The British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS) is a new government scheme designed to reduce electricity costs for energy-intensive manufacturers Join this one-hour briefing, delivered with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (DBIST), to understand what the scheme offers, whether your business is eligible, and how much you could save.
Why this matters to you: electricity is one of the largest and most persistent overheads in aerospace manufacturing. BICS provides up to 100% relief on three levies currently built into your unit rate, the Renewables Obligation, Feed-in Tariffs and the Capacity Market, worth roughly £35–£40 per MWh. For an energy-intensive manufacturer, that relief can represent a significant saving over the year.
Please note: the scheme applies to Great Britain only, as energy policy is largely devolved in Northern Ireland. Members can consult the SIC and HS codes covered by the scheme here, and check whether your manufacturing site(s) may be eligible using the BICS eligibility checker here.
What you'll get from the session
- A notion of the level of relief and how this is calculated for your business
- Whether you're likely to qualify — checked against the three factors: business sector (SIC code), product (HS/commodity codes) and electricity intensity
- Guidance on the application process and the documentation required, so you can prepare with confidence
- Answers to your questions in a live Q&A.
Who should attend
Aerospace and defence manufacturers across the supply chain, particularly energy-intensive SMEs and Tier 1/Tier 2 suppliers. If you manufacture and pay for electricity, this session is well worth an hour of your time.
The briefing takes place ahead of the application window, which opens on 1 October 2026 and closes on 30 November 2026. It will be followed by online application clinics on 20 October 2026 with the DBIST team, giving members the opportunity to ask questions about the application process before submitting their documentation. Registration for the clinics will open in late September, and details will be shared with members then. While the DBIST team won't be able to comment on eligibility or individual applications, they can provide guidance on documentation requirements, relief calculations, and related matters.
Register to attend
Click on the 'Register' button and login to book your place. You can register for an ADS website login if you do not have one by clicking here.
