Australia-wide

Name of program: Our Marine Parks Grants

Who is it for?

• First Nations peoples and organisations 

• Indigenous Corporations

Who's funding it? Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

Conditions:

• Maximum grant value $500,000 

• The objectives of the grant opportunity include:

  • Supporting Traditional Owners to maintain their traditional knowledge, cultural sites and values associated with Sea Country in Australian Marine Parks.
  • Enhancing the capacity of Traditional Owners to engage in marine park management.

When does funding close? Closes 27 September 2023

How do I apply? Click here

Name of program: Indigenous Protected Areas (IPA) Program: New and Expanding IPAs

Who is it for?

• new Indigenous Protected Areas (IPSa) and expanding (existing) dedicated IPA projects

Who's funding it? National Indigenous Australians Agency

Conditions:

• $14,500,000 available
• you must demonstrate support of the Traditional Owners to develop an IPA

When does funding close? Closes 6 October 2023

How do I apply? Click here

Name of program: Australian Heritage Grants 2023-24 Grant Opportunity

Who is it for?

• an entity incorporated in Australia (this includes Indigenous land management organisations registered with the Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations)
• a registered Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander land council
• a partnership

Who's funding it? Australian government

Conditions:

• You can apply for a grant between $25,000 and $400,000

• You must complete your project by 31 March 2026

• Your project must do at least one of the following:

  • maintain, protect or conserve the National Heritage Values,
  • repair essential infrastructure impacted by severe weather events to maintain, protect or conserve the National Heritage Values
  • improve engagement with, and awareness of, the National Heritage Values
  • improve access to a listed place.
  • have at least $25,000 in eligible expenditure.

When does funding close? Closes 12 October 2023

How do I apply? Click here

Name of program: Telecommunications Disaster Resilience Innovation (TDRI) Program – Power Resilience Round

Who is it for?

• Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Corporations

• Companies
  
  
• Partnerships

Who's funding it? Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts

Conditions:

• Grants from $50,000 to $5,000,000

• The funding has three focus areas:

  • Stand-alone, off-grid power solutions

  • Deployable power solutions

  • Energy efficient telecommunications infrastructure

• The objective of the program is to improve the preparedness of Australia’s telecommunications networks against rising climate risks, including against an anticipated increase in the frequency and severity of natural hazards in Australia, by:

  • supporting and accelerating the development and deployment of innovative, new or emerging technologies that will improve the resiliency of telecommunications, particularly in rural, regional, remote or First Nations communities;

  • demonstrating the benefits of emerging telecommunications technologies in improving disaster resiliency outcomes; and

  • encouraging greater collaboration and partnerships between industry and government stakeholders on telecommunications disaster resilience matters.

When does funding close? Closes 20 October 2023

How do I apply? Click here

Name of program: Indigenous Advancement Strategy

Who is it for?

• Australian businesses

Who's funding it? National Indigenous Australians Agency

Conditions:

• Grant opportunities available:
  • Community Initiated proposals
  • PBC Capacity Building Funding
  • Tailored Assistance Employment Grants

• To be eligible, you must:
  • be a legal entity with full legal capacity to enter into a project agreement with the Commonwealth
  • have an Australian business number (ABN) and be registered for goods and services tax (GST) if required
  • not be bankrupt or subject to insolvency proceedings.

When does funding close? Closes 30 October 2023

How do I apply? Click here

Name of program: Gill Owen Scholarship

Who is it for: 

• individuals
  • working as a Consumer Advocate or related organisation at present (or with recent experience), preferably one which has worked on National Energy Market issues
  • relatively experienced and/or senior in the relevant sector
  • with good knowledge of the key issues facing Australian energy consumers
  • with the ability to prepare and deliver presentations – for their meetings overseas and on their return to Australia.

Examples of activities that could be funded:

• visits to one or more countries to learn from energy consumer activities and experiences

• meetings with key stakeholders in selected countries

• research on issues or relevance to Australian energy consumers

• written report documenting the learnings from the research and or overseas stakeholder meetings and their potential relevance for Australia

• in Australia, meetings with consumer groups, energy companies, government officials to promulgate research findings and recommendations.

Who's funding it? Energy Consumers Australia

Conditions:

• grants are to travel internationally to research innovative ideas and initiatives that will be relevant to improving outcomes for consumers in the Australian energy market
• recipients would be expected to disseminate their research findings widely in Australia to advocates and decision-makers

When does funding close? Closes 2 November 2023

How do I apply? Click here

Name of program: Investing in Our Communities Program and Priority Community Infrastructure Program

Who is it for?

• an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Corporation
• an incorporated association
• a registered charity or not-for-profit organisation
• an Australian local government body
• an incorporated trustee on behalf of a trust

Who's funding it? Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts

Conditions:

When does funding close? Closes 30 November 2023

How do I apply? Click here

Name of program: Local Investments Funding Grant Opportunity

Who is it for?

