Australia-wide
Finance and funding opportunities available Australia-wide can be found on this page.
We haven't tracked them all, so please advise us if you know of finance or funding opportunities that could be included.
Those closing soon are at the top of the list.
Our Marine Parks Grants (Closing 27 Sept)
Name of program: Our Marine Parks Grants
Who is it for?
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First Nations peoples and organisations
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Indigenous Corporations
Who's funding it? Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
Conditions:
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Maximum grant value $500,000
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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
Indigenous Protected Areas (IPA) Program: New and Expanding IPAs (Closing 6 Oct)
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
Australian Heritage Grants 2023-24 Grant Opportunity (Closing 12 Oct)
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:
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You can apply for a grant between $25,000 and $400,000
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You must complete your project by 31 March 2026
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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
Telecommunications Disaster Resilience Innovation (TDRI) Program – Power Resilience Round (Closing 20 Oct)
Name of program: Telecommunications Disaster Resilience Innovation (TDRI) Program – Power Resilience Round
Who is it for?
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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
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The funding has three focus areas:
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Stand-alone, off-grid power solutions
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Deployable power solutions
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Energy efficient telecommunications infrastructure
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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:
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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;
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demonstrating the benefits of emerging telecommunications technologies in improving disaster resiliency outcomes; and
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encouraging greater collaboration and partnerships between industry and government stakeholders on telecommunications disaster resilience matters.
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When does funding close? Closes 20 October 2023
How do I apply? Click here
Funding for organisations to improve outcomes for Indigenous Australians (Closing 30 Oct)
Name of program: Indigenous Advancement Strategy
Who is it for?
- Australian businesses
Who's funding it? National Indigenous Australians Agency
Conditions:
- Grant opportunities available:
- 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
Gill Owen Scholarship (Closing 2 Nov)
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:
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visits to one or more countries to learn from energy consumer activities and experiences
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meetings with key stakeholders in selected countries
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research on issues or relevance to Australian energy consumers
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written report documenting the learnings from the research and or overseas stakeholder meetings and their potential relevance for Australia
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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
Investing in Our Communities Program and Priority Community Infrastructure Program (Closing 30 Nov)
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:
- There is no minimum grant amount
- Only those organisations nominated by the Australian Government as part of the election commitment process can be considered. An invitation to apply does not guarantee an approval of funding. List of those being invited to apply.
- The intended outcomes of the program are to:
- enhance community infrastructure;
- improve equity outcomes and social inclusion; and
- encourage communities to thrive, economically and socially.
When does funding close? Closes 30 November 2023
How do I apply? Click here
Local Investments Funding Grant Opportunity
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
Prescribed Bodies Corporate (PBC) Capacity Building Grant Opportunity
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
First Nations Community Microgrids Program
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
Pilot Demonstrations of Microgrids
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
Performance Bonds
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:
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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.
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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
Small-scale renewable energy scheme
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
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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
New large-scale renewable energy projects
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
Investing with IBA
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
Our Country. Our Future
Name of program: Our Country. Our Future
Who is it for:
First Nations:
- Supporting cultural and environmental protection and the development of enterprises based on the preservation of country.
- Pursuing strategic land purchases in urban areas or providing management support to enhance commercial, social and cultural uses for Indigenous urban assets.
Who's funding it? Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation (ILSC)
Conditions:
- project must involve the acquisition or management of land and/or water-related interests
- applicant must be an incorporated entity, or a holder of land or a water-related right, or organisation interested in investing in Indigenous-held land or waters
- the project must have the support of the Indigenous land/water holders and have they provided their consent for its use
When does funding close? OPEN
How do I apply? Click here
Household Energy Upgrades Fund
Name of program: Household Energy Upgrades Fund
Who is it for:
- will provide discounted consumer finance to increase sustainability across the housing sector, including through investment in energy efficiency upgrades, high performing appliances and battery-ready solar PV.
Who's funding it? Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC)
Conditions:
- The CEFC will work alongside established lenders in the sector, such as banks, to deliver the program to consumers
- The CEFC does not assess individual finance applications
- Fund is subject to Parliamentary approval and the issuing of Investment Mandate Directions to the CEFC
How do I apply? Hasn't started yet - check their website for latest news
Energy Bill Relief for households and small businesses
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 -
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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 -
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Your business must be on a separately metered business tariff with your electricity retailer.
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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
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You will get a $325 of bill relief if your eligible small business is in Victoria.
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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
Participation Grants
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:
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engaging a consultant to provide technical or specialist expertise for a submission
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undertaking research
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undertaking workshops
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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
Loans for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander start-ups
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:
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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.
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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
Loans for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander owned small businesses
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
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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
Connecting Australian Entrepreneurs and Angel Investors
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
Kick-Start
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!