News

Date: Wednesday 12 March 2025 10am – 12pm

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) will be hosting an online event to discuss potential changes for Allocation Round 7 (AR7), due to open in summer 2025. The event will provide a summary of the proposed policy changes to the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme and how you can contribute your views. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions relating to the consultation and proposed changes.

The government has today (21 February) published a consultation on further policy reforms to Allocation Round 7 (AR7) of the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme. This consultation sets out a package of reforms that will support the Government’s mission to deliver clean power by 2030.

The Clean Industry Bonus (CIB) application window for Allocation Round 7 of the Contracts for Difference opens today (Thursday 13 February).

The government has published our response to the Clean Industry Bonus consultation.

The government response confirms our decision to include the following additions to the Contract for Difference (CfD) contract:

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has today published a consultation on changes to the Contracts for Difference (CfD) Standard Terms and Conditions and Private Network Agreement for Allocation Round 5.

The government has published Supply Chain Plan Guidance and Questionnaires linked to Contracts for Difference (CfD) Allocation Round 7.

The government has launched the Contracts for Difference (CfD) Clean Industry Bonus (CIB). Fixed and floating offshore wind applicants can obtain extra CfD revenue support if they choose to invest in more sustainable supply chains.

The Government has published the response to the consultation on policy considerations for future rounds of the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme. This sets out the government position on proposed policy amendments for the next and future allocation rounds.

A record number of clean energy projects have won contracts in the sixth allocation round (AR6) of the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme.

The results of the sixth allocation round (AR6) of the Contracts for Difference scheme will be published on Tuesday 3 September 2024 in accordance with the published timeline.

The seal bid window has closed, and National Grid ESO will now run the allocation/auction process.

The government has today published the Supply Chain Plan guidance and questionnaire for Allocation Round 5. 

National Grid ESO has submitted the notice of auction for Allocation Round 6 (AR6) to qualifying applicants, notifying them that an auction will take place.

The government has significantly increased the budget for the sixth allocation round (AR6) of the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme to £1.555 billion, an increase of over 50% from the initial budget set in March.

Ofgem has notified relevant applicants of the outcome of their appeal, thereby concluding the appeals process for Allocation Round 6 (AR6).

Ofgem has received one or more appeals from non-qualifying applicants in the sixth allocation round (AR6) of the Contracts for Difference scheme. The round will therefore run to timeline scenario 5, the longest timeline, until its conclusion.

On 22 May 2024, the Prime Minister announced that a General Election will be held on 4 July 2024.

We would like to inform you that the Contracts for Difference (CfD) Application Window for Allocation Round 6 is now closed. The Assessment Window will start today Monday 22nd April at 9am and will close on 20th May 2024 at 5pm. 

The sixth allocation round (AR6) of the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme has opened today (27 March 2024).

The Government has today published its response to the consultation on introducing a CfD Sustainable Industry Reward (SIR).

The government has today published the response to the Allocation Round 6 (AR6) contract changes consultation alongside the final contract documents for the round.

The Minor and Necessary Modifications Window for AR6 is now open. This is the window for potential applicants to make their formal request to LCCC for Minor and Necessary modifications.

The Government has confirmed a budget of over £1 billion for Allocation Round 6 (AR6) of the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme.

National Grid ESO (the EMR Delivery Body) has today published further guidance for the sixth allocation round (AR6) of the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme which is scheduled to open on 27 March 2024.

National Grid ESO (the EMR Delivery Body) has today published guidance documents and videos for the sixth allocation round (AR6) of the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme which is scheduled to open on 27 March 2024.

The registration window for the sixth allocation round (AR6) of the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme is now open.

National Grid (ESO) has published Draft Guidance Documents and Videos for Allocation Round 5. 

This is advance notice that in the next few weeks, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) will launch a six-week consultation on technical changes to the Contracts for Difference scheme and the Supply Chain Plan process as it begins policy work on Allocation Round 5.

The government has published the Exemptions Request Notice for Allocation Round 6 (AR6). This notice sets out the procedure that excluded generators must follow if they wish to apply to be exempted from their temporary site exclusion in order to be eligible to participate in AR6, which is due to open in March 2024.

The Government has today published a consultation seeking views on proposed amendments to the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme for Allocation Round 7 (AR7) and future rounds. 

The Government has today opened a consultation seeking views on drafting amendments to the Contracts for Difference (CfD) Standard Terms and Conditions and the Private Network (PN) CfD Agreement.

The Government has today published the core parameters for Allocation Round 6 (AR6) of the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme alongside a number of other documents relating to the round. 

