Author: Matthew Grigg of Gild RD
$225 million in grants just opened for NSW manufacturers and clean tech businesses. Here is what you need to know.
The NSW Government has launched Round 2 of the Net Zero Manufacturing Initiative (NZM), committing $225 million to help NSW businesses manufacture low-carbon products, build renewable energy components, or advance clean technologies toward commercial scale.
All three streams require a minimum dollar-for-dollar cash co-contribution – meaning you fund at least 50% of eligible project costs yourself, with in-kind contributions not counting toward that threshold. The goal is to shift NSW from consuming clean technology to building it.
Funding is split across three streams depending on where your business sits on the path to commercial scale.
| Low Carbon Product Manufacturing | Renewable Manufacturing | Clean Technology Innovation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grant range | $5M – $30M | $5M – $30M | $500K – $5M |
| Total pool | $100M | $100M | $25M |
| Deadline | 25 Aug 2026 | 25 Aug 2026 | 8 Sep 2026 |
| What it funds | Commercial-scale production of low-carbon building materials, green chemicals, biofuels from biomass (incl. algae), renewable power fuels, agricultural products and feed | Commercial-scale manufacturing of renewable energy components: wind towers, solar panels, batteries, transmission cables, hydrogen electrolysers | Piloting, demonstration and commercial readiness activities for clean technologies aligned to NSW Decarbonisation Opportunity Clusters |
| Readiness required | CRI 3–6 (at or approaching commercial scale) | CRI 3–6 | TRL 6–9; CRI below 4 (beyond lab, pre-commercial) |
| Co-investment | 50% cash minimum | 50% cash minimum | 50% cash minimum; institutional investor contributions viewed favourably |
CRI = Commercial Readiness Index. TRL = Technology Readiness Level. In-kind contributions do not count toward the co-investment requirement under any stream.
Eligibility requirements vary between the three streams, but the following apply across all of them.
Government agencies, statutory authorities and unincorporated associations are not eligible. For the Clean Technology Innovation stream, the eligible entity definition is broader and includes research organisations establishing spin-outs.
Applications opened 2 June 2026, with deadlines of 25 August (LCPM and RM) and 8 September (CTI). That runway is shorter than it looks. These applications are detailed and require significant preparation: scoping your project, securing co-investment partners, obtaining quotes and completing technical documentation all take time.
If you are considering whether this program is relevant to your business, the conversation needs to start now.
The NSW Government is running a free information webinar on 22 June 2026 at 10:30am AEST for businesses wanting an overview of the program before diving into an application.
Building a strong application requires time. Key workstreams include:
At The Gild Group, we work with manufacturers, innovators and clean tech businesses to navigate exactly this kind of program. We can help you assess whether your business qualifies, identify the right stream, structure your project for a competitive application, and manage the process through to submission.
If you want an honest conversation about where you stand, get in touch with our team. We are happy to talk through it before you invest time in the paperwork.
NSW Net Zero Manufacturing Initiative Round 2: applications open now via the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW).
