How to Apply
The Bus Operator Accessible Information Regulations Support Grant application process is carried out on the government find a grant service.
To apply you will need a GOV.UK One Login, if you do not have one at the moment it is simple to create:
https://find-government-grants.service.gov.uk/apply/applicant
Once you have your GOV.UK One Login setup then the application form you need is:
You will be asked some questions as part of the application process; these are contained in the document "RTIGPR025-D003-1.3 Bus Operator AIR Support Grant - Application Questions" which can be found at the bottom of this page.
Before you can apply you will need to have the following available:
- A quote from a supplier
- Grant claim form (found on this page)
- Subsidy self-certification form (found on this page)
- Contract Terms (found on this page)
Applications open on 22 October 2026 and remain open until the grant is fully committed.
If you have any questions about the grant or process, please email aig@rtig.org.uk
We have a series of webinars on the regulations and grant these can be booked through Eventbrite https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/on-bus-accessible-information-regulations-grant-644989
Eligibility to apply for a grant.
To be eligible for the grant, an operator on 1 October 2026 must run a local service vehicle in England, Scotland, or Wales and:
- Have 20 or fewer vehicles.
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not hold operating licences for more than 20 vehicles;
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not be a subsidiary or sister company of an operator with 21 or more public service vehicles
- An operator can apply for funding for up to 20 vehicles. Each vehicle must:
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be a vehicle designed and constructed for the carriage of passengers and which is of category M2 or M3, as defined in Article 4 of Regulation 2018/858 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018 on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles;
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be in use for a local service, as defined in the Transport Act 1985 and either:
- used on local bus services;
- provided under an agreement entered into, where a railway service has been temporarily interrupted, with the person who usually provides the railway service or with a person acting for or on behalf of the person who usually provides the railway service.
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be designed to carry 17 or more seated passengers;
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not already provide both audible and visible information onboard for any of the following: (i) next stop, (ii) route or (iii) direction;
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and met these requirements on 1 October 2026.
- Applications must come directly from the operator which is applying for the funding.
- Not have an active application to, or been awarded funding from, the Department for Transport transferable equipment grant.
Prioritisation of Funding
Applications will be accepted from any operator meeting the eligibility requirements.
Operators based in areas where there are identified shortages of operators with suitably equipped vehicles will have their application prioritised for approval until 31 December 2026, the remaining operators will then be approved up to the point at which the grant funding is fully committed.
The priority areas are:
- Wales: Anglesey, Conwy, Powys, Bridgend, Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Vale of Glamorgan
- Scotland: Renfrewshire, Inverclyde, Ayrshire, Midlothian, Highland, Moray
- England: Lancashire, Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire, North East Lincolnshire, Cumbria.
Applications will be prioritised for approval based on the date and time at which they completed the due diligence process. Once an application is received, it will undergo checks to ensure that all the required details and documentation are correct. Only when an application has successfully satisfied this process will it be considered for approval; it this time/date which will be the determinant of its priority rather than the date the application is submitted to the grant management portal.
Operators are encouraged to submit applications for areas outside of the priority areas as soon as possible as this will enable due diligence to be carried out – meaning that a decision on grant approval can be made more quickly from January 2027.
What can the grant be used for?
The grant allows a small bus operator to procure and/or install products (such as audible speakers and hearing loop, visual display screens and supporting infrastructure) to provide audible and visible information onboard the vehicle, and/or for purposes of maintenance for a period of one year from the installation of said products.
Where an operator has partially compliant vehicle, for example audible speakers and visual display screens but no hearing loop, a grant application can be made to make the overall system compliant by the addition of a hearing loop.
The grant will fund equipment of a specification that is the minimum required to meet the regulations. This does not preclude an operator purchasing equipment of a higher specification, but the grant will not cover the additional costs of the higher specification equipment. For example, an operator may choose to install TFT displays in-vehicle; the grant would only fund the installation of LED displays - with the cost difference being met be the operator.
Where higher specification equipment is being purchased by the operator, they should obtain quotes from suppliers that show the cost for the minimum specification of equipment and the additional cost for the higher specification, and provide this to RTIG through the application process. The base specification costs will be benchmarked against costs from other applications for similar vehicle types to ensure that value for money is being achieved.
Grant Allocation
Grant is being allocated to any operator who meets the requirements until the grant is fully allocated.
Requirements of grant recipients
An operator receiving the grant will be required to :
- Maintain any facility funded directly or indirectly through the scheme, in good working order - including undertaking repairs or maintenance promptly and ensuring that any required data updates are carried out so that provision remains accessible.
- Continue to use and maintain the product(s) or facility (facilities) procured using the funding for a period of at least five years - transferring products between vehicles, if necessary, to ensure their continued use within the fleet.
- Ensure that the information provided onboard any vehicle which receives grant funding is consistent with the requirements of the Public Service Vehicles (Accessible Information) Regulations 2023 on each scheduled journey that the vehicle makes, except where temporary unforeseeable failures make this impossible.