Today, the government published its response to the feedback received as part of the Call for Evidence on CfD non-price factors.

Allocation Round 5 Awards a Record Number of Contracts

The sealed bid window has closed, and National Grid ESO will now run the allocation/auction process.

National Grid ESO has submitted the notice of auction for Allocation Round 5 (AR5) to qualifying applicants, notifying them that an auction will take place.

The budget for the fifth allocation round (AR5) has been increased by £22m to provide a total available budget of £227m.

The Government has today published a response to the December 2022 consultation on considerations for future Contracts for Difference (CfD) rounds.

The window for Ofgem to review qualification appeals is now open.

The non-qualification review assessment window is now open. By 15 June 2023 National Grid (NG) ESO will assess any non-qualifying applications that were submitted for review.

The application window for Allocation Round 5 (AR5) of the Contracts for Difference scheme has now closed.

The Government has published a Call for Evidence on introducing non-price factors into the CfD Scheme. In recognition of the deployment challenges currently faced by the renewable energy industry, the Government is exploring whether to introduce non-price factors in the CfD auction.

The fifth round of the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme has opened to applications today (Thursday 30th March 2023). The application window will close on 24th April 2023.

The Government has today published the consultation on the Allocation Round 6 (AR6) Supply Chain Plan questionnaire.

The government has confirmed a budget of £205m for the fifth allocation round of the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme.

AR5 Launch Event materials. 

The key dates for the fifth allocation round of the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme can now be viewed on the CfD microsite. The dates are provisional and subject to change. The key dates will be updated on the AR5 microsite if there are any changes to the timeline before the allocation round opens to applications.

The Contracts for Difference delivery partners will be hosting an online event ahead of the opening of Allocation Round 5.

National Grid (NG) ESO has announced that the Contracts for Difference Registration Window is now open for Allocation Round 5, which is due to open in March 2023

The government has today published the Exemptions Request Notice for Allocation Round 5 (AR5).

The government has today published key documents relating to the Contracts for Difference Allocation Round 5 and a consultation on the future of the Contracts for Difference scheme.

A draft indicative timeline for Allocation Round 5 (AR5) has been published on the Contracts for Difference (CfD) microsite. As announced in February 2022, CfD rounds will now run annually, instead of every two years. It is planned for AR5 to get underway in March 2023.  

The results confirm that the fourth Contracts for Difference (CfD) auction is the most successful yet.

The sealed bid window has closed, and National Grid ESO will now run the allocation/auction process.

National Grid ESO has submitted the notice of auction for Allocation Round 4 (AR4) to qualifying applicants, notifying them that an auction will take place.

Ofgem has notified relevant applicants of the outcome of their appeal, thereby concluding the appeals process for Allocation Round 4 (AR4).

The government has today published its response to the February 2022 consultation on technical changes to the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme ahead of the fifth allocation round (AR5).

Ofgem has announced today that from 1 April 2023 generators will no longer pay Balancing Services Use of System (BSUoS) charges.

The window for non-qualifying applicants to request a qualification appeal has now closed and the review qualification appeals window is now open.

The appeals submission window is now open and will close on 1 April 2022 at 5pm.

The non-qualification review assessment window is now open. National Grid ESO will assess any non-qualifying applications that were submitted for review by 25 March 2022.

The government has announced today that Contracts for Difference (CfD) allocation rounds will be held annually from March 2023 – when the fifth allocation round will open to applications.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has today published a consultation on technical changes to the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme as it begins policy work in preparation for Allocation Round 5.

The Allocation Round 4 (AR4) application window closed on 14 January 2022. National Grid ESO is now reviewing applications against the relevant qualification criteria.

The fourth allocation round of the Contracts for Difference scheme has opened to applications today (13 December 2021).

The government has confirmed a budget of £285 million for the fourth allocation round of the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme.

On 1 November 2021, NG ESO published draft guidance documents for feedback.

National Grid (NG) ESO has announced that the Contracts for Difference Registration Window is now open for Allocation Round 4.

The government has today opened a consultation seeking views on further drafting changes to the Contracts for Difference (CfD) Standard Terms and Conditions.

The government has today published a Draft Budget Notice which sets out that a draft budget of £265 million1 has been set for the fourth allocation round of the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme.

The key dates for the fourth allocation round of the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme can now be viewed on this website.

The government has today published its response to the January 2021 consultation on a new Supply Chain Plan (SCP) questionnaire.

The fourth round of the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme will open to applications in December 2021.

The government has today published the Exemptions Request Notice for Allocation Round 4 (AR4).