Investment Delivery Authority Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, it is intended there will be multiple EOI rounds for the IDA per year. While the IDA will over time consider proposals in any industry aligned to government priorities, the initial EOI round will call for projects related to data centres and technology, renewable energy and energy security along with hotels critical to visitor economy growth.

These sectors have been identified as critical to the core aim of driving productivity in NSW and supporting government’s priorities on Net Zero and the Energy Transition, visitor economy growth and enabling the digital economy. 

EOI’s for the initial IDA round are open from 30 September 2025.

The timing of future EOI rounds will be communicated in due course. 

There will be multiple rounds each year and details including the timing of future EOI rounds will be communicated in due course. 

While the IDA will over time consider proposals in any industry aligned to government priorities, the upcoming EOI round will focus on projects related to data centres and technology, renewable energy and energy security along with hotels critical to visitor economy growth.

If you have a project that’s outside the sectors identified for the initial EOI round, we still want to hear from you to support planning for future rounds, and encourage you to make contact with the IDA Team. 

There will be multiple EOI rounds per year and details including timing and sectoral focus of future EOI rounds will be communicated in due course. Future rounds will unlock other sectoral focuses in addition to the sectors identified in the first round so projects in the energy sector will continue to be able to submit.

If you have a project that you consider sits within the EOI criteria, we still want to hear from you, and encourage you to make contact with the IDA Team.

All IDA projects that are endorsed would subsequently need to satisfy all applicable requirements under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979, and may need to comply with additional legislation and policies at the local, State and Australian Government level, depending on the nature of the project. 

It’s important to note that when a project is endorsed by the IDA, this does not mean that planning approvals have been provided or form a guarantee that they will be provided. The normal planning processes will still be required for a project.

Normal planning approval process will continue to apply, but ultimately, we want this process to be as quick as possible.

The HDA is a pathway for housing projects to be declared State Significant Development whereas the IDA will provide planning and non-planning support to major investments which are primarily non-residential.

Successful projects will receive tailored planning support and / or options for non-planning support.  

The Unsolicited Proposals (USP) process remains unchanged. Unsolicited proposals provide opportunities for the NSW Government and the non-government sector to work together to develop and deliver innovative ideas, places, services and infrastructure.

The USP process is a unique pathway for non-government organisations to approach the NSW Government with commercial proposals that have not been formally requested and are not suitable for existing procurement processes (such as a competitive market process) but are aligned with government’s objectives and deliver value for money. More information about the USP process can be found here.

The IDA is a pathway for large ($1 billion estimated development cost or more) private sector projects (domestic and international) which are well-defined, strategically aligned to government priorities and able to commence quickly.

Productivity growth in NSW is low and declining – averaging only 0.5% per annum over the past ten years.

Challenges and uncertainty coordinating with state agencies, securing necessary enabling infrastructure and navigating the planning system, are some of the issues faced by businesses and investors when it comes to progressing major projects.

The IDA will address these problems. It will identify barriers that are unnecessarily delaying major investment projects, while proactively advising on broader options for system-wide reform. 

The IDA comprises the Secretary of the Premier’s Department, the Treasury Secretary, the Secretary of the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure and the Chief Executive of Infrastructure NSW.

The IDA will consider projects received through the EOI process and will make recommendations to the IDA Ministers, comprising the Treasurer, the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces and the Minister for Industry and Trade.

The IDA will undertake the following functions:

• recommending projects to receive fast-track planning support and / or options for non-planning support following an EOI process for private sector projects valued at $1 billion or more.
• monitoring and oversight of selected projects to facilitate delivery and continuous improvement, subject to the attainment of all relevant statutory approvals including a rigorous merit assessment in accordance with planning legislation; and
• identifying and advising on opportunities for broader system-wide reforms, including potential productivity and competition reforms.

The IDA will be supported by dedicated team who will assess EOIs against the approved criteria, provide a concierge service to proponents through a dedicated single point of contact to support the acceleration of their major investment projects in NSW and identify barriers to investment and opportunities to improve systemic barriers across government and develop proposed solutions.

