Funding for small and medium hotels to improve energy efficiency

The Hotel Energy Uplift Program will run over one year from 2020-21 to 2021-22. The program provides grants to support small and medium hotels to reduce their energy use, improve energy productivity and deliver carbon abatement. 

The objectives of the program are to assist hotels to:

• upgrade equipment to reduce energy consumption
• upgrade the building fabric to save energy, such as improving windows, drapes or insulation 
• undertake energy management activities and assessments, such as energy audits and engineering feasibility studies for energy efficiency upgrades
• invest in energy monitoring and management systems.

There is $10.2 million available for this grant opportunity.

The minimum grant amount is $10,000 and the maximum grant is $25,000. 

You must complete your project by 30 June 2022. 

What are the eligibility criteria?

To be eligible you must:

• have an Australian business number (ABN)
• be a small to medium sized hotel, motel or serviced apartment complex with 1 to 99 guestrooms that are advertised to, and available to be booked by, members of the public on a nightly basis where a: 
  • ‘guestroom’ is not in or on a residential property or plot
  • ‘guestroom’ is not a tent or a caravan
  • ‘guestroom’ is not a room in a youth hostel or a business that provides dormitory-style accommodation (for example to farm workers or school groups)

and be one of the following entities:

• an entity, incorporated in Australia
• a co-operative
• a partnership
• an incorporated trustee on behalf of a trust.

We can only accept applications where you:

• provide the mandatory attachments listed in section 6.1
• declare that if you have paused operating as a result of bushfires or COVID-19, that you intend to resume operating as a ‘hotel’ (as defined under this program) in the future
• declare that you have consent from the facility owner or their representative, if you are not the facility owner 
• declare that you will use appropriately licensed tradespeople to install equipment, where applicable for your project
• have not received a grant under the Energy Efficient Communities Program.

We cannot waive the eligibility criteria under any circumstances.

How do you apply?

To apply, you must submit your application through the online portal. You’ll need to set up an account when you first log into the portal. The portal allows you to apply for and manage a grant or service in a secure online environment.