Communities For Renewables C.I.C.

What Communities For Renewables C.I.C. does

Communities For Renewables C.I.C. (CfR) is a UK-registered Community Interest Company (CIC) founded in 2012 and headquartered at Redruth House, Scorrier, Cornwall. The company provides end-to-end professional services that enable communities in England to develop, finance, and manage their own renewable energy enterprises, with a current operational focus on megawatt-scale community-owned solar (and capability in wind). Its service offering spans local energy enterprise set-up and business planning, project development (site finding, feasibility, planning, grid, contractor procurement), financing transaction management (acquisition/construction finance, long-term project loans of £3m–£12m, and community share/bond raises of £300k–£4m), joint-venture and community ownership structuring, and ongoing company and asset management (daily performance monitoring, O&M contractor oversight, financial administration, compliance, board reporting, and member communications).

CfR's core technology is professional expertise in community energy finance and asset management rather than a software product. The company manages approximately 50MW of community-owned solar arrays across 7 localities from Somerset to Shropshire, having worked with energy enterprises in over 30 localities since inception. It does not develop or sell solar hardware; instead it acts as long-term professional manager of volunteer-led, asset-locked not-for-profit enterprises. CfR's clients are predominantly community benefit societies and CICs, alongside landowners, councils, charities, and educational institutions. Sector partners include social investors (Big Society Capital, Leapfrog Finance), ethical investment platforms (Ethex), conservation organisations (Wiltshire Wildlife Trust), and industry bodies (Regen). CfR operates as a not-for-profit CIC with 11 employees; any surplus is reinvested into further community energy projects rather than distributed.

Name

Communities For Renewables C.I.C.

Legal name

Communities for Renewables CIC

Website

https://cfrcic.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Communities For Renewables C.I.C. is a UK Community Interest Company that helps communities develop, finance, and manage their own MW-scale renewable energy enterprises, providing end-to-end professional services across project development, financing transaction management, and long-term company and asset management of community-owned solar.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Renewable Energy Services

NAICS

Solar Electric Power Generation (221114)

SIC

Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Solar Development & Subscription Management (EUAMAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Retail & Community PPAs (Community Solar/Shared Renewables) (EUAGADAC), Contracts for Differences (CfDs) & Virtual PPAs (VPPAs) (EUAGADAH)

Keywords

• Community renewable energy
• Solar asset management
• Community energy financing
• Renewable project development
• Local energy enterprises

Headquarters

HQ city

Scorrier

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Management and Asset Management Services: CfR provides professional company and asset management services to community-owned renewable energy enterprises. Services include daily performance monitoring, management of O&M contractors, H&S oversight, bookkeeping and financial administration, quarterly management and annual accounts, loan administration, compliance and covenant tests, company secretary duties, regulatory compliance, board reporting, community benefit management, and member communications. As a CIC, any surplus is re-invested in supporting further community energy projects.
2. Financing Transaction Management: CfR manages financing for community solar projects, supporting acquisition/construction financing and long-term project finance. Also manages community share/bond raises for community benefit societies and CICs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Communities for Renewables (CfR) is a mission-led Community Interest Company that helps communities set up local energy enterprises and develops, finances, and manages their own renewable energy generation. The company provides end-to-end services for MW-scale solar projects including local enterprise setup and business planning, project development (site finding, feasibility, planning, grid connection), financing transaction management (£3m–£12m loans and £300k–£4m community raises), and ongoing company and asset management for nearly 50MW of community-owned solar across 7 UK localities.

Product overview

Communities for Renewables (CfR) is a mission-led Community Interest Company (CIC) that provides a comprehensive suite of services to help communities develop, finance, and manage their own renewable energy enterprises. Rather than offering a single software product, CfR delivers professional services including local energy enterprise setup, project development, financing transaction management, and ongoing company and asset management. The company manages approximately 50MW of community-owned solar arrays across 7 diverse localities in the UK, helping community energy enterprises raise capital through community share/bond offers and facilitating the transition to net zero while tackling fuel poverty.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Local Energy Enterprise Setup and Business Planning

Quantifiable outcome

• 50,000 MWh of electricity generated annually, equivalent to consumption of 13,500 homes
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• RegencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegen supported CfR's setup in 2012 and continues to collaborate on community energy initiatives. CfR team members participate in Regen's Local Zero podcast and joint reports on shared ownership for net zero transition.
• Wiltshire Wildlife TrustmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWiltshire Wildlife Trust is the sister organisation of Wiltshire Wildlife Community Energy (WWCE), which CfR manages. WWCE pays land rent to WWT, supports the Trust's carbon and wildlife work, and gives the Trust a seat at the table through board appointments and community grant fund management.
• Devon Energy CollectiveminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCfR worked with Devon Energy Collective, Regen, and Als Parker (Wychwood Renewables) on the Devon Power Allotments project, which crowd-sourced sites for village-scale solar from communities across Devon.
• EthexcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEthex is an ethical investment platform that CfR works with for community share and bond offers. CfR has used Ethex for multiple community investment campaigns including Wiltshire Wildlife Community Energy's Silverwood share offer.
• Barbers CheesemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCfR partnered with Barbers Cheese and a local farmer to co-develop a 3MW solar farm that will supply green energy directly to the cheese factory in Ditcheat, Somerset. 90% of generated energy will be dedicated to the factory.
• FYTbusminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCfR supported Isle of Wight's FYTbus community transport service in going solar through installation of a rooftop solar array, enabling the service to run on renewable energy.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Repowering London: London-based community energy organisation that develops and supports community-owned renewable energy projects, comparable as a UK community energy development and ownership intermediary.
• Awel Energy Cooperative: Welsh community energy cooperative developing and operating community-owned renewable energy projects, broadly comparable to CfR's community solar model albeit with regional rather than national reach.
• Energy4All: UK cooperative that supports the development, financing, and ongoing administration of community energy enterprises, directly comparable to CfR's end-to-end services model for community-owned renewable generation.
• Low Carbon Hub: Oxfordshire-based community benefit society that develops, finances, and manages community-owned renewable energy projects — directly comparable to CfR's solar-led, community-owned model.
• Bristol Energy Cooperative: Member-owned cooperative developing community-owned renewable energy projects in the Bristol area, comparable to CfR's community enterprise customers and share-offer model.

Others

• Big Society Capital: UK social investment institution that, alongside Leapfrog Finance, provided the facility used by CfR to acquire the 9.3MW Wick Farm community solar project — an enabling capital partner rather than a direct competitor.
• Ethex: Ethical investment platform used by CfR for community share and bond offers; an enabling distribution and fundraising partner rather than a direct competitor in community energy development.
• Wiltshire Wildlife Trust: Conservation charity that is the sister organisation of Wiltshire Wildlife Community Energy, one of CfR's largest managed clients; an adjacent ecosystem partner illustrating CfR's conservation co-benefits model.
• Community Energy England: Industry body representing community energy organisations across England; not a competitor but adjacent ecosystem participant, having awarded CfR its 2018 Community Energy Champion recognition.

Broad incumbents

• Regen: UK renewable energy advisory and membership organisation that influenced CfR's setup and continues to collaborate; broader in scope than CfR but operates in the same UK community and distributed renewable energy space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/sharer.php
• Xx.com/tweet
• Pinterestpinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/communities-for-renewables-c-i-c-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Communities For Renewables C.I.C.