Capital Investment Ready

Supporting cultural organisations to become more energy efficient and reduce emissions.

In response to the climate crisis and as part of the UN Decade of Action, we need to make significant carbon reductions. We need to reduce our energy use and stop using fossil fuels in our buildings. The Capital Investment Ready programme supports cultural organisations to take significant steps towards this goal through practical action.

About Capital Investment Ready

Part of the Transforming Energy programme, Capital Investment Ready works with a small cohort of 10 organisations. Now in the second year of the programme, we are looking to specifically work with organisations who have made great progress in reducing impact, but are now looking to scale up action towards bigger capital investment. We’ll support you to prepare for any capital funding opportunities that become available and take strategic steps towards decarbonisation for your cultural building, with a vision to move towards total electrification.

Participating organisations benefit from:

  • Bespoke coaching and mentoring
  • Peer-sharing opportunities
  • Quick response surgeries

Capital Investment Ready Programme Criteria (PDF)


Key dates:

Friday 29 November – APPLICATIONS NOW CLOSED
Tuesday 14 January 9:30am – 11am:
 Launch – welcome session for selected cohort
Monday 27 – Thursday 30 January: first week of organisation 1-1s (a calendar link will be sent to book a slot)
Thursday 13 March 10 – 12:30pm: Cohort exchange session 1
Monday 19 – Friday 23 May: second week of 1-1s (A calendar link will be sent to book a slot)
Thursday 3 July, 10-12:30pm: – cohort exchange session 2

The programme will have sessions every month running until Summer 2026. We hope that participating organisations can attend a minimum of 80% of these sessions.


Who else has taken part?

In August 2023, we announced the first Capital Investment Ready cohort of 12 organisations: Queens Theatre, FACT, London Transport Museum, MAC Birmingham, Watershed, Royal Opera House, Courtyard, Sage Gateshead, Sadlers Wells, Royal Shakespeare Company, Farnham Maltings and Unicorn Theatre. Find out more about why they’re excited to take part.

This programme builds on learnings from the Spotlight programme which we ran for ACE portfolio organisations between 2018-22. As a result of Spotlight, participating organisations reduced their electricity usage by 19% and their gas usage by 32%.

Applications are now closed

If you were not ready / selected to participate in this programme, we invite you to join our Buildings Net Zero Energy Programmewhich offers free training, resources, webinars and energy management training. Find out more.