Deadline: September 30, 2025
The Energy Innovation Fund’s Technology Demonstration Grant supports energy transition technology innovation projects with potential to export outside the ACT.
The focus areas include supporting energy transition innovation technologies that can be exported, accelerating research, development, and commercialisation of critical renewable energy and enabling technologies, translating research into commercial applications, incentivising collaboration across industry and research organisations, and fostering growth and development of the ACT renewable energy sector.
The ACT is recognized globally for world-class renewable energy research and innovation, offering an incubator for diverse energy technologies such as renewable energy asset management software, distributed energy resources, virtual power plants, energy storage and grid integration, renewable hydrogen, wind and solar generation, sector coupling, and electrification, bolstered by excellent research and development capabilities. The grant supports projects from technology research and development stages to demonstration, aiming to contribute to the ACT’s energy transformation and generate export opportunities.
Funding of up to $10 million is available over five years, with grants ranging between $50,000 and $1,000,000 (excluding GST), focused on early-stage, commercially oriented energy transition innovations regardless of the specific energy subsector. Eligible projects can include emerging storage technologies, electricity demand-side solutions, or innovative zero emissions transport business models. Applicants must demonstrate the ability to meet milestones within three years and provide a minimum 1:1 matched co-contribution, which can include cash or in-kind contributions, with preference for higher cash funding.
Projects suitable for funding may focus on generating renewable energy, improving energy storage, enhancing the management and optimisation of energy assets, accelerating electrification in various sectors, developing renewable hydrogen technologies, pilot schemes for green gases like biomethane, advancing energy efficiency and demand management in residential settings, technologies to reduce energy use in complex buildings, integrating consumer energy resources, addressing barriers to zero-emission technology uptake, and optimising electricity network efficiency and resilience, including repurposing and recycling renewable energy components and batteries.
Applicants must meet general eligibility criteria, have adequate resources to initiate and complete projects, and align with broader government policies such as the ACT Climate Change Strategy, Zero Emissions Vehicle Strategy, and the Integrated Energy Plan. The selection process assesses innovation, technical and commercial viability, organizational capacity, and return on investment, with an emphasis on collaborative and export-oriented projects that support Canberra’s vision as a renewable energy innovation hub.
For more information, visit ACT Government.
