Government Grants for UK Commercial Offices in 2025: All You Need to Know

Securing government funding in 2025 is a strategic opportunity for UK commercial landlords and office owners looking to improve their properties’ energy performance, cut carbon emissions, and future-proof against rising regulatory and investor expectations. With tenants also demanding more sustainable, functional, and flexible workplaces, upgrading your building is no longer just a compliance issue, it’s a competitive advantage.

From tax incentives to direct grants, a wide range of public funding schemes exist to support commercial retrofits, green infrastructure, and innovative office upgrades. Delivered through central government departments, local authorities, and specialist agencies, these schemes are designed to drive decarbonisation, economic growth, and technological innovation across the built environment.

This guide outlines how UK government funding for commercial properties works, the key grant schemes available in 2025, and how you can increase your chances of a successful application.

How UK Government Grants Work

Government grants are generally non-repayable, publicly funded contributions to help businesses deliver projects that align with national or regional goals. In the case of commercial offices, the focus is often on improving energy efficiency, modernising infrastructure, supporting local regeneration, or piloting innovative technologies.

There are two primary routes through which these grants are distributed:

Formula-Based Distribution

Some funding is allocated directly to local authorities based on regional economic indicators. Councils then develop localised programmes—often targeting town centre regeneration, vacant property reuse, or business support which commercial landlords may be eligible for. These are particularly useful for smaller refurbishment or fit-out projects, and typically involve local engagement and match funding.

Competitive Application Grants

Most significant schemes especially those with national reach require formal applications. These grants are assessed on merit and awarded to projects that best meet specific criteria, such as decarbonisation potential, alignment with sustainability frameworks, or support for clean technology. Successful applicants need to demonstrate clear objectives, strong project planning, and measurable outcomes.

Forms of support vary, but commonly include:

• Capital grants for refurbishment or retrofit
• Tax reliefs (such as Full Expensing)
• Co-investment in clean technologies or digital upgrades
• Innovation and R&D funding for workspace solutions

Applications typically require careful planning, supporting documentation, and early communication with the relevant funding bodies. Official tools like the  Find a Grant service and Gov.uk Business Finance Support  directory are essential starting points.

Key Grants for Commercial Buildings in 2025

Full Expensing (Capital Allowances)

UK businesses investing in qualifying plant and machinery—such as energy-efficient lighting, ventilation systems, or building controls—can now benefit from 100% first-year tax relief under the Full Expensing regime. This policy replaces the former Enhanced Capital Allowances and allows the full cost of eligible equipment to be deducted from taxable profits in the year of purchase, offering a significant upfront saving.

Importantly, only equipment listed on the Energy Technology List (ETL) qualifies, so ensuring compliance is essential when planning installations. The scheme currently runs until 31 March 2026 and applies to most main rate assets, with a 50% first-year allowance for certain “special rate” items.

More information would be available at  GOV.UK Capital Allowances Guidance. 

Business Rates Relief for Green Improvements

In England, property owners can benefit from both national and local relief schemes aimed at supporting environmentally responsible upgrades. A key national measure is the 12-month exemption from increased business rates where improvements—such as solar panels, heat pumps, or insulation—raise the property’s rateable value.

Some councils also offer additional discounts of up to 40% (capped at £110,000 per year) for properties that meet sustainability criteria. While originally designed for the retail, hospitality, and leisure sectors, these schemes may apply to office buildings depending on local interpretation—so it’s worth contacting your council directly.

More information is accessible at GOV.UK 2025/26 Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Scheme.

Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS)

As electric vehicles become standard across fleets and employee commuting, the Workplace Charging Scheme provides vital support. Funded by the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV), the grant covers 75% of the cost of purchasing and installing EV chargepoints—up to £350 per socket, with a maximum of 40 sockets per company.

While the grant is designed for workplace use, the infrastructure can also serve as a commercial amenity for tenants. Installation must be carried out by approved installers, and the building must have off-street parking allocated for staff or fleet vehicles.

Apply at  Workplace Charging Scheme and installer advice is available at Blink Charging Guide. 

Local Fit-Out & Renovation Grants

Across the UK, many local authorities operate grant programmes to support the revitalisation of underused or vacant commercial properties. These grants typically help fund internal renovations, layout changes, or improvements needed to bring office space up to market standards.

