Powering the Regions Fund — Safeguard Transformation Stream

The Powering the Regions Fund Safeguard Transformation Stream Round 2 sits under the Department of Industry, Science and Resources, with policy led by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. It funds capital projects for owners and operators of trade-exposed facilities covered by Australia's Safeguard Mechanism, with a direct aim of cutting scope 1 emissions. Grant sizes run from $500,000 to $50 million, the program can cover up to 50% of eligible project expenditure, and the total fund is about $321 million through 31 March 2033. The cycle pattern is multiple per year, with applications assessed in three rolling batches through May 2027. Eligibility is deliberately narrow: applicants must be for-profit operators in Australia, the project must involve a trade-exposed Safeguard facility, and new or expanded coal and gas facilities are excluded. This is a fit for large industrial emitters that have a defined decarbonisation project and the balance sheet to carry a major capital program. The best applications will show a credible emissions-reduction pathway, strong project economics, and a facility-level case for why the change is material. Delivery through the Business Grants Hub means the process is formal, but the real gate is strategic fit to Safeguard obligations and the emissions outcome.

Each grant below is a distinct funding opportunity with its own eligibility, scope, and deliverables.