New grants to help SA businesses cut power bills

South Australian businesses will be able to apply for grants of up $75,000 to reduce their energy costs, under Round 3 of the Malinauskas Labor Government’s $154 million Business Growth Fund.

Applications for the $20 million Powering Business Grant open on Monday (August 18) for eligible businesses and not-for-profits with an Australia-wide grouped payroll of less than $18 million, supporting them to invest in upgrades that lower their energy costs.

Grants of between $2,500 and $75,000 are available with the State Government matching business contributions dollar for dollar to support projects under two streams:

• Stream 1 – Solar and battery projects: support for the purchase and installation of batteries and solar systems with accompanying battery storage.
• Stream 2 – Energy efficiency projects: funding for equipment or infrastructure upgrades, such as refrigeration, insulation or lighting improvements that reduce energy use and cost.

Businesses that received a grant under Round 2 of the Business Growth Fund are eligible to apply again for new projects or activities or to expand on previously approved projects.

One business already benefiting is Kytons Bakery in Edwardstown, which received a $36,834 grant in Round 2 to install solar panels and battery storage.

The upgrade is expected to save the family-run bakery up to $29,000 a year on electricity costs.

Grants will be open until Friday, 31 October 2025 or until funding is fully allocated.

For more information, including guidelines and to apply, visit https://business.sa.gov.au/programs/powering-business-grants

Quotes

Attributable to Andrea Michaels

We know that power bills are a particular pain point for South Australian businesses and this grant is providing real relief where it is needed with businesses like Kyton’s saving tens of thousands of dollars off their power bill each year as a result.

In Round 3, we are extending these grants to medium sized businesses, helping even more SA business owners to take control of their energy costs, invest in upgrades and new technology to reduce costs.

I encourage businesses to take advantage of the opportunity to have the State Government match them dollar for dollar in their investment into their business.

Attributable to Sharon Sutton, owner of Kyton’s Bakery

Bakeries use a lot of electricity, especially for ovens and refrigeration. Electricity was a big cost to the business.

The 60kw of solar panels and battery we purchased with the Energy Efficiency Grant has meant a saving of 30- 60% on our monthly power bill – freeing up money for us to spend in other parts of the business.