Business, Industry and Infrastructure Funding Opportunities - March 2024

Welcome to our Business and Infrastructure Funding Opportunities Newsletter where you will find details of grant and funding programs that are available for the Northern Inland Region for businesses and infrastructure projects.

Due to the number of grants that are available, we send two funding opportunities newsletters a month; one for Business and Infrastructure and another for Community Projects and Award Programs. These newsletters are a free service that we provide, and can you can add the Community Funding Opportunities and Awards Programs newsletter to your subscriptions by filling your details into the subscription form in the footer of our website : www.rdani.org.au

We wish you all the best with the Funding Opportunities below and if you are looking for a grant between newsletters, have a look at the grants area of our website which is updated weekly: www.rdani.org.au/our-region/grants-and-funding-opportunities.php

If you need some facts and figures for your applications, a range of data for our region is also available on our website here: www.rdani.org.au/our-region/regional-data.php

Please note the below information is intended as a guide only. Closing dates and other details should be verified using the links provided as they are subject to change by the providers without notice.

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Featured Grants

Climate-Smart Agriculture Program - Capacity Building Grants - Round 1
Closes: 28th of March 2024 - 9:00 pm
Value: $10,000 to $1 Million
Run By: Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

The Climate-Smart Agriculture Program will support Australia’s agriculture sector to drive climate-smart, sustainable growth, and protect Australia’s natural capital by funding best practice sustainable agriculture and natural resource management activities.

This grant opportunity will support farmers to increase their awareness, knowledge and skills of best practice climate-smart sustainable agriculture approaches. It will also increase the capacity and capability of community, Landcare groups, First Nations groups and organisations, and industry partnerships to assist farmers to adopt climate-smart and sustainable agriculture practices. A range of climate-smart, sustainable agriculture projects will be eligible.

The grant opportunity will contribute to the following Capacity Building grant opportunity outcomes:

• Outcome 1: farmers and land holders have increased awareness, knowledge and skills of best practice climate-smart sustainable agriculture approaches.
• Outcome 2: community, Landcare groups, First Nations peoples and industry have increased capacity and capability to assist farmers and land holders to adopt climate-smart and sustainable agriculture practices.
• Outcome 3: the agriculture sector is utilising proven climate-smart and sustainable agriculture practices, initiatives and information sources to increase adoption at scale.

 

Small Business Skills and Training Boost
Closes: 30th of June 2024
Value: Additional 20% tax deduction on eligible expenditure
Run By: Australian Taxation Office

Small businesses with an aggregated annual turnover of less than $50 million will be allowed an additional 20% tax deduction for external training courses delivered to employees by registered training providers.

The expenditure must be:

• for the provision of training to employees of your business, either in-person in Australia, or online
• charged, directly or indirectly, by a registered external training provider that is not you or an associate of yours
• already deductible for your business under taxation law
•  incurred within a specified period (between 7:30 pm AEDT or by legal time in the ACT on 29 March 2022 and 30 June 2024).

The bonus deduction is available for expenditure for the provision of training to one or more employees of your business. The training provider must meet certain registration criteria for the bonus deduction.

 

Community Energy Upgrades Fund - Round 1
Closes: 30th of April 2024 - 5:00 pm
Value: $25,000 to $2.5 Million
Run By: Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

This program will co-fund energy efficiency and electrification upgrades for local governments to deliver reduced energy bills and emissions from local government owned and/or operated facilities.

The objectives of the program are to support:

• the Government’s broader efforts to reduce emissions and improve energy performance and contribute to Australia meeting its emission reduction targets of 43 percent by 2030, Net-Zero emissions by 2050 and 82% renewable electricity generation by 2030
• local governments to decarbonise their operations and reduce energy bills through energy efficiency and load flexibility upgrades and electrification of their facilities
• the improvement in energy performance necessary to more easily utilise renewable electricity and improve system reliability.

Closing in March

Climate-Smart Agriculture Program - Capacity Building Grants - Round 1
Closes: 28th of March 2024 - 9:00 pm
Value: $10,000 to $1 Million
Run By: Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
Support farmers to increase their awareness, knowledge and skills of best practice climate-smart sustainable agriculture approaches and increase the capacity and capability of community groups and industry partnerships to assist farmers.

Defence Global Competitiveness Grants
Current batch Closes: 31st of March 2024
Value: $15,000 to $150,000
Run By: Australian Government Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources
Helps Australian SMEs to invest in projects that build export capability to build a stronger, more sustainable and globally competitive Australian defence industry.

