National Industrial Transformation Program

At the time of applying and throughout the life of the Project, the Applicant must hold an Australian Business Number (ABN) and be:

• an Australian entity incorporated under the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth);
• an Australian State or Territory owned corporation, or a subsidiary of an Australian state or territory owned corporation; or
• an Australian local government or council or an Australian organisation that is purposed with representing and supporting local governments or councils.

See the guidelines for full details of organisations eligible for NITP support.

The five Merit Criteria will be equally weighted, and are as follows:

1. Merit Criterion A: Contribution to the Program Objectives;

• This criterion assesses how well the Project contributes to the Program Objectives identified in Item 1.7 of the guidelines and alignment with any relevant Funding Announcement or Targeted Funding Rounds.

2. Merit Criterion B: Applicant capability and capacity;

• This criterion focuses on the extent to which the application demonstrates that the Applicant, Project Partners and any relevant third-party organisations have the capability and capacity to deliver the Project.
• The role of the Industrial Facility (in the instance where they are not the lead Applicant) and their level of commitment to the Project must be clearly addressed.

3. Merit Criterion C: Project design and methodology;

• how well designed and planned the Project is, including whether it has clearly defined objectives and methodology, as well as the Applicant’s approach to identifying, managing and reporting the personnel, delivery, technical and financial risks of the Project;
• the relative status of key Project workstreams (such as supplier agreements and any necessary permits or approvals) and readiness of the Project to be delivered;
• the extent to which First Nations communities have been engaged or involved with the negotiations, decision making and benefit sharing of the Project (where relevant);
• Project risk in terms of the likely success of the Project, the achievement of intended outcomes that align with the Program Objectives and any relevant Funding Announcements;
• the risk of negotiating and executing a Funding Arrangement which is acceptable to ARENA; and
• compliance with any other requirements outlined in Part 6.

4. Merit Criterion D: Financial viability and co-funding commitment; and

• This criterion assesses the Project’s value for money, whether the amount of ARENA funding sought (and the form in which it is to be provided) and the total cost of the Project is appropriate and the financial capacity of the Applicant and Project Partners to deliver the Project.

5. Merit Criterion E: Knowledge Sharing.

• the value of the knowledge generated by the Project in contributing to the Program Objectives;
• how well that knowledge is targeted to specific audiences; and
• how the Applicant will capture, store, and disseminate the data, information and lessons learned from the Project.

See the guidelines for full details of the assessment criteria.

Applicants must:

• Read and understand the guidelines.
• Ensure eligibility for the funding. Applicants that do not meet all the eligibility criteria will not be considered.
• Deliver the project as outlined in the application.
• Provide complete information requirements.

EOIs should include the following information:

• a well-articulated plan for the delivery of the proposed Project. This should be contained in a preliminary Project plan that outlines the objectives, scope, technical design and delivery methodology, budget and knowledge sharing for the Project with sufficient information to demonstrate merit against the criteria set out in Part 4 of these Guidelines. Refer to the Project Plan Guidance on the Program webpage for further information on the expected requirements for a Project plan at EOI stage;
• an indicative ‘Project emissions’ estimate (in Excel format) which includes data on actual and forecast emissions over time (the counterfactual scenario) and the estimated emissions reduction potential of the Project (on implementation), with clearly labelled input assumptions. Where relevant, this should include a scenario which sizes (at a high level) the potential emissions reduction opportunity if replicated at scale in the Industrial Facility, at other similar sites or across industry more broadly;
• an indicative financial model (in Excel format) which includes a breakdown of the major cost items informing the Project budget (with clearly labelled input assumptions and associated level of accuracy) and expected sources of funding (and revenue if relevant);
• evidence of the nature of commitment from the Industrial Facility (if they are not the lead Applicant). Evidence may include term sheets, letters of support (from an appropriately authorised representative) or draft agreements; and
• a knowledge sharing plan which articulates the key knowledge gaps the project will seek to address.

ARENA may seek supplementary information or clarification from an Applicant or decline to assess the EOI in the instance specified information is not provided to ARENA’s satisfaction.

Applicants may be invited by ARENA to submit a Full Application, generally following submission and assessment of an EOI as described below. The timing and deadlines of the Full Application will be provided by ARENA on invitation to submit a Full Application.

Full Applications should include the following information:

• an updated, well-articulated plan for the delivery of the proposed Project. This should be an updated Project plan that provides additional detail on the objectives, scope, technical design and delivery methodology, budget and knowledge sharing for the Project with detailed information to clearly demonstrate merit against the criteria set out in Part 4 of these Guidelines. Refer to the Project Plan Guidance on the Program webpage for further information on the expected requirements for a Project plan at Full Application stage;
• updated ‘Project emissions’ analysis (in Excel format) with actual emissions and refined emissions forecasts over time (the counterfactual scenario) and revised estimates of the emissions reduction potential of the Project on implementation (including a breakdown of emissions reduction levers), with clearly labelled input assumptions. The analysis should also include an updated scenario sizing the potential emissions reduction opportunity if replicated at scale in the Industrial Facility, at other similar sites or across industry more broadly;
• a dynamic financial model (in Excel format) which includes the expected costs over the life of the Project (with clear breakdown of cost categories and input assumptions), sources of Project funding (and revenue if relevant) over the life of the Project and associated economic returns of the Project. This should include analysis of scenarios with and without ARENA funding;
• a Risk Management Plan that includes key technical, regulatory, commercial, personnel, schedule, and delivery risks of the Project and how these will be managed, including work health and safety (WHS) requirements where relevant (according to the ARENA template provided in the Funding Agreement), as well as a Hazard and Operability Analysis (HAZOP) plan where relevant;
• a detailed Knowledge Sharing Plan which articulates the key knowledge gaps the project will seek to address along with proposed knowledge sharing deliverables to be provided throughout the life of the project (according to the ARENA template provided in the Funding Agreement);
• a table stating any general conditions of the draft Funding Agreement that the Applicant does not accept, accepts in part, or does not consider to be applicable;
• evidence of support by participating organisation(s), including their time or resource commitment to the Project and commitment to provide the specified cash and In-Kind Contributions for the duration of the Project. Evidence may include term sheets, letters of support (from an appropriately authorised representative) or draft agreements; and
• other forms of government support (where possible the specific contribution should be referenced)

See the guidelines for full details of information requirements.

All applications must be submitted online using ARENA’s grants management system, ARENANet, or as otherwise directed by ARENA.

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