Kytons Bakery, Edwardstown
A 60 kW solar and battery system at the family bakery, cutting monthly power bills by 30 to 60% depending on the season, with expected savings of up to $29,000 a year.
Source: Premier of South Australia SA Powering Business Grant · verified 15 July 2026
The SA Government will match your solar and battery investment dollar for dollar. Up to $75,000.
Grants of $2,500 to $75,000 for South Australian businesses. First come, first served when the round opens. Talk to a grant expert and see how to get the most for your business, before the queue forms.
- A business energy specialist runs the numbers for your premises
- Grant, federal battery discount and solar STCs, stacked and explained
- A vetted CEC-accredited installer puts it in writing, grant-compliant
100% free · No obligation · You apply via SmartyGrants, we get you ready
Talk to a grant expert
Free, takes 30 seconds. A business energy specialist calls back with what the grant and today's federal discounts are worth for your premises, and you're on the alert list the moment a new round is announced.
Secure · Never sold · You apply for the grant yourself via the SA Government portal, we get you quote-ready.
Round 3 closed
Round 3 closed 31 October 2025. Next round: not yet announced. Join the alert list and be first to know.
Join the alert list 01 · The smart way in
Minimal upfront cost. Deductions on the rest.
Sticker price is not what an SA business actually pays for solar and a battery. Four levers stack before a grant round even opens, and your accountant will recognise every one of them.
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Federal discounts come off the invoice
Solar STCs and the Cheaper Home Batteries discount are applied at the point of sale. On a 60 kW solar and 50 kWh battery system in Adelaide, that is about $23,462 off before you pay a cent, at today's certificate price.
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The GST comes back
The grant counts figures ex GST for a reason. A GST-registered business claims the 10% on the purchase back as an input tax credit through its BAS.
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What's left is a depreciating asset
A commercial solar and battery system is plant and equipment, so the remaining cost is deducted against your tax. Depending on your turnover and the rules in the year you buy, your accountant may apply accelerated or instant write-offs, and interest on equipment finance is deductible too.
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Then the grant lands on top
When a round opens, the state matches your spend dollar for dollar, up to $75,000 back after installation. Grant-ready businesses claim first, because applications are assessed in the order received.
The cash-flow play
Many businesses finance the full system cost, so nothing comes out of working capital on day one and the power-bill savings work against the repayments. For scale: Kytons Bakery's 60 kW grant-backed system is expected to save up to $29,000 a year, on SA Government figures.
General information, not tax or financial advice. Confirm what applies to your business with your accountant.
Want the full cost stack mapped for your premises?
Talk to a grant expert 02 · How it works
How the Powering Business Grant works
The Powering Business Grant is an SA Government program run by the Office for Small and Family Business. It matches what your business spends on a solar and battery project, dollar for dollar, from $2,500 up to $75,000 per ABN. There are two streams. Stream 1 covers solar and battery projects and is what this page is about. Stream 2 covers other energy-efficiency equipment.
Three rules shape most Stream 1 projects. First, solar panels and inverters are only eligible when installed together with battery storage, so there are no solar-only grants here. Second, equipment must be on the Clean Energy Council approved product lists and installed by an accredited installer, which is why the quote you apply with matters. Third, the system must be proportionate to your business's demonstrated energy use, evidenced by six months of power bills.
The money arrives as a reimbursement. Your business pays 100% of the project cost upfront, completes the installation, then claims back up to 50% ex GST. You have 6 months to complete the installation and submit your claim after the grant agreement is executed. One application per ABN, and applications are assessed in the order received.
Stream 1, at a glance
| Grant size | $2,500 to $75,000 per ABN, matched dollar for dollar |
| Capacity rates | $300 per kWh of battery · $250 per kW of solar · inverter included in these rates |
| Spend cap | 50% of project cost, cost counted up to $150,000 ex GST |
| Solar rule | Panels and inverters only with battery storage · battery-only is fine |
| Equipment | CEC approved product lists · accredited installer |
| Sizing | Proportionate to demonstrated use · six months of power bills |
| Payment | Reimbursement after install · 6 months to complete and claim |
| Assessment | In the order received · Round 3 pool was $20 million |
03 · Eligibility
Would your business qualify?
The Round 3 criteria, translated to plain English. Future rounds may vary.
- Operates in South Australia at a commercial premises. Owned or leased both work; tenants need the landlord's permission for the install.
