The NSW EV ready buildings grants program will support over 125 residential strata apartment buildings across NSW to install electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure in their carparks.
Key information
- Status: Closed
- Grant amount: Up to $80,000
- Application opened: 17 October 2023
- Application closed: 15 December 2023, 9:00 am
Program objective
The program will co-fund owners corporations to install the required electrical infrastructure to enable apartment residents to charge their vehicle at home.
Grant program is closed to new applications
The Electric vehicle (EV) ready buildings grant has seen a positive reception with many stage 1 applications submitted since its launch in mid-October.
As a limited amount of funding is available, the program will not accept new applications until the assessment of submitted applications is complete and remaining funding is identified.
If you have already started an online application, you can continue to complete it for consideration.
For questions regarding this update, please contact the team at evrb@environment.nsw.gov.au.
This program is funded and administered by Office of Energy and Climate Change.
Eligibility
Who can apply
Registered residential strata schemes located in NSW that are classified as class 2 in the National Construction Code (PDF 792KB) are eligible to apply.
Class 2 as defined by the Australian Building Codes Board as having 10 or more units and private off-street parking.
Who can’t apply
- strata schemes that are entirely commercial
- apartment buildings that are not a registered residential strata scheme
- non-class 2 buildings as defined by the Australian Building Codes Board. That is, apartment buildings where people typically live above and below each other, or single story attached dwellings with a common space below, such as a carpark
- apartment buildings with less than 10 units
- apartment buildings with 4 or more chargers already installed.
Types of projects funded under this grant
The EV ready buildings grants provide co-funding in 2 stages.
Stage 1
Stage 1 co-funds apartment buildings to conduct feasibility assessments for the installation of EV charging infrastructure.
The applicant is required to fund $2000 (ex GST) to be paid directly to an independent consultant allocated by the NSW Government prior to the assessment commencing. The NSW Government will subsidise the remaining cost of the feasibility assessment on completion of the assessment.
If an applicant has previously undertaken their own feasibility assessment prior to applying for the grant, the NSW Government will review this at no cost to determine the suitability of the assessment for a stage 2 grant. If the existing feasibility assessment is deemed unsuitable, applicants may apply for a new co-funded feasibility assessment.
Stage 2
Stage 2 will co-fund the installation of EV charging infrastructure for apartment buildings.
The NSW Government will fund 80% towards the cost of retrofitting electrical infrastructure to make your building EV ready (capped at a total value of $80,000 ex-GST per application).
Electrical infrastructure upgrades include:
- load management systems
- electrical cabling
- residual-current devices
- switchboards
- distribution boards
- circuit breakers
- electrical surveys / load management assessments (if further assessment is required after the initial stage 1 assessment)
- open charge point protocol (OCPP) management systems
- network upgrades.
Funding may also cover up to 4 chargers per site, which must be available to all residents (i.e. located in common property locations such as visitor car spots).
The NSW Government will also co-fund 50% towards the cost of software subscriptions for load management and shared charger billing usage capabilities for 2 years (capped at a total value of $1,200 ex-GST per application). This feature is optional.
Applicants will be invited to apply for a stage 2 grant upon successful completion of a stage 1 grant. Stage 2 grants are not available for applicants if they have not completed stage 1.
What can’t you apply for
- grants application costs
- buildings that do not meet the eligibility criteria
- business case development or council approval costs
- chargers that have already been purchased and/or installed
- chargers for private/individual use
- software subscriptions not listed on the EV charger software list
- additional charging cables (EV drivers typically carry their own)
- ongoing costs to operate or maintain electrical upgrades and/or charging systems
- internet costs
- electricity costs
- insurance costs
- salaries or staffing expenses.
What your application needs to include
Download the guidelines to see all the sections that need to be addressed in the applications portal:
You can view an example of the application form:
Prepare your application with this checklist
Step 1
- Read the EV ready buildings grants guidelines to understand the grant and how it works.
Step 2
- Head to the EV ready buildings webpage and take a look at the supporting documents. This includes a pre-application checklist which will ensure you have everything you need prior to applying.
Step 3
- Check your eligibility for the grants using the grant guidelines to ensure you meet the eligibility criteria for stage 1.
Step 4
- Apply for stage 1 where you will have an EV feasibility assessment conducted or have a previously completed feasibility assessment reviewed.
Step 5
- If deemed eligible, prepare for stage 2 by engaging with the guidance material provided.
Address the eligibility criteria
Eligibility criteria – stage 1 grant
Each site must be submitted as a separate application, even if sites are owned or managed by the one applicant. The following information is required at the point of application for each site.
To be eligible for stage 1 co-funding, the applicant must:
- be a nominated representative of a registered strata scheme (such as a member of the strata committee, a member of the owners corporation, strata manager or an independent project manager)
- have approval to undertake a feasibility assessment from the strata committee and provide evidence of the approval to the NSW Government
- have the relevant financial approvals in place to cover the cost of the feasibility assessment ($2,000) and provide evidence of the approval to the NSW Government
- complete the stage 1 pre-application checklist.
Eligibility criteria – stage 2 grant
To be eligible for stage 2 co-funding, an applicant must:
- have successfully completed a stage 1 grant
- be a nominated representative of a registered strata scheme (such as a member of the strata committee, a member of the owners corporation, strata manager or an independent project manager)
- have the relevant approvals in place from the owners corporation to undertake the requested electrical infrastructure works
- have the relevant financial approvals in place to cover the remaining costs of the electrical infrastructure works
- complete the stage 2 pre-application checklist.
Refer to the grant guidelines for the full list of applicant and site requirements:
Address the assessment criteria
All stage 2 applications will be individually assessed against the following merit criteria:
- cost of works and value for money
- building type and charging infrastructure design
- applicant capabilities and capacity
- user experience.
Refer to the grant guidelines for the full details addressing the assessment criteria:
After the application is submitted
Successful applications will be decided by: Director Program & Market Development
Successful applicants will be decided by the NSW Government.
Your application will be assessed based on the merit criteria outlined in the grant guidelines and you will be notified of the outcome.
Support and contact
For more information about the grant and application process, you can head to the Energy NSW website.
Email: evrb@environment.nsw.gov.au