Community Energy Upgrades Round 2

Community Energy Upgrades Fund Round 2

  • Grants from $25,000 – $2,500,000 available, with a 50% co-contribution required
  • Funding is only for local government bodies or a joint local government body
  • Applications open until June 13, 2025

This program co-funds energy efficiency and electrification upgrades for local governments to deliver reduced energy bills and emissions from local government owned and/or operated facilities.

Key Requirements

Your project must:

  • have at least $50,000 in eligible expenditure
  • be aimed at energy efficiency and/or electrification and/or load flexibility upgrades that reduce costs and emissions for local government’s existing facilities or operations, using commercially available technologies.

What is eligible for funding?

Eligible activities must directly relate to the project and may include:

  • load flexibility / demand management systems e.g. smart thermostats to manage heating or air conditioning units outside of peak times at a civic centre; or water heaters and pool pumps configured in a way to use excess solar power during the day at an aquatic centre
  • electrification upgrades, e.g. the replacement of a gas boiler with a heat pump and heat recovery at an aquatic centre
  • electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, e.g. smart EV charging for multiple vehicles at a depot for local government vehicles
  • energy efficiency upgrades, e.g. variable speed drives fitted to electric motors at a wastewater treatment plant
  • behind the meter renewables generation and/or storage, e.g. a rooftop solar power system with a virtual power plant-enabled energy storage system at a childcare centre.

Integrated projects that bring together several activities and encompass multiple sites are encouraged, e.g. an energy upgrade at a community centre including energy efficient building envelope improvements, energy efficient equipment, a solar power and battery storage system, and disconnection of the gas supply. Integrated projects at more than one site must be combined in a single application.

What companies are eligible for funding?

You can apply if you:

  • have an Australian business number (ABN)

And are one of the following entities:

  • a local government body
  • a joint local government body (as defined in section 14 of the guidelines).

Is this grant competitive or entitlement based?

Competitive – Your application will be assessed among other applications by a judging panel.

How can I increase my chances of winning this grant?

By engaging a specialist government grants consultant, such as Avant Group to assist with eligibility checks and collation of relevant documentation.

As part of your engagement with Avant Group, your account manager will assess the required documentation and provide tailored support to strengthen your grant submission.

How can I get help with my application? Or know if I’m likely to win funding?

Avant Group offers a no-obligation assessment of your eligibility for funding and will assess your likelihood of a successful grant application.