PSDS Phase 4 Bid Checklist — 32 Items That Win the Round

The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme Phase 4 is score-ranked, not first-come-first-served. Salix scores every bid against published criteria and funds the bids that score highest until the round’s capital allocation runs out. That means a technically valid bid can still fail purely because a better-scoring one took the money first.

This checklist breaks down the 32 items that separate funded PSDS Phase 4 bids from unfunded ones, organised by bid section. Treat it as a self-audit before you hit submit.

Eligibility and scope (items 1-5)

These are gates — fail any one and the bid is rejected before scoring starts.

1. In-scope public sector body confirmed. FE corporations are in scope post-November 2022 ONS reclassification. Sixth-form colleges that have not been reclassified are out of scope and need to apply via DfE capital routes instead.
2. Bid value over £100,000 capital ask. PSDS Phase 4 has a minimum capital threshold (currently £100k). Anything smaller should go through Salix Decarbonisation Loan instead.
3. Bid value under the per-organisation cap. Check the current round’s published cap — typically £4-6m per applicant per round.
4. Project completes inside the funding window. PSDS Phase 4 requires capital spend within a fixed funding period (often 18-24 months from offer). Bids with delivery timelines slipping past that window are rejected.
5. No double-counting with other public funding. Salix funding, DfE capital, ESFA capital, and other PSDS phases cannot be stacked on the same scope. Declare every parallel funding source.

Technical evidence (items 6-12)

6. Half-hourly demand baseline. A minimum of 12 months of HHD data for every meter point in scope, with seasonal coverage demonstrated.
7. Independent generation model. Not the installer’s marketing brochure number — a modelled output from PVSyst, Solcast, or equivalent with assumptions stated.
8. Structural survey on every candidate roof. Independent structural engineer report covering loadings, age, last refurbishment.
9. Asbestos register check. Pre-2000 buildings must have asbestos status confirmed before structural works can be costed accurately.
10. G99 DNO pre-application response. Without this, the export capacity in the bid is speculative — see G99 DNO application timeline.
11. Firm installer quote, not indicative. PSDS scoring penalises bids with placeholder costs.
12. Inverter and panel specifications stated. Manufacturer, model, warranty period, expected degradation curve — see battery degradation modelling for the equivalent on storage components.

Carbon and value-for-money scoring (items 13-19)

This is where PSDS Phase 4 bids most often gain or lose points. The scoring is methodology-led, not just outcome-led.

13. Carbon savings calculated in kgCO2e/£. Salix’s headline value-for-money metric. Use the current published grid carbon factor (0.207 kgCO2e/kWh for displaced grid electricity at time of writing).
14. Methodology annex attached. Show the working, not just the number. This is the single most common clarification request.
15. 30-year lifetime carbon savings calculated. Not just year-one. PSDS scores lifetime CO2e, not annual.
16. Diminishing grid carbon factor accounted for. Grid decarbonisation reduces the value of displaced grid electricity over the system’s life. Use BEIS/DESNZ published curves, not a flat assumption.
17. Self-consumption ratio modelled. Solar exported at SEG tariff is worth far less than solar self-consumed. PSDS scoring weights self-consumption explicitly.
18. Capital cost per tonne CO2e calculated. Funded bids in recent rounds have averaged £200-£400 per tonne; bids over £600/t rarely score in the funding zone.
19. Sensitivity analysis included. Show what happens to the carbon metric if grid factors decarbonise faster, if generation underperforms by 10%, if self-consumption is 5% lower than modelled.

Strategic alignment (items 20-24)

20. AoC Climate Action Plan citation. The bid must reference the corporation’s published Climate Action Plan and show how this project advances it. See writing your first AoC Climate Action Plan.
21. Net-zero target year stated. Salix wants to see the project plotted against a credible decarbonisation trajectory.
22. EAUC Scorecard alignment. Bids that demonstrate Scorecard improvement score higher — see EAUC Scorecard reporting.
23. Skills and curriculum integration. PSDS Phase 4 actively rewards bids that pair decarbonisation with T-Level and apprenticeship learning outcomes.
24. Estates Strategy reference. Project must sit inside (not contradict) the corporation’s published Estates Strategy and capital plan.

Financial and governance (items 25-29)

25. Match funding declared. PSDS Phase 4 funds a defined % of capital cost — the remainder must be evidenced as committed match funding (corporation reserves, Salix loan for the residual, bond proceeds, etc.).
26. F&R Committee approval minute. Either dated or scheduled with a credible date inside the bid window.
27. Director of Finance sign-off on draw schedule. Particularly important when match funding is sequenced (e.g. Salix loan tranche followed by PSDS grant tranche).
28. Procurement route declared. CCS RM6011 or full OJEU — Salix wants confidence the contract can be let inside the funding window.
29. Insurance and warranty stack disclosed. See insurance and warranty for FE solar — Salix scrutinises long-tail risk on PSDS bids.

Delivery confidence (items 30-32)

30. Critical-path Gantt attached. From offer date to commissioning, with the structural, DNO, and procurement milestones plotted. Use the Salix bid timeline as a starting template — PSDS is similar but starts from offer rather than submission.
31. Named delivery lead. Salix wants a person, role, and reporting line — not just “Estates team will manage it.”
32. Post-completion monitoring plan. Performance monitoring SLA committed in the bid: who measures what, how often, where the data lands.

Common scoring traps

The PSDS Phase 4 round we tracked in 2025 funded 47% of submitted bids. The 53% that lost out clustered around the same five mistakes:

• Carbon savings calculated with the wrong grid factor (using 2015 vintage 0.412 kgCO2e/kWh instead of the current 0.207)
• Self-consumption ratio assumed at 100% (no exported energy)
• No sensitivity analysis — single-point answers don’t survive scrutiny
• Capital cost per tonne over £600 because the bid scope included scope items (canopies, EV chargers) that Salix doesn’t co-score against the PV core
• Governor approval still pending at bid submission — Salix discounts bids where match funding governance isn’t yet committed

If your bid hits all 32 items above, you’re in the funding zone for the round. Couple this with the Salix bid timeline week-by-week for delivery sequencing, and consider whether PSDS Phase 5 prep is the better strategic fit if you have time to wait for the next round.

Related guides

• PSDS Phase 4 for FE colleges — full scheme overview, eligibility, timelines
• Salix Decarbonisation Loan for colleges — the parallel funding route
• Salix vs PSDS Phase 4 — which route? — choosing between them
• Salix bid timeline week-by-week — 14-week delivery template
• PSDS Phase 5 prep for FE colleges — getting ready for the next round