Grants in Renewables & Sustainability

As part of the 2024–25 Federal Budget, the Australian Government announced the second round of the Hydrogen Headstart program to support major hydrogen production projects and grow Australia’s clean energy industry. Delivered by ARENA, round 2 aims to strengthen Australia’s position in the global hydrogen market. ARENA is now seeking input on the proposed program design through a public consultation process. Stakeholders are invited to review the Consultation Paper and provide feedback via the online forms by 31 July 2025.

The Grid Enhancing Technologies program provides businesses with up to $5 million in competitive grant funding to accelerate the uptake and deployment of grid enhancing technologies on Australia's electricity networks.

NSW MVP Ventures Program is committed to supporting startups and innovative small and medium enterprises (SMEs) across the product lifecycle, bridging the gap between early-stage research and mature investment opportunities. The program offers grants designed to accelerate the commercialisation of highly innovative products or processes. The Program aims to: support businesses in increasing the commercialisation of innovative products and processes in NSW, and attract and retain commercialisation activities within the state.

The Environmental Restoration and Rehabilitation Grants Program is a competitive initiative, aimed at supporting community and government organisations in New South Wales. The program focuses on achieving lasting environmental benefits by protecting, conserving, and restoring natural resources. It seeks to improve ecosystem quality, enhance environmental management through expertise and collaboration, and provide a sustainable mechanism for delivering government policies and priorities.

The VIC Circular Economy Recycling Modernisation Fund rovides financial support to businesses, local and state government authorities, social enterprises, and not-for-profit organisations. The fund focuses on building capacity, capability, and resilience within the sector, supporting businesses in complying with national waste export regulations, improving the quality of materials for manufacturing, and creating jobs in the circular economy.

The Ignite Ideas Fund offers funding for commercialising highly innovative products or services, at or beyond the minimum viable product stage. This fund serves as a companion program to the Advance Queensland Ignite Spark Program, which supports projects in advancing highly innovative products or services from prototype development through testing and validation to market readiness.

The Future Made in Australia (FMA) Innovation Fund will offer up to $1.5 billion in grants to drive pre-commercial innovation, demonstration, and deployment of renewable energy and low emission technologies, accelerating Australia’s journey to a net zero economy.

The New Energies Industries Funding Stream, within the IAF, actively contributes to the economic development of WA by focusing on diversification and decarbonisation. This funding stream specifically targets the acceleration of innovation in Western Australia, facilitating the scaling up of commercial potential and the expansion of local manufacturing capacity in emerging sectors like battery and critical minerals, renewable hydrogen, carbon capture and utilisation storage (CCUS), as well as solar and wind.

$70 million in funding is available for innovation in industrial decarbonisation and advancing commercial deployment, with grants averaging $500,000 and requiring matched funding.