Last updated: 9 October 2026 at 4:43pm BST
In short
- Manufacturers in Brighton, Hove and across Sussex can now apply for the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS).
- Eligible sites could receive relief worth up to £40 per megawatt hour — described by government as cutting electricity bills by up to 25%.
- Applications close at 11.59pm on Monday 30 November 2026; submitted forms cannot be amended.
- Each site must use at least 33 MWh of grid electricity a year and manufacture products covered by the scheme’s SIC and HS code rules.
- Initial relief is due to start in April 2027, subject to the required legislation.
Manufacturing businesses in Brighton, Hove and across Sussex have until the end of November to apply for a new electricity-cost relief scheme — but the eligibility rules are narrower than the headline “25% off” suggests.
The British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme opened for applications on 1 October. Brighton & Hove’s business support service issued a fresh local reminder on 7 October, urging Sussex firms to check whether their sites qualify and to prepare evidence before the deadline.
What the Sussex manufacturing electricity discount offers
BICS is intended to reduce the indirect policy costs included in electricity bills for qualifying manufacturers. Government says the package could be worth up to £40 per MWh, or as much as 25% of an electricity bill, depending on the site and the proportion of power used for eligible manufacturing.
The first stage — exemptions from the Renewables Obligation and Feed-in Tariffs — is scheduled to begin in April 2027. Capacity Market cost relief is due to follow in October 2027. Decisions are expected in early 2027.
Those dates depend on secondary legislation coming into force. The government’s applicant guidance says the changes are subject to parliamentary approval.
Who can apply
A business must meet all four central tests:
- it is registered at Companies House;
- it operates in an eligible manufacturing sector, defined by a qualifying Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code;
- it manufactures an eligible product in Great Britain, identified through the relevant Harmonised System (HS) code; and
- each site included in the claim uses at least 33 MWh of electricity from the grid each year.
For that final test, applicants must normally show more than 16.5 MWh of grid electricity use across the latest six consecutive months available within the previous year. Electricity generated behind the meter — such as on-site solar — does not count towards the threshold because it does not carry the policy costs BICS is designed to remove.
The government’s online eligibility checker gives an initial indication, but it is not a decision. Eligibility is assessed site by site, even where one company operates several Sussex premises.
What businesses should prepare now
The application requires more than a company name and an energy bill. Businesses should gather:
- their Companies House number and six-digit company authentication code;
- a GOV.UK One Login for Businesses and identity documents where required;
- postcodes and Meter Point Administration Numbers (MPANs) for every site;
- six consecutive months of recent electricity bills;
- details and evidence of all products made at each site, including eligible and non-eligible activity; and
- records explaining how much grid power is used for qualifying production.
Only one application can be made per legal entity in a year, although it may include several sites. Crucially, an application cannot be changed after submission. That makes a rushed form near the deadline a genuine risk.
Manufacturers that share a meter, buy electricity through a landlord or occupy only part of an industrial site should contact the meter owner early. The applicant remains responsible for proving its share of consumption and arranging for any relief to be passed through correctly.
Why it matters locally
This is not a universal small-business energy discount. It is designed for manufacturers in selected frontier and foundational industries, and the product-code and electricity-use tests will exclude many workshops and commercial premises.
For qualifying firms, however, energy is a recurring production cost rather than a one-off grant expense. A durable reduction from 2027 may be more valuable than a short funding round when businesses are pricing orders, deciding whether to add equipment or planning recruitment.
The timing also matters as Sussex attracts new industrial and deep-tech investment. Universal Quantum’s newly announced Sussex funding is one example of growth that depends on specialist facilities and a skilled local supply chain. BICS will not apply to every company in that ecosystem, but eligible manufacturers should not miss the only application window this year.
Brighton Locals’ view
The scheme looks useful but more conditional than the “up to 25% off” headline implies. A qualifying SIC code is not enough: the actual product, the site’s grid use and the split between eligible and other activity all matter.
Our judgement is that Sussex manufacturers should treat 30 November as a final backstop, not a working deadline. The inability to correct a submitted form, combined with six months of evidence and possible landlord involvement, makes early checking the sensible course. The test of the policy will be how many viable smaller manufacturers clear the evidence requirements and see the promised relief on their bills from April.
What happens next
The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade is due to hold a BICS business update on 13 October and a “last chance to apply” session on 17 November. The local Brighton & Hove business notice lists both sessions and links businesses to the application route.
Applicants should expect eligibility decisions in early 2027. Evidence that would change our assessment includes the final legislation, published take-up figures and confirmation that suppliers and landlords are passing the exemptions through without delay.
What you should do
- Run every manufacturing site through the official BICS eligibility checker.
- Confirm your Companies House SIC information and identify the HS codes for products made at each site.
- Collect six consecutive months of bills and the relevant MPANs.
- If a landlord or another business controls the meter, request the shared-consumption evidence now.
- Submit through the official BICS page before 11.59pm on 30 November — and check every answer first because the form cannot be amended.
Bottom line
For eligible Sussex manufacturers, BICS could make a meaningful dent in electricity costs from spring 2027. The opportunity is real, but so are the code, consumption and evidence hurdles: check the site now, prepare the paperwork and do not rely on a last-minute application.
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