British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS)
The British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS) is a new government initiative launching in April 2027.
The scheme provides exemptions from certain non-commodity electricity charges, including:
- Renewable Obligation (RO)
- Feed-in Tariff (FiT)
- Capacity Market charges
These costs are included in delivered rates, and the scheme is designed to reduce their impact on eligible businesses.
BICS aims to support energy-intensive industries facing high electricity costs.
While the overall reduction in electricity costs is expected to be modest, the scheme provides targeted relief on specific charges and supports the long-term competitiveness of UK industry.
Who is eligible?
The scheme is targeted at businesses that meet specific criteria, including:
- Operating within eligible SIC codes (primarily manufacturing and production sectors)
- Having high electricity usage relative to overall production costs
- Being exposed to international competition
A key factor is whether your energy costs represent a significant proportion of your total production expenditure.
The government estimates that around 10,000 businesses could qualify.
Eligible businesses will benefit from lower non-commodity electricity charges.
Overall, the scheme provides targeted cost relief that can help improve competitiveness for eligible businesses.
Why act now?
The scheme doesn’t launch until April 2027, but preparation needs to start today. Eligibility requires documentation across multiple areas, SIC code verification, cost and production analysis, electricity consumption data, and site assessments.
Businesses that prepare early will be better positioned to assess eligibility and act when the scheme becomes available.
How CES can help
At CES, we help businesses understand energy relief schemes and identify where savings may be available.
Our team and partners can:
- Assess whether your business may be eligible for BICS
- Review your electricity usage and cost structure
- Support preparation ahead of scheme implementation
- Provide guidance on how BICS interacts with existing arrangements
Are you eligible?
You are likely to be eligible if you operate within a manufacturing or production sector with a high electricity usage. We’re offering eligibility reviews to help you understand whether your business could benefit from the BICS scheme.
Contact CES at [email protected] to arrange an eligibility review and understand whether your business could benefit from the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme.