Amounts usually range between £5,000 and £35,000, and most schemes require the recipient to match the funding amount. Eligibility often hinges on the project’s impact on local employment, economic activity, or heritage value. For example,  Lewisham Empty Property Grants helps cover works that bring commercial space back into productive use.

Availability changes frequently, so checking your local council’s regeneration or business support pages is essential.

Grants for Listed and Historic Office Buildings

Owners of heritage-status commercial buildings face a unique challenge: making energy and operational improvements without compromising architectural integrity. Fortunately, several grant schemes exist to support this balance.

Historic England Heritage at Risk Capital Fund and the Heritage Fund provide capital funding for urgent repairs, sustainable retrofitting, and bringing historic buildings back into productive use. Similarly, the LPOC  offers smaller grants and guidance.

Applications often require a full condition survey, a repair and sustainability plan, and collaboration with conservation officers. Early engagement with heritage specialists can help ensure the project aligns with statutory requirements and stands a stronger chance of funding.

Innovation and Sustainability Grants

Beyond mainstream refurbishment grants, there are also innovation-led funding streams for landlords pursuing novel technologies or pioneering workspace solutions.

• The Clean Growth Fund and Energy Entrepreneurs Fund back early-stage companies and demonstration projects involving clean energy or energy-efficient systems.
• Innovate UK offers R&D grants to businesses developing new retrofit solutions, digital building management platforms, or modular office designs.
• Regional schemes such as Go Digital (Norfolk) or Flexible Workplace Grant (Cheshire) provide microgrants for workspace upgrades, digitalisation, and flexibility improvements.
  

Other funding and support for feasibility studies, retrofit audits, and sustainability training is available from Salix Finance, Carbon Trust, and Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs).

Navigating the Application Process

Applying for government funding can be highly rewarding, but it requires strategic preparation:

Audit Your Building: Start with a thorough assessment of your property’s energy use, systems (HVAC, lighting, controls), occupancy patterns, and building envelope. If the building is listed, heritage considerations must also be factored in.

1. Use Official Grant Portals: Search regularly on the Find a Grant portal and your local authority’s website. Use filters to match your region, sector, and project objectives.
2. Confirm Eligibility: Check scheme-specific requirements—some demand that products meet Energy Technology List standards, others may require net zero plans, EPC ratings, or BREEAM certification.
3. Build Strong Documentation: Most grants require detailed project plans, quotes, financial projections, photos or energy data showing baseline conditions, and proof of property ownership or lease.
4. Engage Early with Local Authorities: Particularly for heritage or conservation area buildings, early conversations with planning officers and conservation specialists can save delays later.
5. Apply Ahead of Time: Many grants are competitive or operate on a rolling, first-come basis. Some schemes take 6–8 weeks to process; for heritage projects, timelines can be even longer. Avoid beginning work before approval.

Expert Support for Applications

The process of identifying the right scheme and preparing a compliant application can be complex. Fortunately, a range of public and private bodies offer support to commercial property owners:

Carbon Trust provides technical advice, energy audits, and decarbonisation planning.

Salix Finance offers funding and guidance for public-sector landlords and those with aligned sustainability goals.

Growth Hubs act as regional contact points for funding navigation and SME support.

Innovate UK EDGE, GrantTree, and Grantify help businesses access R&D and innovation funding.

For heritage buildings, Historic England, LPOC, and the Heritage Fund provide not only financial support but also vital technical and planning assistance.

Engaging with these organisations early can improve your project’s scope, strategy, and likelihood of success.

Where Leanspace Fits In

Government grants can be a valuable tool for funding energy upgrades, fit-outs, and sustainability improvements. But they don’t always move at the pace that commercial landlords need. Application windows can be short, approval processes lengthy, and eligibility criteria difficult to navigate—especially when working across multiple tenancies, listed buildings, or tight leasing timelines.

Leanspace offers an alternative path for landlords looking to take action without waiting on public funding. By connecting building owners with private investors who finance sustainable upgrades and office repositioning projects, Leanspace helps unlock improvements that might otherwise be delayed or downsized due to funding gaps.

This approach can work alongside or independently of grant funding. For many landlords, it provides a way to move faster, reduce risk, and maintain momentum, particularly when market conditions or tenant expectations demand a proactive response.