British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS)
How Inspired can help manufacturers with the 2027 energy cost support scheme.
BICS takes extensive effort – Inspired manages this process for you.
Securing BICS support takes more than sector eligibility. Manufacturers must be able to verify their qualifying electricity consumption.
In practice, this means mapping your consumption at meter-level and showing how much relates to relevant manufacturing processes.
Your level of exemption depends directly on the proportion of qualifying electricity use you can demonstrate – making accurate consumption data not just a compliance task, but an opportunity to scrutinise how your sites consume energy.
What is BICS?
The British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS) is a new government scheme designed to reduce energy costs for manufacturers who are facing amongst the highest industrial electricity prices in Europe.
Once qualifying electricity use has been verified, manufacturers within the Industrial Strategy’s growth sectors (the IS-8) and supporting foundational industries stand to be exempt from the indirect costs of the Renewables Obligation (RO) and Feed-in Tariffs (FiTs) from April 2027 and the Capacity Market (CM) from October 2027.
The scheme’s current shape follows the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme-consultation, though government guidance on several details remains pending.
Is my business eligible for BICS?
Eligibility starts with two conditions: Companies House registration, and grid-imported electricity usage of more than 33 MWh per year at the relevant site.
Meeting this threshold is only the starting point – exemption levels then depend on how much of your electricity use relates to eligible manufacturing activity on site.
Exemption is applied on a banded site-by-site basis, with higher levels of eligible manufacturing use unlocking greater relief on eligible electricity costs.
This creates a direct incentive to examine overall consumption – sharpening focus on the manufacturing activity that qualifies for exemption, while using less energy overall.
When will BICS applications open?
The first BICS application window runs from 1 October to 30 November 2026, after which Department for Business and Trade (DBT) will assess submissions and confirm eligibility in January 2027.
Businesses confirmed eligible in this first window also qualify for a one-off payment, backdating support to reflect what would have been received had BICS already been running.
Subsequent years will offer a year-round application window, but with no mid-year entry – businesses can only join at the start of each delivery year.
Given the groundwork a well-evidenced claim requires, businesses hoping to be part of the first cohort should begin preparing well ahead of October.
Beyond the BICS service itself, Inspired offers an extensive suite of solutions under one roof – from effective metering to energy efficiency support – helping you secure the maximum relief available while reducing your energy costs overall.
How can Inspired help?
Inspired supports manufacturers through every stage of BICS, from mapping eligible consumption and strengthening metering data, to preparing evidence and maintaining compliance year on year.
- Eligibility and technical assessment: We confirm whether your business qualifies for BICS and the level of support available, drawing on industry and financial testing.
- Ongoing Reporting: We keep a comprehensive reporting log to the relevant body, ensuring your eligibility remains up to date.
- Maintain evidence pack: We collect and verify your performance data, maintaining and storing your Evidence Pack securely throughout.
- Validate and secure ongoing savings: We handle the submission of annual certificates to your electricity suppliers, validating that your discounted rates are applied correctly.
- Annual assessment: We review your energy consumption and eligible processes each year, factoring in any site changes, and produce a financial benefit statement alongside an assessment of future risks.
Related services
Beyond the BICS service itself, Inspired offers an extensive suite of solutions under one roof – from effective metering to energy efficiency support – helping you secure the maximum relief available while reducing your energy costs overall.
Why stop at BICS?
Other levy exemption opportunities we can help you pursue include:
Talk to an expert
Duncan Banks
Director: Compliance
“Energy costs are one of the most pressing challenges manufacturers face, and BICS offers some welcome relief. But determining eligible energy use and maintaining ongoing compliance require extensive effort.
“Yet Inspired’s approach goes beyond claiming BICS support. We can help you reduce energy use at source, which can strengthen your claim while cutting your costs further.”
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