{"id":14635,"date":"2026-10-16T17:28:18","date_gmt":"2026-10-16T15:28:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/leyton.com\/uk\/?post_type=article&p=14635"},"modified":"2026-10-16T17:28:20","modified_gmt":"2026-10-16T15:28:20","slug":"everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-british-industrial-competitiveness-scheme-bics-deadline","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/leyton.com\/uk\/insights\/articles\/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-british-industrial-competitiveness-scheme-bics-deadline\/","title":{"rendered":"Everything you need to know about the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS) deadline"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n

The deadline to apply for the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS)<\/a> is fast approaching. Applications for BICS close at 11:59pm on 30 November 2026 so, assuming that you’re an eligible manufacturer, now is the time to start preparing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you miss the deadline, unfortunately that’s it. You’ll have lost your chance to reduce your electricity costs for 2027. If that sounds harsh, there’s also no flexibility if you make a mistake on your application. Once it’s submitted, you can’t go back and amend it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This means you don’t just want to avoid missing the deadline; you also want to get the application right the first time, with every detail perfect. With such a short application window, that’s a tough ask for many businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What is BICS?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

BICS stands for the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme. It’s designed to reduce eligible manufacturers’ electricity costs by up to \u00a340 per megawatt-hour through exemptions from the Renewables Obligation (RO), Feed-in Tariffs (FIT) and Capacity Market (CM).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s part of the UK Government’s Industrial Strategy<\/a>, a 10-year plan to increase business investment and drive economic growth in eight priority sectors, known as the ‘IS-8’. The scheme covers manufacturers in eligible ‘frontier’ industries within these eight sectors. It also covers eligible ‘foundational’ manufacturers that supply key inputs to these industries and meet the required electricity-intensity threshold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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When will successful applicants receive support?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Businesses will find out in early 2027 if they’re eligible, and for successful applicants the RO and FIT exemptions will kick in in April 2027, with the CM exemptions coming in October 2027.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What do we need to apply for BICS?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade has published the evidence requirements for BICS<\/a>, which we have summarised below. To apply, you’ll need to submit information and evidence covering:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your business identity<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

What you’ll need:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n