Run an accelerator? ARENA wants to fund the people who back clean-energy startups.

The short version: ARENA's Launchpad Ecosystem Funding Round offers grants of up to $5 million to Australian accelerators, incubators and other organisations that support clean energy startups, for programs of up to four years. The round has up to $15 million in total. It opened on 16 September 2026 and stays open until the funding is used up, with applications assessed on a rolling basis.

If your organisation helps renewable energy, electrification or energy efficiency startups get investment-ready, ARENA wants to hear from you. This round works differently from most grant rounds: there's no closing date, and ARENA may talk with you about your proposal before you apply. Here's how it works and what "open" really means.

At a glance

What's new

ARENA announced its $30 million Launchpad program on 16 September 2026. Half goes directly to early-stage startups through a competitive round (see our article on the Launchpad startup grants). The other $15 million funds the organisations around them.

ARENA says the Ecosystem Funding Round is for multi-year programs that help startups build capability, grow and move toward commercialisation, including through stronger investor, customer and deployment pathways. It is aimed at gaps that money alone may not solve, such as business setup, regulatory processes, customer development, investor engagement and engineering.

Who can apply

According to the Ecosystem Funding Round Announcement, you must hold an ABN when you apply and be one of the following:

• an Australian entity incorporated under the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth)
• a state or federal government statutory corporation
• an Australian university or research institution
• a registered Australian not-for-profit or charity
• an Australian industry association

Your activities must provide acceleration, incubation or other support services to Australian startups developing renewable energy, electrification or energy efficiency technologies, and have the potential to contribute to the program's objectives. A sector focus isn't required, but ARENA's FAQ notes that a generalist program without clear alignment to its Investment Plan may not rank highly.

What "open, non-competitive" means here

ARENA's media release describes this as "an open, non-competitive round". The Program Guidelines use more precise language: a "collaborative, open merit-based process". In practice that means:

• No closing date. ARENA accepts applications until the $15 million is committed or it closes the round.
• Rolling assessment. Applications are assessed as they come in, subject to ARENA's assessment capacity, rather than ranked against a batch after a deadline.
• You still have to meet the bar. Every application is checked against the eligibility criteria, then four merit criteria: Market Need and Opportunity, Team and Partners, Solution and Program Delivery, and Financials. ARENA may decline to review an application in full if it's clearly low merit.
• Funding is not guaranteed. ARENA expects to fund at least two applicants and intends to support a portfolio rather than one organisation.

Because funds are allocated as approvals happen, applying earlier may matter. ARENA doesn't say how quickly the round will be committed.

What it pays for

Funding pays for you to deliver acceleration, incubation or other support services. It can't be passed through to startups as investments, cash payments, recycled grants or loans. ARENA's FAQ adds that most of the funding should deliver programs rather than top-of-funnel activity like marketing, pipeline building or cohort management.

Under the Program Guidelines, eligible expenditure must directly support the activities, be reasonable, represent value for money and generally be incurred during the funding agreement period. Activities completed or funded before the agreement is signed aren't eligible. Shared staff, equipment or services must be apportioned on a reasonable basis that reflects actual use.

GrantAlly helps you build a budget that sorts costs into eligible, excluded and unresolved against the program's rules, and shows your contribution, so shared costs and partner funding are clear before you apply. See project budgets.

What to do now

There's no deadline pressure, but there is a queue. A sensible approach:

• Read the Program Guidelines, the Ecosystem Funding Round Announcement and the FAQ.
• Write a short concept document or slide deck and email it to Launchpad@arena.gov.au. ARENA strongly encourages contact before you draft or submit.
• Line up your partners early. ARENA says it will place considerable focus on partners who can commit time or money.
• Gather evidence of past impact, such as startups supported, capital raised by alumni and commercialisation outcomes.
• Prepare a Design and Execution Plan using ARENA's guidance note, plus the Conflict of Interest form and the budget template.
• Review the funding agreement template and note any departures in the compliance table. ARENA says it has limited appetite for material changes.
• Submit through ARENANet when the application is ready.

Things to watch

• Size your request carefully. ARENA says requests should be proportionate to your activities, capability, operating history and track record.
• Plan beyond ARENA. The Financials criterion looks at your pathway to a model that isn't solely reliant on ARENA funding.
• Knowledge sharing is required. Recipients must take part in ARENA's knowledge sharing activities.
• Offers aren't binding until a funding agreement is executed.
• The round can close. Once the allocation is committed, it ends. ARENA can also vary the Program Guidelines from time to time.

Frequently asked questions

Can a university run an ARENA Launchpad ecosystem program?

Yes. Australian universities and research institutions are eligible applicants for the Ecosystem Funding Round, along with companies, statutory corporations, registered not-for-profits and charities, and industry associations.

Can we give the ARENA funding to our startups as grants or investment?

No. ARENA says the grant can't be passed through to startups as investments, non-dilutive cash payments, recycled grants or debt. It must be used to deliver support services.

Does non-competitive mean every eligible application is funded?

No. Applications are assessed on a rolling basis against eligibility and merit criteria, and funding is available only until the $15 million allocation is exhausted. ARENA also takes a portfolio approach when choosing what to fund.