British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme
(asked on 23rd October 2026) - View Source
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, whether his Department plans to conduct an interim evaluation of BICS before the end of the 2027–28 financial year.
Answered by
Blair McDougall
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS) is a targeted scheme designed to reduce electricity costs for eligible electricity intensive manufacturing businesses.
The Government will monitor the implementation and effectiveness of BICS, including uptake and relief received by businesses. Effectiveness will be assessed through investment, productivity, employment and exit rates among supported businesses compared with similar non-eligible businesses, alongside, for example, GB industrial electricity costs relative to major European economies.
A process evaluation of the scheme’s first year of delivery is planned. A formal review will take place in 2030, informed by an impact evaluation, which will include consideration of the scheme's eligibility criteria.