Federal government grant monies are now available for First Nations communities, organisations and groups for advice and engagement on planning, negotiating or pursuing clean energy projects in homes, communities and on Country.
The grants are made available as part of implementing the First Nations Clean Energy Strategy 2024-2030 – a commitment by all energy ministers in Australia to ensure First Nations communities are powered with clean energy, enabled in equitable partnerships, and are achieving economic benefits.
The First Nations Clean Energy Strategy recognises that our people are critical to achieving the clean energy transition at the pace and scale required.
Through the implementation of the Strategy, communities and groups can start to deal with existing inequities in energy access, so that all of us, from regional and remote areas, and in social housing and rentals, have access to clean, reliable, affordable power.
What is the grant for?
The Round One grants are for:
- advisory services (technical, legal, financial advice from independent consultants and experts) on clean energy projects
- community / group / staff engagement on clean energy projects.
Round One grants are aimed at building a community or group’s skills and knowledge, and its access to support, so that informed decisions can be made.
What could be applied for?
Communities and groups at the start of their clean energy journey might find the grants useful in order to undertake certain activities, not limited to:
- Undertaking community/group engagement and developing Community Engagement Protocols and Community Benefit Principles in preparation for negotiating with clean energy proponents/others
- Undertaking community engagement and community energy planning, and developing a Community Energy Plan and/or Renewable Energy Strategy
- Contracting commercial, technical, legal, financial (and other) advice to assist in clean energy planning and development, negotiations and strong agreement making.
Communities or groups impacted by clean energy projects on Country, negotiating clean energy project participation, equity and benefit-sharing, or leading clean energy project development may find the grants useful in order to undertake certain activities.
The government’s grant guidelines suggest activities could include, but are not limited to:
- Procurement of consulting, expert or professional advice (eg. legal, technological, other) to support negotiation and progression of clean energy development
- Engagement of a representative (eg. legal, commercial) to negotiate with clean energy developers and/or progress a clean energy project on behalf of your community or group
- Business planning and management training and/or activities to improve skills and governance capability of First Nations communities and groups affected by clean energy development opportunities
- Activities to improve skills and governance capability, to respond to or develop clean energy project opportunities
- Reasonable administrative costs or incremental costs associated with a project
- Employment of staff to support a project
- Training, skills, and information-based activities in relation to a project.
What’s on offer?
In Round One, grants of between $5,000 to $80,000 are available on a ‘first in, first served’ basis. The government has allocated a total of $8,640,000 to Round One grants.
First Nations groups may consider putting in nation or cross-nation joint applications, depending on your local context.
With a Federal government commitment of $70 million to help realise the Strategy’s aims, there will be further implementation grant rounds available into the future.
Want to know more?
How do I apply?