Look ahead to the next 12 month and the remainder of GD2
NGN plans for the remainder of GD2
Plans for VCMA spend:
- At the end of year 4 all but £0.4m of the remaining allowance is committed. All projects are scheduled to conclude by the end of GD2 (March 2026)
- The following themes align with previous stakeholder feedback and will guide the allocated £8.6m committed spend over the next year:
- Supporting priority customers – continuation of successful projects and pilots ahead of GD3 to ensure wider impact of services (mixture of crisis prevention and longer-term support) - majority Tier 1 and 2 (new pilot projects - older people, younger people)
- Fuel poverty and energy affordability – continuation of successful projects and pilots ahead of GD3 to ensure wider impact of services (mixture of crisis prevention and longer-term support) - majority Tier 1 and 2 (new pilot projects – farming communities and unemployed people)
- CO awareness – scaling up CO awareness through Comms VCMA strategy, and distribution of CO alarms (including accessible alarms) – Tier 3
- Services Beyond the Meter – continuing to refine in-house programme of delivery– Tier 1
NGN Priorities 2025-26
- Ensure that all funds deliver maximum impact for the remainder of GD2
- Work closely with key stakeholders and Strategic Partners to evolve our strategy into GD3 delivery
- Ensure full spend of VCMA funds whilst avoiding overspend – working closely with finance through monthly monitoring
- Continue focus on the long-term sustainability of existing projects and how we can support partners to help them achieve this
- Ensure transparency in communications around VCMA availability in GD3 – supporting partners through this transition (company specific and collaborative projects)
- Continue to increase understanding of localized needs/variances across our network through stakeholder feedback and build new/strengthen local relationships
Look ahead – remainder of GD2
- Underserved vulnerability groups including farming and geographically remote communities, older people and younger people
- Contingency plan for any unused funds to include additional winter support for Centres for Warmth, increased allowance for SBtM
- Project sustainability remains a key area of focus as GD2 comes to a close and the GD3 level of funding is unknown. Partner networks are well established, and our 2025 open day will focus on supporting sustainability
Proposed overall split for VCMA project spend:
- 61.5% NGN
- 38.5% Collaborative
