Energy Innovation Fund Round 3: 2025 application period

Historical notice, checked 21 October 2026: Round 3 of Victoria's Energy Innovation Fund is closed. Applications opened on 29 September 2025 and closed at 1 pm on 12 December 2025. This page records the former opportunity and is not an invitation to lodge an application. The Victorian Government program page is the source for current status.

What Round 3 was designed to support

Round 3 targeted industrial electrification, with a focus on food and beverage processing and manufacturing. Its stated aim was to help replace fossil-fuel use in industrial processes with electric alternatives and support emerging technologies at commercial scale. Examples for technical investigation include process heating, electric boilers or heat pumps, and the electrical infrastructure needed to run them. An example is not a ruling that a particular project was eligible.

The government listed a total funding pool of $10 million and grants capped at up to $2 million per submission, with exceptions considered for exceptional value. The September–December 2025 application window has passed. The government's current page retains application guidelines for reference only. Historic program amounts, contribution rules and criteria should not be treated as available funding or reused for a later round without checking new guidelines.

What to do with a project now

Develop the project case around measured energy use, process temperatures, production schedules, reliability, site electrical capacity, capital cost and expected operating change. Keep the business case with and without conditional support. If another grant opens, test applicant, project, expenditure and timing eligibility against that round's published rules before starting an application or committing funds on an assumed subsidy.

Northmore Gordon's energy audit, carbon advisory and technology guidance can help frame an electrification assessment. Contact the team about a current project. For the Energy Innovation Fund's status and historic Round 3 guidelines, consult the Victorian Government.

What is the Energy Innovation Fund – Round 3?

Round 3 was Victoria's Energy Innovation Fund round focused on industrial electrification, especially food and beverage processing and manufacturing. It had a $10 million total pool. Applications closed at 1 pm on 12 December 2025; the program is now listed as closed by the Victorian Government.

Who is eligible to apply for the Energy Innovation Fund Round 3?

Round 3 is closed, so its former applicant criteria do not create a current application pathway. Its published guidelines are retained for reference. For any new program, check the administrator's live applicant, project, cost and timing requirements rather than assuming past Round 3 criteria apply.

What types of electrification projects does Round 3 fund?

The round targeted projects that replace fossil-fuel use in industrial processes with electric alternatives. Electric process heating and associated infrastructure may be relevant to technical assessment, but whether a particular cost or technology qualified was governed by the Round 3 guidelines. The application window has closed.

How much funding is available and what are the co-funding requirements?

The Victorian Government listed a $10 million Round 3 pool and grants capped at up to $2 million per submission, with exceptions considered for exceptional value. Those are historical program settings. Round 3 closed on 12 December 2025; these figures are not an available offer or evidence of a future grant.

What are the application timeline and key dates for Round 3?

Applications opened on 29 September 2025 and closed at 1 pm on 12 December 2025. The Victorian Government currently marks Round 3 closed and provides the guidelines for reference only. Do not use the old dates as a current application timetable.

How does Round 3 differ from previous Energy Innovation Fund rounds?

Round 1 focused on offshore wind, Round 2 was technology-neutral, and Round 3 focused on industrial electrification in food and beverage processing and manufacturing. The Victorian Government lists all three rounds as closed.

How can Northmore Gordon support an Energy Innovation Fund Round 3 application?

Northmore Gordon can help with energy audits, process-energy assessment, electrification feasibility and investment cases for a current project. Round 3 is closed, so there is no current Round 3 application for it to lodge. A future grant would need separate, current eligibility assessment.

What role does electrification play in Victoria's net-zero transition?

Electrification can replace fossil-fuel use in some industrial processes, subject to process temperature, electricity supply, reliability and economics. Emissions outcomes depend on the site and electricity supply. Round 3 was one historical support mechanism; it is now closed.

What should a food and beverage business prepare before applying for Round 3?

Prepare measured energy and process data, equipment details, site electrical constraints and cost estimates to assess a project. If a new program opens, compare its published rules to the project before committing to an application. Round 3's September–December 2025 application period has passed.

Images on This Page