Solar Sunshot

Solar Sunshot — Round 1B (Manufacturing Studies)

Funds Australian solar PV manufacturing studies and early design validation.

Solar Sunshot Round 1B is a A$50 million Australian Renewable Energy Agency grant program funding feasibility studies and front-end engineering design work across the Australian solar photovoltaic manufacturing supply chain. The program targets the pre-build phase of solar PV manufacturing — the studies and design work that must be completed before a manufacturing facility can reach investment decision — rather than funding construction or operations directly. Eligible activities span the full supply chain, from polysilicon and wafer production through to cell, module, and balance-of-systems manufacturing.

Eligible applicants include for-profit businesses, universities, nonprofits, and research organisations with projects sited and operated in Australia. Individual applicants are not eligible. Full Applications close on 12 November 2026. Round 1B is a distinct funding stream from Round 1A, which committed A$500 million for manufacturing innovation and is now closed to new applications. Per-project award caps are not published on the program landing page; the Program Guidelines PDF sets out the detailed eligibility criteria, co-funding requirements, and assessment methodology.

Solar Sunshot sits within Australia's broader ambition to establish a domestic solar manufacturing industry and reduce dependence on imported solar components. ARENA assesses applications on the strength of the feasibility or FEED methodology, the applicant's technical capability, the project's contribution to building Australian supply chain knowledge, and the quality of the commercialisation pathway leading from the study toward a final investment decision. Applicants must submit through ARENANet and should engage ARENA's investment team before finalising their application approach.