EV Charging Grants for Scotland’s Rural & Island Businesses

Across Scotland’s remote highlands, islands and rural communities, businesses of all kinds are facing the dual challenge of delivering excellent service to locals and visitors, while also stepping up for the clean-energy transition. The good news? The recently launched Rural and Island Infrastructure Fund (RIIF) offers a substantial opportunity to install public electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, and your business could qualify.

At the same time, choosing the right hardware and partner means you’ll not just install a charger, you’ll open new revenue streams, elevate your guest or visitor experience, and position yourself as a leader in sustainable business. That’s where Ratio comes in.

What is the fund, and why it matters

On 27 August 2025, the Scottish Government announced a £4.5 million fund dedicated to bringing publicly accessible EV charging into parts of Scotland that private networks tend to overlook: rural and island areas.

The goal? To plug a clear gap. Scotland has already reached its target of 6,000 public charge points – two years ahead of schedule – but many remote-and-island locations remain underserved.
This fund directly supports delivering on the wider target of adding 24,000 new public charge points by 2030.

Here are some of the key grant levels:

• Up to £15,000 per AC charge point (3.7–22 kW)
  
  
• Up to £60,000 per high-power DC unit (125–350 kW)
  
  
• Up to £300,000 for innovative projects combining charging, energy storage and/or solar PV.

Who can apply? Land-owning businesses or Charge Point Operators (CPOs) located on Scottish islands or in rural postcode categories (5-8 under the Scottish Government’s Urban/Rural classification). 

And the fund is first-come, first-served — so acting quickly is a real advantage.

Why your business should care

If you run a golf course, hotel, B&B, café, farm diversification project, visitor attraction, retail hub, or community-parking facility in a rural or island location, this scheme is highly relevant. Here’s why:

• Improve visitor experience & dwell time: EV drivers expect reliable charging. If you offer it, you enhance your venue’s appeal.
  
  
• Open new revenue streams: Charging isn’t just a utility; it can drive additional footfall, longer stays, and new spending. As one analysis pointed out, a charger stop can lead to retail, food or hospitality spend while the car is charging.
  
  
• Align with sustainability credentials & future-proofing: As businesses increasingly are judged on ESG performance, offering EV infrastructure positions you ahead.
  
  
• Competitive advantage in rural markets: Many remote areas are still underserved by private investment. This means less competition and a chance to be a local leader.
  
  
• Access to grant funding = lower upfront cost: With support from the scheme, you can install high-quality charging infrastructure with much less capital from your own business.
  
  

Why choose Ratio — and our io7 / io8 solutions

Choosing the right partner and hardware is just as important as securing the grant. Here’s why Ratio stands out:

• Proven design engineered for real world use: Our “io” series chargers (particularly the io7 and io8) are built for reliability in challenging environments, exactly what rural and island sites often require.
  
  
• End-to-end support: We don’t just sell hardware. We provide consultation on site-selection, grid-connection, load management, O&M support, crucial when applying for funding and operating in remote areas.
  
  
• Scalable and future-proof: Whether you need a lower-power AC unit today or want to scale to larger DC charging later, we have solutions that grow with you.
  
  
• Grant-application friendly: We work regularly with clients applying for the RIIF and similar schemes, helping provide the documentation, technical spec sheets, and investment case needed.
  
  
• Local Scottish expertise: With sales rep Heather Kennedy covering rural & island Scotland, we bring on-the-ground insight into the unique challenges faced across hospitality, agriculture, community and visitor sectors.

How to act — five key steps

Here’s a practical roadmap for businesses to follow:

1. Check eligibility: Is your business located in an island or rural category 5-8 classification? Does your site allow publicly accessible charging?
   
   
2. Assess site and demand: Think about visitor numbers, dwell time, grid availability, parking layout, and how a charger might drive business value.
3. Choose the right hardware: Evaluate whether an io7 or io8 meets your expected usage profile, future expansion, and visitor mix.
4. Prepare grant application: Work with a partner (such as Ratio) to assemble the project plan, spreadsheets, authorisation documents and quotes. The fund requires full submissions.
   
   
5. Install and promote: Once approved, implement the installation, then market to your customers/visitors that you now offer EV charging, turning the hardware into a visible business asset.
   
   

A call to action for Scottish businesses

The window to act is now. With limited funding and first-come basis, waiting could mean missing out. Whether you’re a café overlooking a loch, a farm expanding into glamping, a visitor attraction on an island or a retail hub serving locals and tourists alike — the opportunity is clear.

If you’re ready to explore how to secure up to £60,000 (or more) per charging unit, and want a partner who understands the unique demands of rural and island Scotland, reach out to Heather Kennedy at Ratio. We’ll walk through your site, show you whether an io7 or io8 makes best sense, and help you take the grant from concept to completion.

Secure investment, enhance your business, support Scotland’s net-zero future — and make sure your community isn’t left behind.