NSW Sheep and Goat Electronic Identification (eID) Rebate Scheme
Closes: 31st of March 2024
Value: Varies
Run By: NSW Department of Primary Industries
Rebates for primary producers, processors, saleyard and stock and station agents to help with the costs of implementing eID tagging systems.

Closing in April

2023 COVID-19 Aged Care Support Program - Reimbursement Stream
Closes: 3rd of April 2024 - 2:00 pm
Value: $2,000 per resident plus $20,000 base funding
Run By: Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care
Supports aged care providers to transition towards managing the costs of COVID-19 outbreaks as part of their business-as-usual arrangements.

Business Research and Innovation Initiative (BRII) – Renewables and Low Emissions Round – Feasibility
Closes: 3rd of April 2024 - 5:00 pm
Value: $50,000 to $100,000
Run By: Australian Government Department of Industry, Science and Resources
Provides small to medium sized enterprises  with  funding to develop innovative solutions for government policy and service delivery challenges with a focus on renewables and low emissions practices.

Clean Technology Innovation - Commercial Readiness
Closes: 5th of April 2024
Value: Between $250,000 to $5 Million per project for up to 50% of eligible project costs
Run By: NSW Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
New clean technology projects can benefit from funding to accelerate beyond the research and development stage into piloting and demonstration.

Energy Efficiency Grants for Small and Medium Enterprises - Round 2
Closes: 8th of April 2024 - 5:00 pm
Value: $10,000 to $25,000
Run By: Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
Support for small and medium businesses to upgrade or replace inefficient equipment to improve their energy efficiency.

Climate-Smart Agriculture Program - Partnerships and Innovation Grants
Closes: 8th of April 2024 - 9:00 pm
Value: $250,000 to $5 Million
Run By: Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
Support large scale projects to develop, trial and implement new and innovative tools that lead to practice change and reduce pressure on Australia’s natural resources while increasing productive and profitable agriculture industries and systems.

Support Plantation Establishment 2024–25
Closes: 15th of April 2024 - 9:00 pm
Value: $40,000 to unspecified maximum
Run By: Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
Supports the establishment of new long-rotation softwood and hardwood plantation forests and assist the sector to respond to the projected growth in demand for domestically sourced timber resources.

Community Energy Upgrades Fund - Round 1
Closes: 30th of April 2024 - 5:00 pm
Value: $25,000 to $2.5 Million
Run By: Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
Co-funding for energy efficiency and electrification upgrades for local governments to deliver reduced energy bills and emissions from local government owned and/or operated facilities.

Closing in May

Clean Technology Innovation - Project Development
Closes: 3rd of May 2024
Value: Up to $250,000 per project for up to 50% of eligible project costs
Run By: NSW Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
New clean technology projects can benefit from funding to accelerate beyond the research and development stage into piloting and demonstration.

Electric Vehicle Destination Charging Grants
Closes: 3rd of May 2024
Value: Varies
Run By: NSW Government Climate and Energy Action
Co-funding is available to assist eligible regional NSW businesses with the purchase and installation of EV chargers.

Innovator Training Program
Closes: 17th of May 2024
Run By: Aged Care Research and Industry Innovation Australia
This free program is designed to provide you or your team with tools and skills to use available knowledge and evidence to solve a problem in your workplace.

Regional and Remote Airports Security Awareness Program
Closes: 30th of May 2024 - 5:00 pm
Value: $1,000 to $5,000
Run By: Australian Government Department of Home Affairs
Re-imbursement based funding to support regional and remote airports to meet requirements of the Screener Accreditation Scheme.

Automatic Dependent Surveillance (ADS-B) Broadcast Rebate Program
Closes: 31st of May 2024 - 5:00 pm or until expended
Value: Up to $5,000 per eligible aircraft
Run By: Australian Government Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts
Incentivises voluntary uptake of ADS-B equipment in Australian– registered aircraft operating under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) to improve safety and efficiency for Australian airspace users.

On Farm Connectivity Program
Closes: 31st of May 2024 - 5:00 pm
Value: $3,000 to $30,000
Run By: Australian Government Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts
Assists primary producers to take advantage of digital agribusiness solutions to boost productivity and improve safety.

Closing Later

Australian Apprenticeships Incentives Program - 2022 to 2024
Closes: 30th of June 2024
Run By: Australian Government Department of Employment and Workplace Relations
Broad support program for eligible employers who employ apprentices in priority occupations.

