High Emitting Industries grant FAQs

Decarbonising manufacturing and mining sectors will:

• help NSW reach net zero by 2050
• improve air quality
• grow and diversify our economy
• create new jobs
• improve our energy security
• provide businesses with more choices to increase revenue, increase productivity, produce higher value products, grow new low carbon industries and reduce emissions.

High emitting facilities are those that have emitted more than 90,000 tCO₂ per year in any year since the 2018-19 financial year. Only high emitting manufacturing or mining facilities in NSW are supported by this funding.

Examples include:

• facilities in mining sectors
  • coal mining
  • metal ore mining
• facilities in manufacturing sectors
  • basic ferrous metals
  • basic non-ferrous metals
  • manufacturing – general
  • grain mill and cereal products
  • other basic chemical products
  • pulp, paper, and paperboard
  • cement, lime, plaster, and concrete
  • glass
• any other mining or manufacturing facilities in NSW that have emitted more than 90,000 tCO₂-e per year in any year since the 2018-19 financial year. 

We are looking for projects that achieve significant carbon avoidance or removal through 2 investment priorities:

• Priority 1: deploy opportunities to reduce industrial emissions
• Priority 2: accelerate strategic abatement opportunities.

These priorities will be updated every 2 years to ensure our program evolves with NSW industry’s approach to decarbonisation. Section 4 of our Net Zero Industry and Innovation Investment Plan provides more details about our investment priorities and opportunities for 2022-2024.

The duration of each project depends on its complexity. However, all pre-deployment projects should be completed by 2030 and deployment projects fully commissioned and operational by 2030. 

To be eligible for funding, an application must meet all eligibility criteria in both the fast-track assessment (stage 1) and full application (stage 2). These apply to both pre-deployment and deployment projects. 

The 'eligibility and merit criteria' section of the guidelines provides more details.

Yes. Collaboration is a key objective for this funding opportunity. We encourage applications with multi-disciplinary expertise and financial co-contributions. You should showcase the strength of your project’s collaboration in your application.

Yes. You can apply for funding if your business has also received other government funding. However, if your project has already received other government funding you must clearly demonstrate that your application would not proceed without High Emitting Industries funding.

No. Projects must be located and delivered within NSW to be eligible for this funding.

Funding is only available for organisations registered in Australia with an active Australian Business Number.

We are aware that NSW or Australia may not have the necessary expertise for your project. It is acceptable to outsource expertise if the project benefits NSW.

Applicants seeking funding must contribute at least 50% of the eligible costs of the project. Higher contributions are preferred, and we will determine the final funding amount to be provided after assessing your application. Co-contribution can be provided by the applicant’s organisation or through arrangements with partner organisations not affiliated with the NSW Government. Appendix C in the guidelines provide more information about eligible costs.

You can email us at [email protected] to discuss your project. 

You can also complete our project idea form to help us understand and provide feedback on your proposed project at its initial stages. 

The application process is in 2 stages and is non-competitive. This includes an initial fast-track assessment (stage 1) followed by a full application (stage 2). If your application is successful in stage 1, you will be invited to the full application stage. 

Applicants who are successful at the full application stage will be invited to enter into a funding agreement with us. The ‘application and assessment process’ section of the guidelines provides more details.

All applications must be submitted via our grant management system. Applications close at midnight on 31 December 2026 (AEDT) or earlier if funding is exhausted.

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Yes, we may waive the requirement for a stage 1 application in certain cases. For example, we may waive the requirement if: 

• you have previously accessed funding to conduct a pre-deployment project 
• you were a participant in the Transformative Industry Projects scoping studies 
• the project aligns closely to our decarbonisation plans.

You can email us at [email protected] to discuss a possible stage 1 exemption.
 

No, there is no limit on the number of applications submitted by an applicant, business, organisation or facility as long as they represent different projects.

At this stage of the application process, you can submit a shorter, high-level application outlining the key elements of your project for consideration by our technical assessors. During this process there is no need for you to provide a detailed breakdown and analysis. We will discuss any additional project elements which may be needed prior to your project progressing to Stage 2.

We will notify you by email when your application has been received. If you do not receive this notification or have any other questions about your application, email us at [email protected]

We will assess applications against the eligibility and merit criteria outlined in the 'eligibility and merit criteria' section of the guidelines. All applications will be assessed on a non-competitive basis.

Applications submitted at any time will be assessed immediately. We expect that Stage 1 reviews will take 4 to 6 weeks. If successful, we will invite you to submit a full application.

Yes. If you are unsuccessful, we will advise you in writing with details on how to seek feedback on your application.

We have committed $305 million to support NSW’s manufacturing and mining facilities to significantly reduce their emissions and strengthen their resilience into the future. There is no predefined limit on how much each application can apply for. The grant amount depends on the abatement potential and size of the project. We will determine the final funding amount to be provided after assessing your application.

No. Only new contributions will be considered.

No. The co-contribution must include a cash component. Higher cash contributions are preferred. 

Co-contribution, including the cash component, should be confirmed by the time you submit a full application. If there is likely to be a delay in confirming co-contribution funds, you should email us at [email protected]. We will not enter into a funding agreement unless you have confirmed co-contribution funding. This may include letters from funding bodies or private investors.

No. Cash contributions can be from any source. All co-contributions must be confirmed prior to grants being awarded. Any conditions or requirements of co-contribution funding must also be compatible with these grants.

The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water has legal obligations under the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 (NSW) in relation to the collection, storage, access, use and disclosure of personal information. If collecting your personal information, we will provide you with a privacy statement at the time of collection that details how this information will be managed in accordance with privacy law.