For businesses with an ABN — not households. Direct grants, discount schemes, batteries and federal tax incentives for small businesses, commercial landlords, strata and heavy industry across Greater Sydney, Newcastle, Wollongong and the Central Coast.
What the tags below mean
Grants & discount schemes
Direct rebates and discounts your business can claim — as opposed to the tax incentive further down the page.
NSW Energy Savings Scheme (ESS) & small business audits
A subsidised, often free, energy audit for your business — then accredited providers install eligible upgrades (lighting, HVAC, refrigeration) with part of the cost offset by ESS certificates.
Eligibility
- Active ABN
- Small business consuming under 100 MWh of electricity per year
Regions: Greater Sydney, Newcastle, Wollongong, Central Coast
Net zero planning grants
Funding to develop a net zero transition plan for your business — covers consultant fees for emissions audits, energy roadmaps and decarbonisation strategy.
Eligibility
- NSW site address
- Active ABN, registered for GST
- Meets the annual energy bill spend threshold
Regions: Greater Sydney, Newcastle, Wollongong, Central Coast
Solar upgrades & tax incentives
Two Federal programs, available Australia-wide — a certificate-based discount and a tax deduction, working in very different ways.
Expanded SRES (Commercial Solar up to 1MW)
Upfront certificate discounts for mid-scale rooftop solar — warehouses, factories and strata-titled buildings all qualify, not just homes. Available Australia-wide, not just NSW.
Eligibility
- Covers commercial systems up to 1,000 kW (1MW)
- Reduces upfront system cost by around 20% via certificate value
- Applies to systems installed from 1 October 2026 — certificate applications open mid to late November
Small Business Energy Incentive
A bonus 20% tax deduction on eligible depreciating assets that support electrification and energy efficiency — think efficient fridges, induction cooktops, batteries or solar — on top of the deduction you’d already claim. Available Australia-wide, not just NSW.
Status: the ATO bonus period covered eligible assets first used or installed between 1 July 2023 and 30 June 2024, capped at $100,000 of spend (a $20,000 bonus). New purchases no longer qualify — ask your accountant whether it still applies to a past return.
Eligibility
- Aggregated annual turnover under $50 million
- Maximum bonus deduction of $20,000 per business
- Asset supports electrification or energy efficiency
- Claimed through your tax return, not applied for separately
Commercial landlords, strata & heavy industry
NSW programs for larger sites — from apartment buildings and commercial landlords to complex industrial plants. The battery discount is an entitlement; the metering grants are competitive rounds.
Peak Demand Reduction Scheme (PDRS) — BESS3, BESS4 & BESS5
Upfront certificate discounts on commercial and strata batteries, delivered through an accredited provider. BESS3 covers apartment buildings, BESS4 small and medium businesses, and BESS5 commercial and industrial sites.
Eligibility
- Systems from 20 kWh (strata and apartments, 4+ dwellings) up to 30 MWh (large industrial arrays)
- Installed on or after 1 September 2026 by an accredited certificate provider
- BESS4 and BESS5 can each be claimed once per site
Energy performance & sub-metering grants
Three co-funded grants that stack for high-energy sites: sub-metering (up to $20,000), metering plan implementation (up to $100,000) and energy performance services (up to $50,000). Each covers up to 50% of project cost.
Eligibility
- Complex sites spending $200,000+ a year on energy (or around 3,600 GJ of on-site use)
- Active ABN, registered for GST, with a NSW site address
- 50% co-contribution — your business funds the other half
- Recent rounds closed in 2026 — watch NSW Climate and Energy Action for the next one
On an embedded network? Read this first.
If you’re in a shopping centre, office tower or industrial park, you may not have a direct account with a major energy retailer — you’re buying power through a private network run by your landlord or body corporate instead. That can mean missing out on standard bill relief, because your meter was never logged in the usual state databases. It doesn’t mean you’re ineligible — it usually means there’s a separate, secondary application form. Check with the specific program below rather than assuming you don’t qualify.
What’s the difference between a grant and a tax incentive?
A grant or rebate puts money in your pocket, or offsets a cost, directly. A tax incentive like the Small Business Energy Incentive reduces your taxable income instead — you still spend the money first and claim it back at tax time.
What does “co-contribution required” mean?
It means the program covers part of the cost and your business covers the rest — often close to a 50/50 split for things like energy audits or equipment upgrades. “Fully subsidised” means there’s no cost to you at all.
What’s the difference between “entitlement” and “competitive round”?
Entitlement schemes are guaranteed if you meet the criteria and use an accredited provider — there’s no cap on how many businesses can claim. Competitive rounds have a limited funding pool, so once it’s gone or the window closes, applications stop, sometimes with little notice.
I’m on an embedded network — can I still apply?
Usually yes, but you may need a secondary application form since your meter isn’t in the standard state database. Check the specific program’s application page, or contact them directly if it isn’t obvious.
How is this different from the household rebates pages?
This page is specifically for NSW businesses with an ABN. If you’re looking for rebates as a homeowner or renter, see our NSW household page instead.