Elsa Dixon Aboriginal Employment Grant - 2023-24
Ongoing Until Closes: 30th of June 2024
Value: $10,000 to $40,000
Run By: NSW Government Department of Education
A number of strategies to develop and support Aboriginal people through the creation of training and employment opportunities.

Local Roads and Community Infrastructure (LRCI) Program - Phase 4
Closes: 30th of June 2024 - 5:00 pm
Value: $15,698 to $11.7839 Million
Run By: Australian Government Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts
Funding to Local Councils for a broad range of projects to fund so that communities can continue to be provided with the infrastructure they require.

Small Business Skills and Training Boost
Closes: 30th of June 2024
Value: Additional 20% tax deduction on eligible expenditure
Run By: Australian Taxation Office
A 20% bonus deduction on certain eligible training expenditure for your employees for businesses with an aggregated annual turnover of less than $50 million.

Small Business Technology Investment Boost
Closes: 30th of June 2024
Value: Up to $20,000
Run By: Australian Taxation Office
A 20% bonus deduction on technology expenditure to help digitise your small business for small businesses with an aggregated annual turnover of less than $50 million.

Rural Procedural Grants Program
Closes: 31st of December 2024 (extended)
Value: Up to $20,000
Run By: Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine
Support for rural GPs providing unsupervised anaesthetics, obstetrics, surgery and/or emergency medicine to maintain and update their skills.

Regional Australia Microgrid Pilots Program
Closes: 19th of December 2025 or until expended
Value: $1 Million to $5 Million
Run By: Australian Government: Australian Renewable Energy Agency
Support pilot projects for microgrids in Regional Australia.

Ongoing

Advancing Renewables Program
Closes: Ongoing
Value: Unspecified
Run By: Australian Government: Australian Renewable Energy Agency
Supports a broad range of development, demonstration and pre-commercial deployment projects that can deliver affordable and reliable renewable energy for Australian families and businesses.

AgBiz Drought Loans
Closes: Ongoing
Value: Up to $500,000
Run By: Australian Government Regional Investment Corporation
A concessional loan if your small business is currently or has been supplying goods or services relating to primary production to farm businesses in an affected area.

Australian Government's Youth Jobs PaTH
Closes: Ongoing
Value: Up to $11,000
Run By: Australian Government Job Active
Helps employers find and recruit the right young person for their business by facilitating trials and providing a wage subsidy of up to $10,000 if you hire them.

Black Spot Program
Closes: Ongoing
Run By: Australian Government Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts
By funding measures such as traffic signals and roundabouts at dangerous locations, the programme reduces the risk of road crashes.

CSIRO Kick-Start
Closes: Ongoing
Value: Up to $50,000 matched funding
Run By: CSIRO
Funding support and access to CSIRO’s research expertise and capabilities to help grow and develop their business.

Drought Loans
Closes: Ongoing
Value: Up to $2 Million
Run By: Australian Government Regional Investment Corporation
Concessional loan to help farm businesses in the agriculture, horticulture, pastoral, apiculture, or aquaculture industryto prepare for, manage through, and recover from drought.

English Family Foundation - Ingnitor Fund
Closes: Ongoing
Value: Up to $100,000
Run By: English Family Foundation
Supports Australian social enterprise change makers who are finding new and innovative solutions to tackle the most pressing issues within their local communities.

Farm Investment Loans
Closes: Ongoing
Value: Up to $2 Million
Run By: Australian Government Regional Investment Corporation
You can apply for this loan if you solely or mainly sell products into supply chains that are interstate or outside Australia, or plan to in the future.

Get Connected Listing for Tourism Businesses
Closes: Ongoing
Value: Website Listing
Run By: Destination NSW
Provides tourism operators with the opportunity to showcase your tourism products on Destination NSW’s consumer websites for free.

Impact Investment Ready Growth Grant
Closes: Ongoing rounds through the year
Value: Up to $140,000
Run By: Impact Investing Australia
Provides impact businesses and mission-driven organisations with grants for business, financial, legal and other capacity building support from providers to secure investment.

Indigenous Business Australia
Closes: Ongoing
Value: Financial support and advice
Run By: Indigenous Business Australia
Assists Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to access the skills, knowledge and resources required to start and grow viable and sustainable businesses.

Landing Pads for Start Ups
Closes: Ongoing
Value: Support
Run By: Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade)
Assists market-ready scaleups take their business globalby providing an operational base and customised support for their overseas expansion goals.

