Network Innovation Allowance (NIA)

We introduced the Network Innovation Allowance (NIA) as part of the RIIO-1 price controls and we continue to provide it in the RIIO-2 price controls.

The NIA is a set amount that each RIIO network licensee receives as part of their price control allowance. Network licensees make the decisions as to which innovation projects they take forward with their NIA.

In the RIIO-2 price control, NIA provides limited funding to RIIO network licensees to enable them to take forward innovation projects that have the potential to address consumer vulnerability and/or deliver longer–term financial and environmental benefits for consumers, which they would not otherwise undertake within the price control. For projects to be eligible for NIA funding, the projects must comply with the requirements in the RIIO-2 NIA Governance Document, which is available in publication list below.

All RIIO-2 NIA projects must comply with requirements set out in the RIIO-2 NIA Governance Document, which can be found in the publication list below.

Licensees are required to publish their Project Registration Information and regular updates on all projects on the Energy Networks Association portal: Smarter Networks Portal.

You can see all publications relating to the NIA under RIIO-2 in the list below.

Publications and updates