Phase 3c Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme

Forecasting and requesting grant payments

This page provides guidance on the key requirements to claim funds for your Phase 3c Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme project, including the forecasting and claims processes and how to evidence eligible spend. 

Early spend 

To support you in getting your project off the ground as quickly as possible, you are able to spend your Phase 3c Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme funding as soon as your Grant Offer Letter is signed and returned to Salix. 

This is not a requirement, but an option available to help you manage project risks by starting works earlier. Any ‘early spend’ claimed will be deducted from your project’s year 1 grant allocation and there will be no change to the total eligible grant value awarded to you.

If you wish to claim grant funding for project works undertaken between your grant start date and 31 March 2024, please submit a forecast by Friday 15 March 2024 detailing the expected costs to be incurred for these works. The accruals forecast statement form may be downloaded below and submitted to your Salix relationship manager.

Please note that you will be unable to submit a payment request for a greater value than the forecast provided, so please make sure this is accurate. 

If you do not provide us with this payment forecast, you will not be able to claim for spend on any works completed up to 31 March 2024. However, any costs incurred in this period can come from your organisation’s minimum client contribution.

All payment requests for works undertaken in financial year 2023-24 must be submitted no later than Thursday 18 April 2024. If you do not submit your payment request by this date you will be unable to claim for these works.

Forecasting grant payments

You are required to provide an accurate forecast each month for when you will claim grant funding from Salix for your Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme project. 

The purpose of the forecast sheet of your monthly monitoring report is to let Salix know when you intend to submit payment requests so that we can ensure funds are available to be paid out, as we are required to draw down funding from government in advance each month. 

The forecast you provide should reflect when you want to claim funding from Salix and does not need to reflect the monthly cashflow of your project. The payment request deadline is listed as the ‘Last day to submit payment request’ on the forecast tab of your monthly monitoring report. 

Example: To submit a payment claim to Salix on 20 June, you must forecast this in your MMR on 15th May. 

Grant funding can only be drawn down on an evidence-of-need basis, this means that the relevant works should have been completed and invoiced for before claiming grant payment. You cannot draw down the grant award in advance of incurring costs or works taking place on-site. Therefore, we ask that you only forecast a payment in a period if you are confident that you will have invoices to submit prior to the payment request deadline.

The requirements of the scheme are that payment requests submitted should match the forecasts you have provided. Incorrect forecasting may impact our ability to make payments to you. Accurate forecasting is essential so that we can ensure the effective use of public funds.

Submitting a payment request

To submit a payment claim you must provide all of the following documents to your relationship manager:    

1. Statement of expenditure

Returned in both Excel format and a PDF signed by your authorising official*. If you don’t have a signature that can be inserted before saving it as a PDF your relationship manager can send it for signature via DocuSign.   

2. Invoices listed on the statement of expenditure

When providing invoices please change the file names to the following format: “three-digit number indicating order listed on statement of expenditure. Value in pounds and pence - invoice number/title of document” for example “001. £3,000.00 - EVJ955 Sports Hall design fees”. 

Invoice descriptions should contain: 

• Reference to the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme project and submission ID
• The site where the works have taken place 
• The exact works which have been carried out   

3. Breakdown of works 

Breakdown of works or valuation documents to accompany invoices where the description on the invoice does not explicitly state the works being invoiced for.

4. Schedule 5 payment request form 

Signed by the authorising official*, this must match the exact amount evidenced on the statement of expenditure.   

Templates for the statement of expenditure and Schedule 5 payment request form will be available to download shortly, or can be requested from your relationship manager. Detailed guidance on breakdown of works and other common payment queries can also be found below. 

The statement of expenditure template can be downloaded below along with detailed guidance on breakdown of works and other common payment queries. The Schedule 5 payment request form template can be requested from your relationship manager. 

*Please note your accountable officer (who signed the Grant Offer Letter) may delegate responsibility for signing payment requests to someone else at the public sector body by completing the authorised signatory list form. Please contact your relationship manager for a copy of this form.