Marks and Spencer’s Energy has launched a second edition of the companies community energy fund offering local energy projects across the UK for up to £350, 000 in funding. The success of the scheme last year saw 51,000 vote on 246 applications for funding from a wide range of groups., the not for profit organisations want to provide a renewable energy to communities via these innovative projects. The shortlisted entries faced public votes enabling the public the opportunity to pick which initiative they wanted to get the funding. Jonathan Hazeldine, the head of M&S Energy stated his pleasure at seeing how many inspirational projects had benefit from the scheme in 2015 and how they were excited to start this new project in 2016. The Plan A scheme by Marks and Spencer’s had made the aspirational move to fund as many projects as they could by being a 100% green provider for those hoping for funding from the scheme, colleagues, customers and communities. The fund will award prizes regionally to projects that require a maximum of 12,500 in funding subject to the public vote, but all is not lost for those who lose. Innovative schemes who don’t win the public vote could still stand a chance to win the Judges’ Prize of £20,000. Applications for the scheme close on the 31st of May and entries will be shortlisted internally by a panel including Energyshare, SSE, M&S and an independent judge. Those projects will be evaluated on their social environmental impacts and measurable community benefits. Public votes open on the 5th of September and close on the 9th of October. The scheme hopes to see even more opportunities seized to help local communities and areas that would benefit most, expanding the chunk of funding further and providing the opportunity to win the judges prize are a few ways they’ve expanded on an already wildly successful and popular scheme.