First Nations Clean Energy Projects

Applicants must:

• Be a First Nations organisation as defined by the guidelines.
• Have an Australian Business Number (ABN).
• Be at least 51% First Nations owned and controlled for the duration of the grant.

Eligible entity types include:

• Registered land councils representing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
• Entities that manage or hold land rights, native title or other Traditional Owner-related agreements and settlements.
• Land councils established under the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976.
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporations registered under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 (Cth).
• Companies limited by guarantee.
• Incorporated trustees acting on behalf of trusts established for the benefit of First Nations peoples.
• Not-for-profit incorporated associations or cooperatives.
• Incorporated associations or cooperatives.

Applicants must also:

• Declare that the grant activity forms part of a broader clean energy project with an expected capacity greater than 1 MW.
• Deliver both the grant activity and broader clean energy project in Australia.
• Demonstrate a legal right to access the project land.
• Demonstrate authority or support from relevant Traditional Owners to undertake the project on the nominated land.
• Declare that the project meets the program definition of a clean energy project.
• Provide evidence verifying the organisation and entity type.
• Provide all mandatory application attachments.

Joint applications are permitted, provided the lead organisation and grant activity partners satisfy the applicable eligibility requirements.

Who is not eligible?

Ineligible applicants include:

• Organisations that do not fall within the eligible entity types.
• Organisations, or project partners, listed by the National Redress Scheme as institutions that have not joined or signified their intention to join the Scheme.
• Organisations that are insolvent, subject to insolvency proceedings or have declared bankruptcy.
• Employers with 100 or more employees that have not complied with the Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012.
• Partnerships.
• Individuals.
• Regional Development Australia Committees.
• Unincorporated associations.
• Trusts, although an eligible incorporated trustee may apply on behalf of a trust.
• Commonwealth, state, territory or local government bodies, including government business enterprises, unless specifically eligible under the guidelines.
• Non-corporate Commonwealth entities.

Applicants must address all three assessment criteria.

Criterion 1 – Alignment with intended program objectives and outcome – 30 points

Applicants should demonstrate and provide evidence of:

• How the grant activity contributes to the First Nations clean energy sector.
• How the activity contributes to the goals, objectives and actions of the First Nations Clean Energy Strategy.
• Alignment with other relevant Australian Government priorities.
• How the project promotes First Nations leadership.
• How First Nations peoples participate in project decision-making.
• How First Nations peoples will participate in and benefit from the clean energy project.
• Engagement undertaken with First Nations stakeholders and communities.
• How First Nations women and other groups are being engaged and involved.
• Opportunities for direct participation by First Nations stakeholders and communities.
• Capacity-building activities for First Nations stakeholders and communities.
• Communication and engagement activities supporting meaningful participation.
• The organisational structure of the clean energy project.
• The role of First Nations organisations within the project structure.
• Any First Nations ownership or equity stake in the clean energy project.
• The role of First Nations organisations in project decision-making and management.

Criterion 2 – Capacity, capability and resources and commercial strategy to deliver the clean energy project – 40 points

Applicants should demonstrate and provide evidence of:

• A credible pathway for the clean energy project to achieve financial close.
• How the future project can be deployed and generate sustainable long-term financial returns.
• Commercial funding sources that are already secured or being pursued.
• Partnerships that will assist the project to reach financial close.
• Access to appropriately skilled and experienced personnel.
• Clean energy project management capability.
• Commercial expertise.
• Legal expertise.
• Technical expertise.
• Access to the physical resources and facilities required to deliver the project.
• Access to relevant intellectual property.
• How existing organisational capabilities will be leveraged.
• How the capabilities and strengths of project partners will be used.
• The applicant’s track record in delivering and implementing similar projects, noting that relevant experience is not limited to clean energy projects.
• Capacity to manage and deliver the clean energy project throughout its lifecycle.
• A credible clean energy project risk management plan.
• Clearly defined development milestones.
• Current and future financial contributions from the applicant.
• Financial contributions from project partners.
• Government funding contributions, where relevant.
• Investor contributions and other commercial funding sources, where relevant.
• How private and/or government investment will be leveraged.
• How the proposed funding approach will achieve value for money.

Criterion 3 – Impact of grant funding – 30 points

Applicants should demonstrate and provide evidence of:

• The key barriers currently preventing the clean energy project from progressing towards financial close.
• How the proposed grant activities will address or overcome those barriers.
• How grant funding will enable the project to progress towards or achieve financial close.
• How grant funding will be allocated across eligible activities.
• How funded activities align with project plan delivery milestones.
• The expected social benefits generated by the clean energy project.
• The expected economic benefits generated by the clean energy project.
• The expected environmental benefits generated by the clean energy project.
• Benefits specifically flowing to First Nations communities involved in or affected by the project.
• First Nations workforce development opportunities.
• First Nations supply chain opportunities.
• Benefits for First Nations women.
• Benefits for other First Nations groups, including young people, Elders and people living with disability.

