NSW Net Zero Planning Grant Round 2: Turning Funding into a Credible Net Zero Pathway

Round 2 of the NSW Net Zero Planning Grant is now open, offering eligible NSW businesses up to $25,000 to cover up to half the cost of building a credible, actionable pathway to net zero. Applications close at 5pm (AEDT) on Monday 30 November 2026, or earlier if funding runs out.

For large energy users, the case for planning has never been stronger. Energy costs remain volatile, customers and investors are asking harder questions about emissions, and climate-related reporting obligations are expanding. A well-built net zero plan turns those pressures into a clear, costed program of action, and this grant takes a meaningful share of the upfront cost off the table.

The NSW Government has committed $2 million to this round as part of its $22 million Business Decarbonisation Program. Round 1 awarded $1.3 million to 46 businesses across the state. Round 2 is non-competitive: applications are assessed as they arrive until the funding runs out, so applying early matters.

What the grant covers

The grant funds up to 50% of eligible project costs, to a maximum of $25,000, for strategic net zero planning. Eligible work includes:

• Developing a net zero action plan

• Building a greenhouse gas inventory

• Assessing climate-related risks and opportunities

• Setting emissions reduction targets

• Strengthening governance, reporting and stakeholder engagement

• Identifying ways to cut emissions, energy use and operating costs

  
  

Grant recipients also work with the NSW Government's Net Zero Business Guide, a practical framework shaped by the experience of more than 50 organisations. Certain businesses holding an Environment Protection Licence can also use the funding to prepare their first Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Plan under new NSW EPA requirements.

Funding is paid across two milestones: up to $2,000 for an initial net zero planning assessment (6 weeks), then up to $23,000 for detailed work such as a greenhouse gas inventory, targets or an action plan (18 weeks). Both milestones must be delivered by an external specialist consultant chosen by the business.

Who can apply

To be eligible, your business must:

• Have an ABN and be registered for GST

• Have a NSW site address and business operations in NSW

• Spend at least $200,000 a year on energy at a single NSW site, or $500,000 a year across multiple NSW sites (including all purchased fuels)

Key date: applications close at 5pm (AEDT) on Monday 30 November 2026, and are assessed as they are received until funding is exhausted. Applying early gives you the best chance of securing a share of the $2 million pool. Full details are in the Round 2 Funding Guidelines.

Not sure whether your business qualifies? Call our Director of Projects, Mark Wallace (+61 475 894 971), or email admin@energylinkservices.com.au and we will talk you through your eligibility.

How EnergyLink can help

EnergyLink Services has helped 8 clients across a range of sectors secure and deliver on the Net Zero Planning Grant (Round 1). Our support covers the full journey, from confirming eligibility to turning the plan into action:

• Complete service offering for an actionable Net Zero Plan. We build your emissions baseline and inventory, identify and cost reduction opportunities, and set targets your business can stand behind.

• Implementation of the pathway to achieve cost savings and emissions reductions. Our engineering team helps turn the plan into delivered projects, so the savings show up on your energy bills, not just in a report.

• End-to-end fund application management. We manage the application process on your behalf, aligning the project scope with the grant guidelines and assessment criteria.

• Ongoing system optimisation and data utilisation support. We help you track progress against targets and use your energy and emissions data to keep improving.

To discuss your project, contact Mark Wallace (+61 475 894 971), or email admin@energylinkservices.com.au.

Grant success in practice

Retirement living operator

A large national retirement living operator, with a portfolio of thousands of units across Australia, had set ambitious science-based targets to cut Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions from its owned and leased buildings, as well as the upfront embodied emissions of new developments. The challenge was turning those targets into a decision-ready framework that could guide and prioritise investment.

EnergyLink helped the operator secure Round 1 funding under the NSW Net Zero Planning Grant and guided it through the full grant process, from application through to each funding milestone. The grant was pivotal: it enabled our team to build out a robust analytical approach for the operator’s NSW portfolio over a nine-month program. Through this work, we:

• Identified emissions reduction opportunities and developed a marginal abatement cost (MAC) curve to support investment decisions.

• Modelled three decarbonisation scenarios based on different grid emissions factor trajectories and reporting approaches (location-based and market-based), giving the operator visibility over a range of plausible futures.

• Developed a hybrid pathway with staged review checkpoints, so near-term decisions hold up across scenarios. The reviews keep strategy responsive to regulatory and market changes, and flag any material shifts in financial modelling so they can be re-modelled and communicated to investors and other stakeholders.

Building on this grant-funded foundation, the operator then engaged EnergyLink to extend the modelling into a national decarbonisation transition plan covering its entire Australian portfolio. As a result, the operator is well positioned to achieve its interim science-based targets by FY30.

Independent college

An independent Sydney college partnered with EnergyLink to build a pathway to net zero Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2035. EnergyLink managed the college’s application for Round 1 of the NSW Net Zero Planning Grant end to end, aligning the project scope with the grant guidelines and securing funding to share the cost of its net zero planning.

Over a 10-month program, our team carried out a detailed energy audit and established a 2024 emissions baseline. From there, we delivered:

• Costed decarbonisation opportunities, each modelled for energy savings, emissions reduction, capital cost and payback.

• Two scenario-based pathways, differentiated by the timing of renewable energy certificate and offset purchases.

• A Metering and Monitoring Plan proposing meters across electrical, thermal and gas systems – moving the college from invoice-based tracking to active, real-time energy management.

• Governance and capability building through a staff-led Net Zero working group, training programs and tools for ongoing emissions tracking.

• Student engagement, including an on-site session where students helped collect data for the college’s carbon inventory.

• Scope 3 foundations, with a preliminary assessment and a roadmap to improve supply chain data over time.

Danebank Anglican School for Girls

Danebank Anglican School for Girls wanted to understand what it would take to reach net zero. EnergyLink managed the school’s application for Round 1 of the NSW Net Zero Planning Grant from start to finish, scoping the project to meet the grant guidelines and securing funding to share the cost of its net zero planning.

Over a nine-month program, our team completed a detailed energy and carbon audit that set 2024 as the baseline year and mapped Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions. From there, we delivered:

• A targeted energy audit identifying optimisation and upgrades, together capable of reducing campus electricity use by up to 40%.

• A Marginal Abatement Cost (MAC) curve to rank initiatives by cost-effectiveness.

• Physical upgrades on campus, including LED lighting in older buildings and the installation and expansion of solar energy systems.

• A three-part training program giving leadership and staff practical skills in data collection, emissions calculation and implementing net zero strategies

Read the full Case Study here: Danebank case study

Ready to apply?

Contact our Director of Projects, Mark Wallace (+61 475 894 971), to discuss how the Net Zero Planning Grant can fund your pathway to net zero. You can also email us at admin@energylinkservices.com.au.