Earn Your Stars  >  Information for business  >  Rebates and grants  > 

Rebates and grants

Small Business

Small Business Climate Change Action Initiative

Australian Government’s Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts

The Australian Government has invited 500 small businesses to take part in an energy audit to provide more information on private sector energy use and green house gas emissions. The businesses were selected across a range of product and service offerings as well as metropolitan and regional areas. The information will assist Government to shape future policy. Participating businesses will be given assistance in measuring their contribution to climate change and on how to start reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Read the media release about this grant

Resource Efficiency

Clean Business Australia

Australian Government’s Department of Industry, Innovation, Science and Research

The Australian Government has allocated $240 million over four years to Clean Business Australia. This program supports a range of activities aimed at improving energy and water efficiency and increasing sustainability, with a focus on productivity and innovation.

There are three programs: Climate Ready, Re-tooling for Climate change and Green Building Fund.

Climate Ready

Climate Ready assists small and medium-sized Australian businesses to develop new technologies and services to respond to climate change. This program ($75m over four years) provides grants of $50,000 to $5 million, up to a maximum of 50 per cent of the cost of research and development, proof of concept or early stage commercialisation of new technologies that address the effects of climate change.

Re-tooling for Climate Change

Re-tooling for Climate Change supports small and medium-sized Australian manufacturers to reduce their environmental footprint, improve their production processes, and cut carbon emissions. This program ($75m over four years) provides grants of between $10,000 and $500,000, up to a maximum of one third of the cost of each project.

Green Building Fund

The Green Building Fund supports owners of existing commercial office buildings to reduce their green house gas emissions. Assistance is also available for industry organisations to increase the ability of the commercial office building sector to reduce carbon emissions. The Green Building Fund ($90m over four years) supports retro-fitting and retro-commissioning of these buildings, to reduce base building energy consumption. Grants of $50,000 to $500,000 are available, for up to 50 per cent of project costs.

Fuel efficiency

Green Car Innovation Fund

Australian Government’s Department of Industry, Innovation, Science and Research

The $1.3 billion Green Car Innovation Fund will provide assistance over 10 years to design, develop and manufacture low-emission, fuel-efficient cars and components in Australia. Funding will commence from 1 July 2009. Assistance will be in the form of grants, which will be allocated through a competitive selection process that considers the innovative, technological, commercial and environmental merits of each proposal. Visit the website to find out more:

Renewable Energy

Renewable Energy Equity Fund

Australian Government’s Department of Industry, Innovation, Science and Research

This fund provides venture capital for small innovative renewable energy companies, including companies which are commercialising renewable energy technologies. Renewable energy sources that can be funded through this program, as either direct technologies or enabling technologies and services, include sun and wind, geothermal sources, biomass that has not derived from fossil fuels, mini- or micro-hydro systems, waves, tides and the ocean.Find out more about the program.Renewable Remote Power Generation Program

Australian Government’s Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts

The Renewable Remote Power Generation Program (RRPGP) provides financial support to increase the use of renewable generation in remote parts of Australia that presently rely on fossil fuel for electricity supply. Read more at:  

Renewable Energy Fund (DRET)

Australian Government’s Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism

The Renewable Energy Fund was recently introduced to support the adoption of renewable energy technologies in Australia. The fund will provide $500 million for a series of competitive grant programs that aim to demonstrate the viability of renewable energy technologies on a technical and economic basis. The fund has three programs: the Renewable Energy Demonstration Program, the Geothermal Drilling Program and the Second Generation Biofuels Research and Development Program.

Renewable Energy Demonstration Program

This $435 million program is designed to accelerate the commercialisation and deployment of new renewable energy technologies for power generation in Australia. Find out more about the Renewable Energy Demonstration Program

Geothermal Drilling Program

This $50 million program is will provide assistance to companies seeking to develop geothermal energy, with the cost of proof-of-concept projects including drilling geothermal wells. Read more about the Geothermal Drilling Program.

Second Generation (Gen2) Biofuels Research and Development Program

This $15 million program supports research, development and pre-commercialisation of second generation biofuel technologies. Find out more about this program.

Agriculture

Australia’s Farming Future

Australian Government’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

Australia's Farming Future is the Australian Government’s climate change initiative for primary industries. It provides $130 million over four years to help primary producers adapt and respond to climate change.

There are five programs under Australia’s Farming Future:

The Climate Change Research Program

The Climate Change Research Program will provide funding for research projects and on-farm demonstration activities. Read more at:  

Farm Ready

Farm Ready will help industry and primary producers develop skills and strategies to help them deal with the impacts of climate change.

Climate Change Adjustment Program

Climate Change Adjustment Program assists farmers in financial difficulty to manage the impacts of climate change. The program provides farm business analysis and financial assessments.

Transitional income support

Linked to the Climate Change Adjustment Program, the Transitional income support program provides short-term income support to farmers in serious financial difficulty while they adapt their farm to changing circumstances, including climate change. This program also provides advice and training opportunities.

Community Networks and Capacity Building

Community Networks and Capacity Building activities will focus on increasing the leadership and representative capacity of target groups including women, youth, Indigenous Australians and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. The program seeks to increase access to tools and resources to encourage these groups to improve their leadership and management skills, increase participation in industry and more effectively contribute to government and industry decision making.

Clean Energy

Energy Innovation Fund

Australian Government’s Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism

The Energy Innovation Fund has been established by the Australian Government to provide $150 million over four years to support the development of clean energy technologies. Funding will be provided for research into concentrating solar thermal energy and solar photovoltaic technologies, delivered through an Australian Solar Institute and the Clean Energy Program.

Developments

Green Precincts Fund

Australian Government’s Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts

The Green Precincts Fund is funded with $15 million over four years (from 2008). The Green Precincts Fund's objectives are to support project initiatives that encourage water and energy savings measures at the community level. This fund will support at least 10 high-profile demonstration projects.

Related documents