract to the Support Body for review and approval. This will be assessed to determine whether the commercial arrangement between local authorities and private sector partners meet the fund criteria. The deadline for stage three applications for 2023/2024 funding (tranche one) is September 2024. 

Once the criteria have been met, the Support Body will give local authorities approval to sign their contract. Following this stage, the final 10% of funding will be paid to the local authority.  

The LEVI Capability fund is available to tier 1 local authorities in England. The Capability fund aims to: 

• increase the capacity and capability of every tier 1 local authority to plan and deliver EV infrastructure
• enable every tier 1 local authority to have a published EV infrastructure strategy for its area
• enable every tier 1 local authority to take advantage of the LEVI capital fund

On 21 February 2023, government launched the FY 22/23 Capability fund. The Department for Transport contacted tier 1 local authorities to notify them of their Capability Fund allocation, and authorities would have completed and submitted a proforma to the LEVI Support Body by 10 March 2023 to have received their FY22/23 payment. 

On 30 March 2023, further capability funding was announced for FYs 23/24 and 24/25. Local authorities were informed of their funding allocation and are being invited to submit updated proforma then grant documentation to the LEVI Support Body. Information on when 23/24 payments will be made will also be provided. 

Local authorities can access the proforma document here.

Completed proformas will need to be emailed to the LEVI Support Body at LEVI@est.org.uk by 11:55pm on 26 May 2023. 

More information can be found in the LEVI Capability Fund information pack. 

Funding has been made available to county councils, unitary authorities and combined authorities, where applicable. Combined authorities will be allocated and issued funding on behalf of authorities in their region. 

There is a bespoke approach for London that involves Transport for London and London councils. 

See the allocation values here. 

Cenex delivers the National EV Insight & Strategy (NEVIS) tool. NEVIS supplies reliable, independent, up-to-date information about EVs and EV infrastructure both locally and nationally.  

As part of Cenex’s LEVI Support Body role, NEVIS is available to all English local authorities free of charge until March 2025. Applicable local authority officers and members can access NEVIS using their work email address. Other similar software tools are available and use of NEVIS is not compulsory.  

Create a free account to access NEVIS

The LEVI Support Body (Energy Saving Trust, Cenex and PA Consulting) will provide ongoing support and guidance to all applicants. The support body is the first point of contact for any queries or questions about the LEVI scheme. 

• Energy Saving Trust is an independent organisation dedicated to promoting energy efficiency, low carbon transport and sustainable energy use. We aim to address the climate emergency and deliver the wider benefits of clean energy as the UK transitions to net zero. 
• Cenex leads the LEVI Fund Support Body’s technical advice and guidance for local authorities, building on its longstanding expertise in the design, development and delivery of EV charging strategies. 
• PA Consulting is a global innovation and technology consultancy with a strong track record in Clean and Smart Mobility, including transport strategy, economics, analytics and digital platforms. 

Contact the LEVI Support Body by emailing LEVI@est.org.uk