Up to $25,000 grants for food manufacturers to cut electricity costs and emissions

In January 2022 the Federal Government will launch the application process for $25,000 grants for food manufacturers to cut electricity costs and harmful emissions. 

The Government has allocated $19.9 million under the Energy Efficient Communities Program.

Applications for the grant open on 12 January 2022 and close on 18 February. 

Australia’s food and beverage manufacturing industry employs 200,000 people and contributes around $22.4 billion to the economy. 

Grants will be split between states and territories based on the proportion of food and beverage manufacturing businesses in each jurisdiction.

The grant is targeted at small and medium-sized businesses in the sector. Between $10,000 and $25,000 can be issued to successful applicants. 

What can the grants for food manufacturers be used for?

The objective of the grant is to help small and medium-sized food and beverage manufacturers reduce their energy footprint and emissions 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, and
• Positioning small and medium sized enterprises to adopt future technological advancement in energy consumption.

Which businesses are eligible for the grants for food manufacturers?

To be eligible for the grant for food manufacturers businesses must have an Australian business number (ABN), be directly involved in the manufacturer of food and beverages, and be one of the following entities: 

• An entity incorporated in Australia
• A private company
• A public company
• An incorporated trustee on behalf of a trust
• A co-operative
• An incorporated, not-for-profit organisation
• An indigenous corporation
• A sole trader
• A partnership
• employee headcount from 1 to 199 employees 
• Be aimed at reducing energy consumption of your business
• Have at least $10,000 in eligible expenditure

The intended outcomes of the grant

• Lower energy costs through the adoption of energy efficiency practices and equipment
• Increase awareness of energy efficiency opportunities
• Enable energy savings that lead  to reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

The focus areas for projects

• Energy audits and energy management
• Energy monitoring
• Heating ventilation and air conditioning at the manufacturing facility
• Lighting
• Motors, conveyors, blowers, fans, pumps, and fluid distribution systems
• Power supply
• Process automation and controls
• Process cooling
• Process heating or drying
• Air compressors and compressed air systems
• Waste management.

Do you need help to apply for this $25,000 grant?

If you are interested in applying for this grant but are unsure where to start, we can help you. 

Fill in our Energy Evaluation Form and we can help you identify the right technology which will give you optimal savings and the best chance at qualifying for the grant.

If you want to have a chat before making up your mind, you can call us obligation-free on 1300-852-770 or drop us an email at info@leadingedgeenergy.com.au and one of our Energy Management Consultants will get in touch with you.