Business energy supplier, npower Business Solutions (nBS), has confirmed it is committing an additional £5 million to its community fund, the npower Business Solutions (nBS) Foundation, bringing its total funding to £10 million.
Launched in Spring 2024, the nBS Foundation provides grants of up to £100,000 to community and not-for-profit organisations located within a 50 mile radius of its offices in Solihull and Leeds, and supported 89 projects during its first year.
These included funds for 190 solar panels, over 200 full and part time charity roles, six electric vehicles, 15 redeveloped outside spaces and the renovation of more than 20 buildings and community spaces.
The announcement of the new £5 million funding was made at a recent event in Birmingham to mark the first successful year of the nBS Foundation, which also saw the unveiling of a new photography exhibition, featuring several of the projects the fund has supported over the past 12 months.
Those featured include Jericho in Birmingham, which provides supported work opportunities for people facing extreme challenges in getting a job, including marginalised young people and survivors of modern slavery. The nBS Foundation provided funding to help improve its sustainable supported workspace, the Wood Shack.
Carriers of Hope, a Coventry-based charity supporting refugees, asylum seekers and vulnerable migrants with essential items, community connection, and access to vital services, also featured. The nBS Foundation provided funding to Carriers of Hope to help expand their furniture and recycling projects, providing essential household items to vulnerable people and reducing landfill waste.
Anthony Ainsworth, Chief Operating Officer at npower Business Solutions, said:
“The nBS Foundation was set up with a specific aim of supporting the many ambitious not-for-profit organisations, charities and educational institutions across the Midlands and Yorkshire. Those organisations which are eager to make long-lasting change, but need the funding to turn their ambitions into reality.
“To say I am proud of the impact the nBS Foundation has had on the local communities where we are based is an understatement. We have been able to support some of the essential projects, charities, community groups and educational organisations across both regions that give hope to some of the most vulnerable people in the towns and cities across the Midlands and Yorkshire.
“It is also a huge honour to be able to announce a further £5 million in funding, bringing the total to a huge £10 million, so we can continue to support projects that are taking vital steps to decarbonise and safeguard our world, support the growth of responsible businesses, promote social innovation, and champion local skills or employment.
“So, the message is – if you know, or are involved with, a suitable organisation who could be eligible for our support, please visit npowerbusinesssolutions.com/foundation to find out more.”
Applications to the nBS Foundation and the allocation of funding is managed by Charis Grants, an independent organisation specialising in the distribution of financial and product support to vulnerable individuals and community projects.
This article appeared in the July/August 2025 issue of Energy Manager magazine. Subscribe here.