British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS)
reduce your electricity costs by up to 25%
The British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS) could significantly reduce electricity costs for qualifying UK manufacturers, with potential savings of up to 25%.
The first application window is expected to run from 1 October to 30 November 2026, so businesses should start assessing their eligibility now.
Apply this year and you may also benefit from a historic claim from April 2026. Miss the window and you may have to wait until April 2028.
Tell us about your business
Give us a few details and we can assess whether your business could qualify for BICS or the potentially more favourable EII scheme, and estimate your potential savings.
What is the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme?
Why has the scheme been introduced?
High electricity costs can put UK manufacturers at a disadvantage against overseas competitors.
BICS aims to reduce that gap, support UK manufacturing and help businesses continue investing and growing in the UK.
Who qualifies for the scheme?
Businesses must meet two key tests:
Sector test
- Your trade must full within an eligible manufacturing sector.
Consumption test
- Your business must use more than 33MWh of electricity per year
Not sure if you qualify? We can assess your eligibility for both BICS and EII.
What is the purpose of the scheme?
BICS removes certain Government policy costs from the electricity bills of qualifying manufacturers.
This could deliver significant savings and free up cash to invest in people, equipment, technology and growth.
Ready to take advantage and save money?
Just tell us a bit about your business by using the form above, and our experts will get back to you with more details regarding the next steps in just a few days. We look forward to hearing from you!