The British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS)
BICS is a government scheme designed to reduce energy costs for manufacturing businesses.
Our new bite‑size guides address the key questions: what support the scheme offers, which industries are eligible, and what businesses should do next.
The British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS): your bite-size business guide
The government’s consultation on BICS has concluded and its formal response is expected soon.
Many businesses are now asking not just what support BICS might offer, but also who will be eligible.
Our Energy Insight webinar on Wednesday 15 April at 10:00am will help businesses quickly understand BICS, who it could apply to, and what you should do next.
Our bite-size guides
Part one: What is BICS?
In Part one, we explain what BICS is, the policy context, and what the government is proposing. We also cover how industry has reacted and how nBS is supporting its customers.
Part two: Who is eligible for BICS?
In Part two, we explore the proposed eligibility framework in more detail, including the concepts of frontier and foundational industries and how the government expects to measure electricity intensity.
Part three: What do I need to do next?
In Part three, we will explore whether the proposals for BICS have changed since the original government consultation and what the practical next steps are for qualifying businesses.
Key energy market insights

Energy Insight webinar
With new government financial support helping certain businesses manage rising energy costs, many are now asking: who qualifies - and what happens to those who don’t? We explored this as part of our briefing on Wednesday 15 April.
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Energy Cost Calculator
Our industry-first Energy Cost Calculator gives you a clear, instant view of how increasing non-commodity costs could affect your business. Whether or not you’re eligible for BICs, it’s useful to get your personalised cost forecast.

Business Energy Tracker
In our latest report, over 50% of businesses said that non-commodity charges now make up at least 25% of their energy costs. But what did they say about the need for broader eligibility in future support schemes?