Communities for Renewables CIC (CfR) helps local energy enterprises to develop, finance and manage their own renewable energy generation. CfR also provides strategic advice to help develop and implement a wide range of local energy business models that help reduce and localise energy spend, tackle fuel poverty, and earn income to re-invest in the local community. Since setting up in 2012, CfR has worked with over 20 local energy enterprises, local authorities and social landlords across the UK. Over the last 2 years CfR has helped to develop and finance nearly £30 million of community-owned solar projects ranging from solar PV panels on community buildings to one of the largest community-owned solar farms in the UK. CfR’s role in delivering these projects has included supporting: • Local energy enterprise set-up (including company formation, governance set-up, policies, director mentoring and admin set-up); • Business planning and exploring new business models, including smart energy technologies and local supply; • Community and stakeholder engagement strategies; • Site searching including technical and financial feasibility assessments; • Project development (including planning, landowner/host engagement and legal agreements, grid connection and procurement); • Managing the community purchase of renewable energy projects from commercial developers (including management of legal and financial advisors but not providing legal and financial advice); • Finance transaction management and support for construction and long-term finance from commercial lenders, social investors and community share / bond offers (including management of legal and financial advisors but not providing legal and financial advice); • Ongoing company admin and asset management.