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Queensland Business energy rebates & grants

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QLD business energy rebates & grants

For businesses with an ABN — not households. Queensland and federal programs for small businesses, manufacturers and commercial property, plus a South East Queensland council program and federal tax incentives.

5 programs tracked 4 regions covered Re-checked monthly

What the tags below mean

Entitlement Guaranteed if you meet the criteria — no funding cap to race against.
Competitive round Limited funding pool — once it’s gone or the window closes, that’s it.
Fully subsidised No cost to your business for the covered work.
Co-contribution The program covers part of the cost — your business funds the rest.

Grants & discount schemes

Direct rebates and discounts your business can claim — as opposed to the tax incentive further down the page.

Energy Closed to new applications Co-contribution

QBEST Rebates (Queensland Business Energy Saving & Transformation)

A statewide rebate covering 50% of the cost of energy-efficient equipment such as efficient refrigeration, air conditioning, heat pump hot water and LED lighting. The Queensland Government has closed it to new applications — check Business Queensland for any new round.

Up to $12,500 (50% of spend)

Eligibility

  • ABN, registered for GST, headquartered and operating in Queensland
  • 2 to 199 full-time equivalent employees
  • Spend of $8,000 to $25,000 (ex GST) on eligible equipment

Statewide — applied to Greater Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Cairns and everywhere else in Queensland

Grant Competitive round Co-contribution

SEQ Council Commercial Sustainability Support

Co-funded sustainability upgrades for local businesses — solar, efficient equipment, or waste reduction initiatives — run through participating South East Queensland councils.

Funding varies by council

Eligibility

  • Active local business registration with a participating municipal council

Municipal only — participating SEQ councils (Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and others), not Cairns or Far North Queensland

Manufacturing, logistics & regional industry

Larger projects for manufacturers and food processors with high heat or electrical loads. This one is federal, so it applies in Queensland and every other state.

Federal · Grant Competitive round Co-contribution required Open until funds allocated

SME Industrial Decarbonisation Fund

Matched funding from ARENA, delivered by the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre, for small and medium manufacturers replacing fossil-fuel processes with electric ones. Priority areas are surface treatment (powder coating, galvanising), process steam (sterilising, drying, cooking) and metals processing.

Matched funding · $400k–$1M projects

Eligibility

  • Small or medium-sized manufacturer, including food and beverage processors
  • Total eligible project costs between $400,000 and $1 million
  • Projects completed by 31 March 2028

Federal — open to manufacturers in every state, including Queensland

Federal programs for mid-sized businesses & commercial property

Available Australia-wide, including Queensland. One is a certificate discount for mid-scale rooftop solar; the other is a tax deduction — and it has now closed to new purchases.

Federal · Discount Entitlement Co-contribution Starts 1 Oct 2026

Expanded SRES (commercial solar up to 1MW)

Upfront certificate discounts for mid-scale rooftop solar on warehouses, factories, farm sheds and strata buildings. Systems between 100 kW and 1 MW can now create small-scale technology certificates instead of large-scale ones.

~20% off upfront cost

Eligibility

  • Commercial systems up to 1,000 kW (1MW) of total onsite capacity
  • 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

Federal — applies in every state, including Queensland

Federal · Tax deduction Bonus period ended 30 Jun 2024

Small Business Energy Incentive

A bonus 20% tax deduction on eligible depreciating assets that support electrification and energy efficiency, on top of the deduction you’d already claim. Status: it covered assets first used or installed between 1 July 2023 and 30 June 2024, so new purchases no longer qualify — ask your accountant whether it still applies to a past return.

20% bonus deduction (FY2023-24)

Eligibility

  • Aggregated annual turnover under $50 million
  • Bonus deduction capped at $20,000 on up to $100,000 of spend
  • Claimed through your tax return, not applied for separately
What’s the difference between QBEST and the SEQ council grant?

QBEST was a statewide rebate — any eligible business anywhere in Queensland could claim it, Cairns included — but it has now closed. The SEQ Council Commercial Sustainability Support only runs through participating South East Queensland councils, so it doesn’t reach Far North Queensland.

My business is in Cairns — can I get the council sustainability grant?

Not through this specific program — Cairns isn’t part of South East Queensland, so it sits outside where these participating councils operate. The federal programs on this page still apply in Cairns, and it’s worth checking whether Cairns Regional Council runs its own separate business grants.

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.

Can I still claim the Small Business Energy Incentive?

Not for new purchases. The 20% bonus deduction applied to assets first used or installed between 1 July 2023 and 30 June 2024. If you bought and installed something in that window, your accountant can tell you whether it was claimed on your return.

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 page?

This page is specifically for QLD businesses with an ABN. If you’re looking for rebates as a homeowner or renter, see our QLD household page instead.

Browse by region

The federal programs below apply everywhere. The council sustainability grant only runs through participating South East Queensland (SEQ) councils — that doesn’t reach Far North Queensland.

Cairns

  • Statewide eligible
Outside SEQ — council grant not available here Explore Cairns

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.