Applications open for Influence and Collaboration Grant (Australia)

The purpose of Energy Consumers Australia is to promote the long-term interests of Consumers of Energy with respect to the price, quality, safety, reliability and security of supply of Energy services by providing and enabling strong, coordinated, collegiate evidence-based consumer advocacy on National Energy Market matters of strategic importance or material consequence for Energy Consumers, in particular for Residential Customers and Small Business Customers.

Grant Categories

• Influence Grants 
  • Influence Grants support advocacy and research initiatives with the purpose of immediate influence on a specific and achievable goal on matters of material significance to residential and small business energy consumers.
  • This grants stream supports projects that aim to shift energy market practices and behaviours to deliver better consumer outcomes and where a path to success is credible within a fixed period. Applicants must make clear the pathways from the proposed project to influence and long-term impact.
• Collaboration Grants 
  • Collaboration Grants support complex, multi-year projects put forward by a group of organisations aiming to collaborate, with the aim to drive energy systems change. Collaborative research projects will have an intent to contribute to a policy or advocacy outcome and will involve working with advocates and other stakeholders.

Eligible Activities

• Influence Grants 
  • Examples of activities that could be funded through an Influence Grant include:
    • engagement national or jurisdictional policy, regulatory and market design review processes;
    • engagement in a network revenue determination;
    • rule changes to amend National Electricity Rules;
    • developing a network of new consumer voices; or
    • undertaking research.

Eligibility Criteria

• To be eligible applicants must be a not-for-profit organisation, with a purpose or mandate that permits them to be an advocate for residential and small business energy consumers, or a bona fide research organisation with a public purpose. The proposed project must demonstrate how it will build knowledge and/or sectoral capacity supporting policy development and consumer education in the National Energy Market.
• Applicants who wish to consider developing a Collaboration Grant should submit a brief (no more than 2 pages) proposal to the Grants Manager.

For more information, visit Energy Consumers Australia.