Value for money

Eligible applications will also be considered on their merits and compared with competing applications.

Value for money considerations include:

• The overall objectives of the grant opportunity.
• Evidence demonstrating how the grant activity contributes to those objectives.
• The relative value of the grant funding sought.
• The credibility of the proposed pathway to financial close.
• The project’s ability to generate sustainable long-term financial returns.
• The extent to which the project promotes First Nations leadership, decision-making and participation.
• Benefits and opportunities for First Nations peoples, including women, young people, Elders and people living with disability.

If applications receive the same score, the Assessment Committee will consider value for money and alignment with program objectives when determining its funding recommendations.

To successfully compete for funding, applicants should clearly demonstrate:

• Strong alignment between the proposed activities and the First Nations Clean Energy Strategy.
• A genuine First Nations-led approach to project ownership, governance, leadership and decision-making.
• Meaningful engagement with Traditional Owners and affected First Nations communities.
• Appropriate authority or support from relevant Traditional Owners.
• Secure legal access to the land required for the project.
• A project that has progressed beyond feasibility and has a realistic pathway towards financial close.
• A credible commercial strategy supported by realistic financial assumptions.
• A robust financing and revenue model demonstrating the project’s long-term commercial potential.
• Clearly identified barriers to financial close and a convincing explanation of how grant funding will overcome them.
• A capable project team with appropriate technical, commercial, legal, financial and project management expertise.
• A strong delivery track record and appropriate project partnerships.
• Clearly defined project milestones, timelines and procurement arrangements.
• Robust risk identification and mitigation measures.
• Sufficient financial capacity and evidence of current or prospective investment and funding.
• Strong value for money, including evidence that grant funding will leverage wider private and/or government investment.
• Clear economic, social and environmental benefits.
• Tangible First Nations workforce, skills development and supply chain opportunities.
• Specific benefits for First Nations women and other groups, including young people, Elders and people living with disability.
• A credible community benefit approach.
• A commitment to sharing project development lessons with the broader First Nations clean energy sector.
• Detailed, relevant and credible supporting evidence for all assessment claims.

Applicants should prepare the following information and mandatory supporting documents:

• A clean energy project plan of no more than 20 pages.
• Project objectives, outcomes and success criteria.
• A map showing the proposed project site.
• A financing and revenue model calculated over the life of the clean energy project.
• Total estimated project cost.
• Project cash flow profile.
• Expected revenues and evidence supporting revenue projections.
• Expected costs with clear cost categories.
• Assumptions regarding the proposed equity and debt financing mix.
• Relevant investment criteria and clearly labelled financial assumptions.
• A detailed project timeline with key milestones, delivery dates and assumptions.
• A clearly defined contracting and procurement plan.
• Details of known commercial funding arrangements and relevant in-kind contributions.
• Relevant industry benchmarks for project economics, where feasible.
• A list of outstanding activities required to reach financial close and their anticipated expenditure.
• Details of the status of development, planning and environmental approvals, permits and licences.
• Relevant pre-feasibility and/or feasibility analysis and assessment findings.
• A project risk management plan covering key delivery, technical and financial risks.
• Details of known competing or co-located clean energy projects.
• A stakeholder engagement plan.
• Evidence of consent from impacted First Nations communities where applicable.
• A community benefit plan or statement and supporting evidence of expected project impacts.
• A detailed grant activity budget and cost breakdown showing how grant funding will be spent on eligible activities.
• Details of the clean energy project’s ownership structure, governance and partnership arrangements.
• Evidence verifying the applicant’s eligible entity type.
• Constitutional documents and/or Articles of Association where required.
• A trust deed where applicable.
• Evidence demonstrating legal access to the project land.
• A letter of endorsement where the applicant does not own or lease the project land, together with a project site map.
• Written evidence of authority or support from relevant Traditional Owners.
• Evidence that Traditional Owner support was considered in accordance with the relevant governance framework.
• An accountant declaration using the prescribed template.
• Evidence of support from the board, CEO or equivalent using the prescribed template, where required.
• Letters of support from each grant activity partner for consortium applications.
• Evidence supporting each response to the three assessment criteria.
• Relevant organisational and project financial information.
• Details of project partners and their roles, experience, responsibilities and resources.
• Details of any actual, apparent or perceived conflicts of interest and how they will be managed.
• Australian bank account details for the applicant organisation.

Individual attachments must be smaller than 25 MB and the combined total of all attachments cannot exceed 50 MB. Applicants should only attach documents requested by the application or specifically referred to in their responses.

Applications must be submitted through the business.gov.au online portal.

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