Newsagents Assistance Fund
Closes: Unspecified
Value: Up to $10,000
Run By: NSW Fair Trading
The Newsagents Assistance Fund assists eligible agents to update their NSW Lotteries retail image and fit-out to align with the NSW Lotteries brand.

Regional Investment Attraction - Investment Concierge
Closes: Ongoing
Value: Support
Run By: NSW Government
Grants and interest-free loans targeted at offsetting government levies and duties, such as payroll tax, to eligible businesses that want to invest and grow in regional NSW, which will lead to new jobs.

Safe and Secure Water Program
Closes: Ongoing until expended
Value: No minimum or maximum, $1 Billion total pool
Run By: NSW Government
Co-funds eligible water and sewerage projects that deliver economic growth in regional NSW through improvements to public health, water security, environmental outcomes and/or social benefits.

Tradex Scheme
Closes: Ongoing
Value: Varies based on the the goods imported
Run By: Australian Government Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources
Provides an upfront exemption from Customs duty and GST for eligible goods imported to Australia that are then exported within one year or other approved period.

Business Connect
Closes: Ongoing
Value: Advice and Support
Run By: NSW Government
A dedicated and personalised NSW Government program that provides trusted advice to help you start or grow your small business.

SafeWork Small Business Rebate
Closes: Ongoing
Value: Up to $1,000
Run By: SafeWork NSW
Support for small business owners and sole traders in NSW who buy and install equipment to make their workplace safer.

Ladies in Livestock Program
Closes: Ongoing
Run By: Northern Tablelands Local Land Services
Delivers hands-on, practical skills to women as independent land stewards with a keen interest in agriculture, to work and make decisions on properties.

Major Project Status
Closes: Ongoing
Value: Government Support
Run By: Major Projects Facilitation Agency
Formally recognises the significance of a project to the Australian economy and provides extra support and coordinated approvals.

Employment Assistance Fund
Closes: Ongoing
Value: Unspecified
Run By: Job Access
Assists people with disabilities and mental health conditions to buy work related modifications and services.

Workplace Legal Advice Program
Closes: Ongoing
Run By: Fair Work Ombudsman
Provides eligible employers and employees with free independent legal help to deal with workplace issues. 

Bridges Renewal Program
Closes: Ongoing
Value: Up to $5 Million
Run By: Australian Government Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts
Funding to upgrade and replaceme of bridges to enhance access for local communities and facilitate higher productivity vehicle access.

Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity Program
Closes: Ongoing
Value: Up to $5 Million
Run By: Australian Government Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts
Funds infrastructure projects that improve the productivity and safety outcomes of heavy vehicle operations across Australia.

Regional Roads REPAIR Program
Closes: Ongoing
Value: Undisclosed
Run By: Transport for NSW
assist councils in carrying out larger rehabilitation and development works on regional roads.

Boating Infrastructure Emergency Repair Pool (BIERP)
Closes: Ongoing
Value: Up to $500,000
Run By: Transport for NSW
Funding for repair or replacement of recreational boating infrastructure.

Traffic Route Lighting Subsidy
Closes: Ongoing
Value: Undisclosed
Run By: Transport for NSW
A subsidy for providing a higher level of lighting on certain major routes, with the aim of decreasing night time road crashes.

Electric Vehicle Rebate
Closes: Until allocation exhausted
Value: Up to $3,000
Run By: NSW Government
Rebates for the first 25,000 new full battery electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles purchased.

Local Government Road Safety Program
Closes: Ongoing
Value: Unspecified
Run By: Transport for NSW
Works in partnership with local councils to co-fund Safety Officer positions and contribute funding to projects targeting road safety issues at a local level.

Startup Travel Stipend
Closes: Ongoing
Value: Up to $2,000
Run By: NSW Government
Helps regional recipients of the Minimum Viable Product grant to travel for an innovation-related purpose.

Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme
Closes: Ongoing
Run By: Australian Government Clean Energy Regulator
Creates a financial incentive for individuals and small businesses to instal eligible small-scale renewable energy systems.

Conservation Partners Grant
Closes: Ongoing
Value: Up to $15,000
Run By: NSW Government Biodiversity Conservation Trust
Supports landholders in managing their conservation area, allowing them to improve the biodiversity value of their properties.