• Indigenous Communities

Who's funding it? National Indigenous Australians Agency

Conditions:

• applicants must be invited by the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA) to apply for funding
• providing funding of up to $100,000 with a total of $6,000,000 available
• funding will be provided for -
  • new, discrete infrastructure projects.
  • urgent critical repairs and replacements for infrastructure in remote Indigenous communities that will impact positively on the health, well-being and environmental safety of community members
  • support for renewable energy systems that contribute to identifiable outcomes under the IAS
  • generally small scale, short-term, one-off proposals to address immediate local need and which have community support
  • a variety of activities, ranging from small scale infrastructure and cultural activities, through to a co-contribution to larger projects
  • activities that leverage other government funding and may include co-contributions for larger projects with other governments, local councils or organisations

When does funding close? 30 June 2024

How do I apply? Click here and here

Name of program: Prescribed Bodies Corporate (PBC) Capacity Building Grant Opportunity

Who is it for?

• Prescribed Bodies Corporates (PBC's)

Who's funding it? National Indigenous Australians Agency

Conditions:

• there is no maximum grant amount
• funding is designed to build the capacity of PBCs
• open to all PBCs and to third parties working with the PBC sector across Australia

When does funding close? 30 June 2025

How do I apply? Click here

Name of program: First Nations Community Microgrids Program

Who is it for: 

• First Nations to develop and deploy microgrid technology across First Nations communities, to increase access to cheaper, cleaner and more reliable energy

Who's funding it? ARENA

Conditions: 

• funding of $83.8 million was announced in the 2022–23 Federal Budget

When does funding close? 19 December 2025

How do I apply? Click here

Name of program: Regional Australia Microgrid Pilots Program

Who is it for: 

• entities incorporated under the Corporations Act 2001
• State or Territory owned corporations or a subsidiary of a state or territory owned corporation
• local government or councils
• organisations registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profit Commission (ACNC)

Who's funding it? ARENA

Conditions: 

• Funding is available to projects that have successfully completed a feasibility study.
• Grants between $1 million and $5 million.

When does funding close? 31 December 2026

How do I apply? Click here

Name of program: Performance Bonds

Who is it for?

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander owned businesses

Who's funding it? Indigenous Business Australia (IBA)

Conditions:

• The types of bonds provided include:

  • Performance bonds – give the buyer of your product or service assurance that if you don’t meet your obligations under a contract, the buyer can call on the bond to reduce its losses.
  • Warranty bonds – protect your buyer from loss if you don’t meet your contractual warranty latent defects period (usually 12 months), after the contract is completed.

• To be eligible, businesses must:

  • be 50% Indigenous owned and controlled
  • have a track record of profitability and successful completion of similar projects
  • be incorporated or be a partnership/joint venture between incorporated entities
  • demonstrate capable management, including contract management
  • have an adequate credit history.

When does funding close? OPEN

How do I apply? Click here

Name of program:Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme

Who is it for: 

• individuals
• households
• small businesses

Who's funding it? Clean Energy Regulator

Conditions: 

• offers a financial incentive to install eligible small-scale renewable energy systems, including:
  • solar panels
  • small-scale wind systems
  • small-scale hydro systems
  • solar water heaters
  • air source heat pumps

• Each megawatt hour of renewable energy generated/or displaced by the system is awarded one small-scale technology certificate (STC). STCs are calculated from installation date until the end of 2030 when the scheme ends. System owners typically assign the right to an agent to sell STCs on their behalf to receive an upfront lower purchase price (your electricity provider can help you claim). System owners can alternatively claim and sell the STCs themselves.

When does funding close? 2030

How do I apply? Click here

Name of program: Funding for businesses undertaking renewable energy projects

Who is it for: 

• Businesses wanting to undertake renewable energy projects

Who's funding it? ARENA

Conditions: 

• Focus areas:
  - Optimise the transition to renewable electricity
  - Commercialise clean hydrogen
  - Support the transition to low emissions metals
• Matched funding of between $100,000 and $50 million.

When does funding close? OPEN

How do I apply? Click here

Name of program: Investing with IBA

Who is it for: 

First Nations, to:

• facilitate economic independence by enabling participation in a range of diverse commercial investments
• improve business knowledge and commercial and investment capabilities 
• prepare for a time to own and manage an investment independently of IBA.

