What financial support is available, who can apply, how to register your interest.
We're offering grants and loans to help people and businesses that need to replace vehicles that don't meet the zone's emission standards.
To get a grant or loan you must wait for us to contact you after registering your interest. Do not sell your vehicle and buy another one privately if you want to get financial support.
View a map of Bristol's Clean Air Zone.
Grants and loans
We have agreed a £42m package of support with the government.
It includes:
- £1.8 million of loans and grants to help people who need to change their vehicle
- £32 million for businesses to upgrade HGVs, LGVs, taxis and private hire vehicles
- £5.9 million to help people switch to public transport and make more journeys by walking or cycling with free electric bike loans, cycle training and free bus tickets
Our support scheme is designed to significantly reduce the final cost of either replacing or adapting vehicles that dont meet the zones emission standards.
For many individuals or businesses, upgrading to a vehicle that meets the zones emission standards could be a cost-effective alternative to paying the charge over the longer term.
| Vehicle type | Total financial support available |
|---|---|
| Car | £2,000 |
| Taxi: Private Hire vehicle | £1,500 |
| Taxi: Hackney | £4,000 |
| Van or Light Goods Vehicle | £4,500 |
| Heavy Goods Vehicle | £16,000 |
| Coach | £16,000 |
Eligible residents and businesses will be able to apply for financial support. This will be a grant, a contribution towards the interest on a loan, or a combination of both. The maximum grant available is £1,500 for cars and £4,500 for vans.
Priority will be given to individuals, Blue Badge holders, sole traders, charities and small businesses located in the Bristol City Council area and neighbouring areas, or with premises in the Clean Air Zone.
You can use the funding to trade in your vehicle and buy a second hand vehicle from a dealership approved by our finance partners.
The terms of our financial support packages are set by central government and we are unable to offer any money for private car sales or retrospective grants if you've already replaced your vehicle.
Who can apply for loans and grants
Individuals
If you work in the Clean Air Zone and earn less than £30,000, you'll be prioritised in our current round of funding.
If you applied for the previous round of funding but were ineligible, you may apply for this second round of funding.
To apply for financial support as an individual you must be the registered keeper of the vehicle on the V5C vehicle log book. You must have owned the vehicle for at least 12 months.
Blue Badge holders or primary carers who live in the same household as the Blue Badge holder
If you have a Blue Badge or are the primary carer of a Blue Badge holder who lives in the same household as you, you could be prioritised in our current round of funding.
To apply for financial support you must:
- regularly enter the Clean Air Zone
- earn less than £30,000
- be the registered keeper of the vehicle on the V5C vehicle log book
- have owned the vehicle for at least 12 months
If you applied for the previous round of funding but were ineligible, you may apply for this second round of funding.
Businesses
Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and self-employed people based or working in the zone will be prioritised for business grants.
To be an SME you must meet at least two of the following conditions:
- the annual turnover must be no more than £36 million
- the balance sheet total must be no more than £18 million
- the average number of employees must be no more than 250
We may extend our support package to other businesses and organisations outside the zone depending on the level of interest in our first round of loans and grants.
To apply for financial support as a business, the applicant or the business must be the registered owner of the vehicle on the V5C vehicle log book. You must have owned the vehicle for at least 12 months.
Taxi and private hire drivers
Loans and grants are only available for drivers licenced with Bristol City Council.
Register your interest
Check our Clean Air Zone charges and vehicle checker page to see if your current vehicle would be charged.
If it would be charged, you can register your interest for financial support.
Interest in our support scheme has been high and we are applying for further funding from government so that we can support more individuals and businesses in Bristol. You can still express your interest in our financial assistance scheme, but we cannot guarantee that you will receive funding at this stage.
Clean Air Zone financial support appeal
If you've applied for financial support and had your application turned down you can fill in a form to appeal the decision.
Sustainable travel options
The government have given us funding to encourage more people to walk, cycle and use public transport.
We can help you reduce your car journeys with:
- free cycling trials
- eScooter credit
- bus taster tickets
Find out more and register for free active travel support.
Check the TravelWest site for existing support for: