The Commonwealth Government’s Energy Efficient Communities Program will deliver $50 million of grants to assist businesses and community organisations improve energy efficiency practices and technologies and better manage energy consumption to reduce their power bills, $10 million of this funding will be allocated to dairy farms.
The program is now open for applications from community organisations and applications are expected to be open to business in mid-2020. If you are a small business turning over less than $10 million per year you could receive grants of up to $20,000 with no co-payment required. For businesses turning over more than $10 million per year grants of up to $25,000 on a matched funding basis.
The types of projects that could be covered by the grant include:
- Equipment upgrades that reduce energy consumption, excluding energy generation equipment such as solar photovoltaic panels:
- Investment in energy and emissions monitoring and management systems to better manage energy use; and
- Completion of energy systems assessments according to Australian Standard AS/NZS 3598 2014 or feasibility studies to investigate energy efficiency opportunities.
For Community Organisations, grants will be made available to eligible applicants on a first come, first served basis.
Eligibility criteria will be refined before the business program is opened. Projects that have already commenced will not be approved for funding.
To be notified when applications open, please send an email to the Commonwealth Government at EECProgram@environment.gov.au.
More Details are available here: https://www.energy.gov.au/government-priorities/energy-programs/energy-efficient-communities-program.
Read the fact sheet for the Program here: https://www.energy.gov.au/sites/default/files/eec_-_factsheet_businesses_stream_word_published_20190704.docx.