Energy Management Systems (NSW) - Available for first 120 businesses

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What this article reported

The funding delivers free Energy Management System (EnMS) benchmarking followed by funded Technical Support to help deliver and track projects. The program has two main objectives (1) improving overall energy management within business and (2) delivering improved energy performance via energy efficiency improvements.

What's on offer

The NSW government is focusing on manufacturing businesses for the EnMS Benchmarking & Support program this financial year.

With this support you can

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Eligibility

You must

For those in manufacturing, the following sub sectors are eligible:

For manufacturing sub sectors other than the above, you can still be eligible if you:

This offer is only available to 120 businesses.

Support for high energy users in NSW

The process below is designed to help you succeed over the long term, and not just be a 'flash in the pan' look at energy productivity.

EnMS benchmarking

Energy policy & management plan

Opportunity assessment

Tracking system

Follow up

Finding a suitable grant opportunity is just the start of the process of getting funding. Let us help you! The application for each grant is different and the process can take time and effort. Contact us to walk you through everything from, processes, eligibility criteria and the grants, funding and financial assistance available at the moment.

How to use this information now

Before relying on a grant, confirm the current round, applicant and project eligibility, eligible expenditure, co-contribution, assessment process, closing date and evidence obligations. Build the technical case so the project remains understandable with grant support shown separately.

Separate source-reported facts from forecasts, targets and commentary. For a current project, retain the official source, version, effective date, assumptions and decision record in the evidence file.

What is an energy management system and why is it important for a business?

An energy management system is a structured approach to energy performance that includes leadership, policy, objectives, responsibilities and continuous improvement. It turns energy assessments into ongoing operational improvements by assigning clear ownership for decisions, maintaining an opportunity register, reviewing useful performance measures, and closing the loop after changes are implemented. For businesses, it transforms one-time audit findings into sustained performance gains by establishing accountability, monitoring results, and responding when conditions change. This approach helps protect operational reliability while improving efficiency.

How does the NSW Energy Management Systems program differ from a traditional energy audit?

A traditional energy audit identifies and assesses opportunities at a point in time. The NSW EnMS program goes further by establishing an ongoing management system to implement and track those opportunities over time. After benchmarking your current position, the program provides funded technical support to develop an energy policy, conduct a site-wide audit, train staff, create an opportunity tracking system with performance indicators, and establish monthly reporting and annual reviews. This means the program delivers both the identification of opportunities and the structured framework to deliver, monitor and sustain improvements.

What does the benchmark assessment measure, and how does it help a business understand its starting position?

The benchmark assessment evaluates your current energy management maturity across key areas such as leadership, policy, data systems, responsibilities, and ongoing improvement processes. We conduct a two-hour strategic benchmarking workshop and assigns a performance rating that shows your current state. This establishes a baseline against which you can track progress and identifies priority areas for development. A second benchmark at the end of the program measures improvement. Understanding your starting position helps focus the support on the gaps that matter most for your business, and provides evidence of progress to management and stakeholders.

What is an 'opportunity register' and how is it used in the EnMS support process?

An opportunity register is a documented collection of identified energy and sustainability opportunities at a site that serves as input for feasibility assessments. For each opportunity, it records the description, evidence, expected benefit, implementation dependencies, next action and accountable role. During the EnMS program, we help establish an opportunity tracking tool and action plan that documents proposed energy improvements, assigns owners, tracks dependencies, provides indicative timing, and monitors progress. This converts a static audit report into a living management tool that the business can act on systematically, with clear accountability and measurable milestones.

How do energy performance indicators and metering support the EnMS program?

Energy performance indicators are key metrics chosen to support actual energy management decisions, such as total consumption, cost, peak demand, and energy per production unit. The EnMS program includes metering and gap analysis to identify where measurement is needed, and establishes performance indicator tracking through a monitoring system. This provides the data foundation for monthly energy reviews that examine consumption, cost and operating context. Reliable metering and clear performance indicators allow you to detect changes, investigate unexpected results, verify the effect of completed improvements, and make informed decisions about next priorities.

What is the practical value of the funding cap and business contribution structure for a manufacturing business?

The program structure—with NSW government funding capped at $35,000 and a 20% business contribution of $7,000—ensures government investment reaches more eligible businesses while securing your commitment to implementation. For a manufacturing business, this represents funded support to develop and embed energy management capability that might otherwise require significant internal or external investment. The total $42,000 professional support value covers benchmarking, policy development, site-wide audit, staff training, opportunity assessment with cost-benefit analysis, and tracking-system establishment. The contribution aligns your financial interest with successful outcomes and helps filter committed participants.

Why does the program focus on manufacturing businesses, and which sub-sectors are eligible?

Manufacturing is a priority sector because energy is typically a material cost driver and there is significant improvement potential across operations. The program automatically includes primary metal and metal product manufacturing, chemical and polymer manufacturing, non-metallic mineral products, and food and beverage manufacturing. Other manufacturing sub-sectors can qualify if they spend more than 1% of annual revenue on energy or consume over 3,000 MWh annually. This eligibility structure targets manufacturers where energy management can deliver meaningful competitive advantage and where the support investment is justified by the scale of potential savings and operational impact.

What happens after the initial benchmarking and technical support phase of the EnMS program?

The EnMS program includes a 'Follow up' phase that focuses on maximizing further grant opportunities, monthly reporting and energy management reviews, staff training, and annual reviews. This embeds energy management into your ongoing business operations rather than treating it as a one-time project. We provide support for identifying additional funding sources to implement identified opportunities, helping you translate the opportunity register into capital projects and operational improvements. The monthly reporting and annual reviews create accountability and allow management to track progress against targets, adjust priorities as conditions change, and make informed decisions about the next phase of the energy improvement journey.

How can a business assess whether it meets the eligibility criteria for the NSW EnMS program?

You must be a manufacturing, mining or agriculture business operating in NSW with an ABN and GST registration. If you are in one of the listed manufacturing sub-sectors (metals, chemicals, minerals, food and beverage), you are automatically eligible. If you are in another manufacturing sub-sector, you qualify if you spend more than 1% of annual revenue on energy annually or consume over 3,000 MWh per year. You should document your industry classification, annual energy spend and consumption to verify eligibility. Note that the program is capped at 120 businesses, so early expression of interest is important. We can help you assess your eligibility and prepare your application.

What should a business do if it is interested in participating in the EnMS program?

Eligible businesses can express interest by completing the expression-of-interest form on our website for the metering and monitoring assessment or EnMS program. Provide information about your business, location, industry, energy spend and current energy management maturity. We will review your application against the evaluation criteria and contact you to confirm eligibility and discuss the scope of support. As the program is limited to 120 businesses, timely submission is important. Preparing a brief summary of your current energy challenges and business objectives will help Northmore Gordon understand your priorities and scope the technical support appropriately.

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