Australian Renewable Energy Agency Launches $30 Million Startup Funding Program

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has launched a $30 million (US$21.3 million) funding program called Launchpad to help early-stage renewable energy startups overcome funding barriers and bring new technologies to market.

Launchpad is split into two streams. The startup funding stream, worth $15 million, will provide grants of $500,000 to companies at the pre-seed to seed stage, rising to $1 million for projects with high capital expenditure requirements.

ARENA expects the startup funding round to support between 15 and 30 companies, with applications closing in late October.

A second $15 million stream will fund accelerators and other support organisations, providing grants of up to $5 million each. Unlike the startup stream, it is non-competitive and will remain open until its funds are allocated.

To be eligible, applicants’ technologies must align with ARENA’s strategic priorities for renewable energy and climate innovation.

“Australia has no shortage of talented founders and ambitious ideas, but early-stage funding can be difficult to secure,” ARENA CEO Darren Miller said.

““Launchpad is an ARENA program designed primarily for early-stage startups. We have heard from startups that they need a simpler and faster pathway to smaller amounts of funding that will help them reach their next technical or commercial milestone.”

The program follows warnings from the renewable energy sector about a slowdown in large-scale investment.

A 2026 report (pdf) by the Clean Energy Council found that only 2.3 gigawatts of new large-scale renewable generation projects reached completion in 2025—one of the lowest levels in a decade—despite renewables’ share of the National Electricity Market rising to 43 percent, up from 39 percent in 2024.

The Council said investment in large-scale generation has “stalled” and called for policy reforms to unlock further capital.

ARENA, established in 2012 under the Australian Renewable Energy Agency Act, says it has provided more than $5 billion in grant funding across more than 850 projects since its creation, unlocking close to $15 billion in total renewable energy industry investment.