- Annual turnover of $75,000 or more.
- Australia-wide grouped payroll of $18 million or less. This is what keeps the program aimed at small and medium businesses.
- Registered for GST. Not-for-profits with turnover between $75,000 to $149,999.99 get an exception.
- Not home-based, unless the business premises is separately metered.
- Can fund 100% of the project upfront and provide 6 months of energy bills to evidence your usage.
Tick every box? You're a strong candidate. Talk it through with an expert.
Talk to a grant expert 04 · The fine print that matters
The reimbursement reality
Straight up: this is not free money upfront. Your business outlays the full project cost, finishes the install, and then claims back up to 50% ex GST. If cash flow can't carry the full cost for a few months, the grant alone won't fix that.
It doesn't have to be a dealbreaker. Equipment finance against the project is common, and the installer partners we match you with can talk through options alongside your quote. But go in with eyes open: the grant rewards businesses that can fund the project first and be repaid second.
05 · Available right now
You don't have to wait for the next SA round
Two federal incentives are live today, whatever the grant is doing. The Cheaper Home Batteries Program discounts installed battery systems for businesses as well as homes, on systems from 5 kWh to 100 kWh. At the current rate of 6.8 STCs per usable kWh it takes about $3,791 off the first 14 kWh, with the rate tapering above that: about $6,943 on a 50 kWh commercial battery. And commercial solar under 100 kW still earns STCs, worth about $16,519 on a 60 kW system in Adelaide at today's certificate price.
In previous rounds the Powering Business Grant could be claimed alongside federal incentives, subject to each round's rules on third-party contributions. So the sharp play is to start now: lock in the federal discounts, get your compliant quote and six months of bills together, and be first in the queue if a new SA round lands on top.
06 · Real grants, real businesses
What SA businesses did with it
Both figures are from public SA Government announcements, not our estimates.
One Sneaky Cheetah, pizza restaurants
$50,000 toward an approximately $147,000 solar and battery investment across two stores, with estimated energy savings and offsets around $50,000 a year. They open at night and run on power stored during the day.
Source: Premier of South Australia 07 · Common questions
Powering Business Grant questions, answered
Is the Powering Business Grant open right now?
No. Round 3 opened 18 August 2025 and closed 31 October 2025. A new round has not been announced. Join the alert list on this page and you will hear the moment that changes.
How much can I get?
Grants run from $2,500 to $75,000 per ABN. Your grant is the lower of two caps: a capacity cap of $300 per kWh of battery storage plus $250 per kW of solar, and a spend cap of half your project cost, with cost counted up to $150,000 ex GST. A grant expert can run the published Round 3 formula across your bills and premises, free.
Do I get the money upfront?
No. The Powering Business Grant is a reimbursement. Your business pays 100% of the project cost upfront, completes the installation, then claims back up to 50% ex GST. Finance options exist for the upfront amount, and the installers we match you with can walk you through them.
Can I get solar without a battery?
Not under Stream 1. Solar panels and inverters are only eligible when they are installed together with battery storage. Battery-only projects are fine. Stream 2 covers other energy-efficiency equipment and is outside the scope of this page.
Who applies for the grant, you or us?
You do. Applications are lodged by the business directly through the SA Government's SmartyGrants portal. SolarPowerSavings.com.au is a lead generation service: we match you with a vetted CEC-accredited installer and get you quote-ready, which is the slowest part of a first-come, first-served application. We are not the government, we are not an installer, and we do not lodge applications on your behalf.
Can I combine it with the federal battery discount?
In previous rounds, yes: the grant could be claimed alongside federal incentives such as the Cheaper Home Batteries Program (worth about $6,943 on a 50 kWh commercial battery right now) and solar STCs, subject to each round's rules on third-party contributions. Check the guidelines of any new round before you count on stacking.
What happened in previous rounds?
Demand beat funding. Round 2 received almost 1,400 applications worth over $31 million against a $20 million pool. Round 3, another $20 million, opened 18 August 2025 and closed 31 October 2025. Applications are assessed in the order received, which is why grant-ready businesses do best.
SolarPowerSavings.com.au is a privately owned lead generation service and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of the Government of South Australia or the Office for Small and Family Business. Grant applications are made directly by businesses through the official SA Government portal. Grant figures reflect published Round 3 (2025) guidelines and may change in future rounds. This page is general information, not financial advice. Official information: business.sa.gov.au/programs/powering-business-grants