Can your business use LEVI funding for EV charging?

LEVI supports English local authorities delivering charging for residents without off-street parking [S1]. It is not a direct business grant application. DfT's allocation methodology identifies £343 million of capital funding after the pilot [S2]. Ask your council whether your proposed site fits its delivery plans, while assessing your commercial funding options separately. Checked October 2026.

Last checked 17 October 2026

What is LEVI funding and who can apply?

LEVI means Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure. Its purpose is to help local authorities in England deliver charging for residents without off-street parking. The guidance identifies Tier 1 authorities, including county, unitary and combined authorities, with a separate partnership approach in London [S1].

If you manage a pub, shop or business car park, start by asking the relevant authority’s EV team about its programme. Do not begin with a business grant application based only on the LEVI name. Ask whether the council accepts site suggestions, which team assesses them and what evidence it wants from a landowner.

Keep your commercial project brief separate from that enquiry. Write down whether you need staff charging, customer charging or an overnight service for nearby residents. Those purposes may overlap, but they should be clear when someone assesses your proposal.

Why does LEVI focus on residents without driveways?

DfT’s allocation methodology considers need and existing progress. Its inputs include vehicles without off-street parking, rurality, deprivation and existing charger provision [S2]. These are reasons to investigate local gaps, rather than evidence that a particular business site will be selected.

For your suggested location, prepare a map showing nearby housing and the walking route to your car park. Explain the hours during which residents could actually leave a vehicle. Include gates, parking restrictions and other conditions that would limit access. Describe what you know and label any untested assumptions.

Avoid using a national EV growth figure as proof of demand at your address. Ask the council what evidence its team already holds and what it considers a useful addition. If residents have raised access problems, offer to provide the relevant site information through the council’s normal consultation route.

Can LEVI fund chargers on your business car park?

Ask for a local decision. National guidance requires the majority of chargepoints to benefit residents without off-street parking; a minority may primarily serve other users where there is sound commercial reasoning [S1]. That does not establish automatic eligibility for a private destination site.

Use the following proposed screening questions before spending on detailed design:

Keep a written record of the answer. If the council says the site is outside its programme, ask which part of the proposal does not fit. You can then decide whether to assess a commercial installation without relying on LEVI support. Do not assume the council can reimburse work you commission before it has considered the site.

How will council charging affect bays and access?

Read the local scheme documents. Leicestershire, for example, publishes information on charger appearance, parking availability and monitoring. Its approach illustrates why parking arrangements need checking at local level [S3]. Do not apply that council’s arrangements to another authority.

For a site discussion, bring the person who manages parking. Ask where signs and equipment would go, which users can park beside them and how complaints would be handled. Request a drawing that includes pedestrian routes and accessible charging provision.

Discuss operational conflicts before endorsing a layout. An overnight opening proposal needs a plan for locking, lighting and staff responsibilities. Ask who will communicate the final arrangement to neighbours and customers, and how your business can raise problems after installation.

Does LEVI remove grid and land-consent work?

No. The network connection and land rights still need resolving. Electricity North West’s LEVI guidance describes early site assessment, connection applications and landowner consent where work needs access to private land [S4]. Use the process of the network serving your own site.

A distribution network operator, or DNO, runs the local distribution network. Ask the project team to identify the relevant DNO and who will deal with it. Request an explanation of the proposed connection point and any equipment or cable route on your land [S4]. Have your solicitor review the rights requested before signing.

Use grid connection costs and landlord consent to prepare your questions. Ask who pays for surveys, connection work, maintenance access and eventual removal. Do not infer your contractual obligations from the fact that the council has public funding.

What funding can your business explore alongside LEVI?

The current OZEV grant overview lists the Workplace Charging Scheme for eligible workplace installations, with support up to £500 per socket [S5]. Check the detailed scheme criteria rather than treating it as funding for every public customer charger. Read the workplace grant guide.

For a commercial installation, request fully funded, part funded and self funded proposals where relevant. Compare the actual capital contribution, operating responsibilities, income calculation and exit terms. Ask your accountant to review the financial assumptions and your solicitor to review the agreement.

Do not book an expected LEVI contribution or host income into your budget without an applicable offer. Keep the council enquiry and installer quotes labelled separately so your decision has a clear evidence trail.

What should you do next?

Ask your council about its LEVI programme and prepare a separate commercial site brief. You can then get matched with an installer that covers your area to discuss the routes available to your site.

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