Guidelines for the Energy Efficient Communities Program now available

The federal government has announced that guidelines are now available for the Energy Efficient Communities Program’s Food and Beverage Manufacturing Business Grants.

The grants will support eligible small and medium food and beverage manufacturers to complete energy efficiency projects. The objective is to support such businesses to save energy by:

• replacing existing equipment with more energy-efficient equipment;
• installing or replacing components to help existing systems run more efficiently;
• carrying out energy audits;
• monitoring and optimising energy use and emissions;
• increasing knowledge of energy efficiency practices;
• positioning small- and medium-sized enterprises to adopt future technological advancement in energy consumption.
   

Businesses will be able to apply for grants between $10,000 and $25,000. Grants will be paid up-front with no co-payment requirement.

Up to $19.984 million is available with a funding allocation for each state and territory. Grants will be awarded to eligible applicants on a first-come, first-served basis until the state or territory funding allocation is reached.

To be eligible, the business’s application must meet all the eligibility criteria in the Guidelines. Businesses can use the time between now and when the grant opens to read the Guidelines, choose eligible projects, and plan their application.

Applications open on 12 January 2022 and close on 18 February 2022.

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