Clean Energy Future Fund

The fund supports energy generation and use at fixed sites, including renewable energy, storage, energy management and efficiency. Projects must contribute to significant, cost-effective emissions reductions, or design, deploy, test or demonstrate innovative clean-energy projects likely to benefit the community or lead to broad adoption and significant emissions reductions. Road-registered vehicles, rail, waterborne and air transport are outside its stationary-energy definition.

Round 4 is closed. Its terms allowed requests from A$100,000 to A$4 million excluding GST; requests above A$4 million could still be considered on merit. The CEFF grant together with existing Western Australian Government grants could cover at most 25% of eligible project costs. A larger project could have a lower percentage agreed in its funding agreement.

Eligible costs included clean-energy equipment, essential storage and control systems, design, professional services, transport, installation, commissioning, project management and grant administration. Goods or services contributed by the applicant instead of money could count towards eligible costs if their valuation was sufficiently explained. Costs generally excluded land, venture capital for third parties, carbon credits, legal costs, ordinary business operations, ongoing rent and utilities, existing staff doing their usual work, work already committed or underway when the round closed, maintenance committed under a previous grant, and preparing the application or agreement materials.

Grants were paid after milestones were completed and evidenced, within the agreed share of eligible costs actually incurred. Payments could be reduced proportionally if costs were lower than required for that share. Funding had to remain allocated to the final performance-report milestone; it could not all be spent beforehand. Before payment, recipients needed a legally effective agreement, confirmed funding for remaining costs and rights to necessary intellectual property, or evidence they could obtain those rights.

Changes to scope or milestone dates needed a written request and written agreement with the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation. Reports and knowledge sharing were set in the agreement; milestone claims needed evidence of work and expenditure. By the agreed project end date, recipients had to submit evaluation and financial reports. Final acquittal required the department’s approval of the final report. Recipients also had to acknowledge state funding and keep offers confidential until the Minister announced them or consented to release.

GST-registered recipients were liable for GST on the grant. The grant was increased by the GST payable, with a tax invoice required for its GST-inclusive value. Funding could be treated as taxable income.