Funding for dairy businesses to improve energy efficiency, reduce energy costs and lower energy consumption

The Energy Efficient Communities Program – Dairy Farming Business Grants provides dairy farming businesses with grants of up to $20,000 to improve energy efficiency, reduce energy costs and lower on-farm emissions. Grants may be used for equipment replacement, component upgrades, energy audits or feasibility studies. 

The objective of this grant opportunity is to support Australian dairy farming businesses to save energy through:

• replace existing equipment with higher efficiency equipment
• install or replace a component/s to help an existing system run more efficiently
• carry out on-farm energy audits
• carry out monitoring of energy usage and emissions

There is an estimated $10 million available for this grant opportunity and funding will be distributed between jurisdictions in proportion to the number of dairy cow farms with the following breakdown of grant funding.

Jurisdiction	Budget limit	Percentage
VIC	$5,800,000	58%
NSW	$1,500,000	15%
TAS	$900,000	9%
QLD	$800,000	8%
SA	$600,000	6%
WA	$400,000	4%

We expect that there may be a high level of interest for this grant opportunity and it may be oversubscribed. This means an eligible application will not automatically be approved. We will approve grants according to meeting eligibility criteria, submission time and date and distribution.

• The maximum grant amount is $20,000
• The maximum project period is 18 months

You can use your grant for one or more of the following:

• replacing existing equipment with higher efficiency equipment
• installing or replacing a component to help an existing system run more efficiently (for example installing solar pre-heating for a hot water system, installing a variable speed drive on a vacuum pump, installing heat recovery from milk cooling equipment to pre-heat hot water, installing remote monitoring equipment for water storage or pasture condition)
• energy audits
• investment feasibility studies for energy efficiency upgrades
• monitoring of energy consumption and emissions

What are the eligibility criteria?

To be eligible you must:

• have an Australian business number (ABN)
• be licensed to operate a dairy cow farming business in Australia – providing, where relevant, a Dairy Registration Number from a recognised authority

You must be located in one of the following states:

• New South Wales
• Queensland
• South Australia
• Tasmania
• Victoria
• Western Australia

And you must be one of the following entities:

• a company incorporated in Australia
• a co-operative
• a trustee on behalf of a trust
• a partnership
• a sole trader

Notice: The guidelines have been updated to allow trustees on behalf of trusts to be eligible for this grant opportunity.

We can only accept applications:

• where you can confirm that you’re authorised to undertake your project as described (for example, within your leasing arrangements)
• where you can demonstrate that you’ill use appropriately licensed tradespeople to install equipment, where applicable
• that include a supplier declaration (see template at Appendix C of the grant opportunity guidelines)
• that provide the mandatory attachments
• where you certify, if you have ceased operating as a result of bushfires or COVID-19, that you intend to resume operating as a business in the future

We can’t waive the eligibility criteria under any circumstances.

How do you apply?

The Energy Efficient Communities Program – Dairy Farming Business is currently closed to applications.