Who's funding it? Indigenous Business Australia

When does funding close? OPEN

How do I apply? Click here

Name of program: Our Country. Our Future

Who is it for: 

First Nations:

Who's funding it? Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation (ILSC)

Conditions: 

When does funding close? OPEN

How do I apply? Click here

Name of program: Household Energy Upgrades Fund

Name of program: Energy bill relief for households and small businesses

Who is it for: 

• eligible households and small businesses

Who's funding it? Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

Conditions:

For households -

• It depends on where you live

  • If you live in NSW, Queensland, South Australia or Tasmania, you can get $500 per eligible household.
  • If you live in Victoria, you can get $250 per eligible household, plus a one off $250 direct payment through Victoria’s 2023 Power Saving Bonus Payment.
  • If you live in the Northern Territory, you can get $350 per eligible household.
  • If you live in Western Australia and are currently registered with the Electricity Concession Extension Scheme (ECES), you will get a $500 electricity credit split over 2 payments. All other Western Australian households can get a $400 electricity credit.
  • If you live in the ACT, you can get $175 per eligible household. 
• You can get bill relief if you are the primary electricity account holder, or another named account holder on your electricity account. You must also hold an eligible concession card or receive an eligible government payment in the state or territory you live in. Your household can only get one bill relief credit, even if there is more than one eligible person living there. You can only get bill relief for your principal place of residence.
• In most cases your electricity provider will automatically apply the bill relief to your electricity account and this will reduce the amount you owe on your next bill.

For businesses - 

• Your business must be on a separately metered business tariff with your electricity retailer.

• Your business’s annual electricity consumption must be less than the threshold for your state or territory. The energy consumption threshold is:

  • 40MWh in Victoria
  • 50MWh in Western Australia
  • 100MWh in the ACT, NSW and Queensland
  • 150MWh in Tasmania
  • 160MWh in the Northern Territory and South Australia

• You will get a $325 of bill relief if your eligible small business is in Victoria.

• You will get a $650 of bill relief if your eligible small business is in these states and territories:

  • NSW
  • Northern Territory
  • Queensland
  • South Australia
  • Tasmania
  • Western Australia.

When does funding close? OPEN

More information? Click here

Name of program: Participation Grants

Who is it for: 

• not-for-profit organisations, with a purpose or mandate that permits them to be an advocate for residential and small business energy consumers
• bona fide research organisations with a public purpose

Examples of activities that may be funded:

• engaging a consultant to provide technical or specialist expertise for a submission

• undertaking research

• undertaking workshops

• funding for reasonable travel costs (flights, accommodation, transfers) to engage in government, regulatory and industry forums relating to that process, and where video conferencing is not provided.

Who's funding it? Energy Consumers Australia

Conditions:

• provide up to $15,000 to support and accommodate an applicant's engagement in government processes, regulatory and policy reviews, and projects targeting the energy sector as a whole
• Applicants can apply for grants to pursue small, targeted research projects or longer term, strategic and substantive projects. Where projects are longer than one year, gateway reviews may be needed at appropriate stages to ensure that the project is ready to proceed to the next stage of implementation.
• Funding may be used to support consumer education projects that identify and fill structural and systemic knowledge gaps
• The proposed project must demonstrate how it will build knowledge and/or sectoral capacity supporting policy development and consumer education in the National Energy Market.
• Funding will not generally be prioritised for public education and awareness campaigns that are the responsibility of regulators and government, or projects targeted at informing and educating individual consumers.

When does funding close? OPEN

How do I apply? Click here

Name of program: Start-Up Finance Package

Who is it for: 

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals and businesses

Who's funding it? Indigenous Business Australia

Conditions: 

• The start-up finance package is up to $100,000 and includes:

  • up to 30% of a new business loan as a grant to purchase assets for the business which does not need to be repaid
  • flexible loan repayment options
  • no application or line service fees
  • loan term of 7 years
  • minimum security requirements.

• To be eligible, you must:

  • be at least 18 and of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander descent
  • own at least 50% of the business, or have at least 50% of the business owned by people of indigenous descent
  • have less than $400,000 in actual annual turnover
  • have been trading for less than 2 years
  • have a commercially viable business model.

When does funding close? OPEN

How do I apply? Click here or here

Name of program: Business Loan Package

Who is it for: 

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander owned small businesses

Who's funding it? Indigenous Business Australia

Conditions: 

• Loans of between $10,000 and $5 million

• The loans may be used for:

  • working capital requirements
  • purchase of existing businesses
  • plant and equipment
  • other commercial assets.

When does funding close? OPEN

How do I apply? Click here

Name of program: Connecting Australian Entrepreneurs and Angel Investors

Who is it for: 

• Businesses looking for investment

Who's funding it? Various

When does funding close? OPEN

How do I apply? Click here

Name of program: Kick-Start

Who is it for? 

• start-ups
• small businesses
  

Who's funding it? CSIRO

Conditions:

• Funding of between between $10K- $50K
• Must be able to provide matched funding
• A CSIRO researcher or research team will work with your business on the R&D project

Eligible projects must include one of the following activities:

• Research into a new idea or discovery with commercial potential
• Development of a novel or improved product or process
• Testing of a novel product, developed by the company, to inform research and development activities.

When does funding close? OPEN

How do I apply? Click here

Thanks to Denise Jans for the photo!