Natural Disaster Donated Fodder Transport Subsidy
Closes: Ongoing
Value: Transport costs up to 1,500km
Run By: Rural Assistance Authority
Supports organisations that donate and transport donated fodder to a central location within NSW for the benefit of primary producers with livestock, in the event of a natural disaster.

Airservices Australia Enroute Charges Payment Scheme
Closes: Ongoing
Value: Based on enroute charges
Supports regional commercial airlines operating low volume and new routes to regional and remote communities; as well as aeromedical providers.

Self-Employment Assistance
Closes: Ongoing
Run By: Australian Government Department of Employment
Support to help you turn your business idea or existing small business into a viable business.

Regional Precincts and Partnerships Program: Precinct Delivery - Stream 2
Closes: Ongoing
Value: $5 Million to $50 Million
Run By: Australian Government Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts
Funding to deliver one or more elements of a precinct, including enabling public infrastructure, open spaces between elements, or a particular building/s that is the catalyst for, or complements, other investment within a precinct.

Regional Precincts and Partnerships Program: Precinct Development and Planning
Closes: Ongoing
Value: $500,000 to $5 Million
Run By: Australian Government Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts
Funding to develop a precinct idea through to investment-ready stage to overcome financial constraints that can inhibit great concepts being explored further and developed into realistic, well-designed and planned projects.

High Emitting Industries Grants
Closes: Ongoing
Value: Up to $305,000
Run By: NSW Government Office of Energy and Climate Change
Support for high emitting manufacturing and mining facilities in NSW that emit more than 0.09 MtCO2e per year1 to reduce their emissions beyond current projections.

Strategic Opportunities Program
Closes: Ongoing
Run By: Screen NSW
Supports individual initiatives and events that demonstrate long-term benefits to the NSW screen industry.

Regional Filming Fund - 2023-24
Closes: Ongoing
Value: Up to $175,000
Run By: Screen NSW
Offsets costs associated with shooting in regional areas of NSW. Regional NSW is defined as all areas in NSW outside the Sydney Metro area.

NewAccess for Small Business Owners
Closes: Ongoing
Run By: Beyond Blue
A guided self-help mental health coaching program for small businesss owners developed by Beyond Blue.

Fee-Free Traineeships NSW
Closes: Ongoing
Run By: NSW Government Department of Education
Traineeships are a proven pathway to well-paid jobs in a diverse range of careers and are fee free in NSW.

Industry Growth Program
Closes: Ongoing
Value: $50,000 to $5 Million
Run By: Australian Government Department of Industry, Science and Resources
supports innovative small and medium enterprises undertaking commercialisation and/or growth projects within the National Reconstruction Fund priority areas through advisory services and opportunities for matched grant funding.

Drought Ready and Resilient Fund - Low Interest Loan
Closes: Ongoing
Value: Up to $250,000
Run By: Rural Assistance Authority
Low interest loans to primary producers to fund a broad range of products, activities and services aimed at improving drought preparedness and climate variability resilience.

Fee-free Apprenticeships
Closes: Ongoing
Value: Up to $2,000
Run By: NSW Government Department of Education
The NSW Government is paying the course cost for 100,000 new apprenticeships – meaning apprentices undertaking a government funded apprenticeship no longer face a student fee of up to $2000.

Digital Games Rebate
Closes: Ongoing
Value: $50,000 to unspecified limit
Run By: Screen NSW
A 10 per cent rebate for eligible digital games with qualifying expenditure of at least AU$500,000 on the project in NSW.

Drought Infrastructure Fund
Closes: Ongoing Until Expended
Value: Up to $1 Million
Run By: Rural Assistance Authority
Provides long term, low interest loans to support farmers to invest in permanent on-farm infrastructure that will manage adverse seasonal conditions, ensure long term sustainability and improve farm productivity.

Accelerated Depreciation for Primary Producers
Closes: Ongoing
Run By: Australian Taxation Office
Primary producers may be able to claim an immediate deduction for capital expenses incurred on fencing and fodder storage assets.

Farm Management Deposits Scheme
Closes: Ongoing
Run By: Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
Provides primary production businesses with tax deductions on farm management deposits to help them deal with inconsistent income from natural disasters, climate and market changes.

Plantation Loan
Closes: Ongoing
Value: Up to $2.5 Million
Run By: Australian Government Regional Investment Corporation
Loans are available for farmers seeking to establish and develop new plantations or replant bushfire-damaged plantations as a result of the 2019-20 Black Summer Bushfires.