Additionally, a multi-agency Investment Taskforce located within Investment NSW in the Premier’s Department has been established. The Investment Taskforce will have representatives from departments and agencies who are responsible for coordinating input into EOI assessments and streamlining the delivery of projects including addressing non-planning barriers on a case-by-case basis. The Investment Taskforce will also work to remove systemic barriers across government and propose solutions.

There will also be a dedicated IDA planning assessments team in the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure to coordinates the assessment of all projects under the EP&A Act (carrying out relevant administrative functions, coordinating inputs from State and Commonwealth agencies and working with councils to ensure local and regional issues are considered).

In June 2021, the State and Regional Development State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP) was amended to temporarily allow more warehouses and data centres to be assessed as state significant development (SSD).

Following this change, a new definition for data centres was introduced into the Local Environmental Plan Standard Instrument, State Environmental Planning Policy (Planning Systems) 2021 and State Environmental Planning Policy (Transport and Infrastructure) 2021. Under these instruments a data centre means a building or place the principal purpose of which is to collect, distribute, process or store electronic data using information technology.

Other technology projects at the $1 billion and over level will be considered on a case-by-case basis, considering their alignment with Government's strategic priorities.

For the purposes of the NSW renewable energy targets, a renewable energy project is generation from a renewable source that is ≥ 30 MW and is not already a committed project (i.e., identified before 14 November 2019 in the Australian Energy Market Operator’s (AEMO) generation information).

An energy security project (i.e., under the Electricity Infrastructure Investment Safeguard / as per Electricity Infrastructure Investment Act 2020) is one of:

• A renewable generation project of ≥ 30 MW; or
• A long-duration electricity storage project (dispatchable for at least 8 hours and scheduled by AEMO under the NER); or
• A firming project scheduled by AEMO; and
• not already a committed project (i.e., identified before 14 November 2019 in AEMO’s generation information).

For purposes of the Investment Delivery Authority, energy security projects may also include:

• projects to extract, transport or store gas that underpin the reliable operation of current or future electricity generation or industrial processes in NSW;
• projects for transmission or distribution of electricity, or projects that strengthen the electricity network NSW. 

The prioritisation of hotels reflects the need for an additional 40,400 rooms across NSW by 2035, as identified in the NSW Government’s Visitor Economy Strategy 2035.

Under the strategy, different work streams will focus on accessibility and connectivity, experiences development, events, and other visitor economy priorities. 

No. The IDA’s published EOI criteria are the only ones which will be considered.

No. The IDA’s published EOI criteria are the only ones which will be considered.

The Investment Delivery Authority will be guided by a robust governance, operating and probity framework and maintain the highest standards of integrity in communications, interactions and briefings. This will ensure the integrity of its process for considering expressions of interest.

Further information about how the IDA will manage Conflicts of Interest, Privacy and Records Management can be found in the Expressions of Interest Submission Guide (PDF 263.3KB). 

Applicants are responsible for ensuring the EOI submission is complete and accurate. If applicants find an error in their application after submitting it, applicants must contact the IDA Team.

More information on timeframes will be released in due course. All EOIs submitted will receive a confirmation in writing that the application has been received. 

Applicants can contact the IDA Team via the enquiries form outlining the issue.

Please contact the IDA via the enquiries form.

The IDA seeks to bring forward projects which are aligned with NSW Government strategic priorities and key policies. This could include but is not limited to:

• NSW Industry Policy Missions (e.g. Local Manufacturing, Net Zero and Energy Transition)
• NSW Innovation Blueprint 2035
• NSW Trade and Investment Strategy 2035
• NSW Visitor Economy Strategy 2035
• Aerotropolis Sector Plan
• Infrastructure Co-ordinator General Priorities, e.g. supporting the Aerotropolis and Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap
• NSW Budget.  

More information about the NSW Planning Pathways is available at: Declaration of SSI and CSSI – State Significant Infrastructure Guide – March 2021 and SSD Projects | Planning Portal - Department of Planning and Environment. 

The Housing Delivery Authority is supporting the NSW Government to address the housing crisis and meet the National Housing Accord targets. The IDA is focused on major private sector investment in non-residential projects. While we recognise some may have a residential component to the project, proponents will be required to demonstrate that housing is not the primary focus of the project. 

The NSW Government uses ‘estimated development cost’ (EDC) across the planning system.  You can read more about how to calculate the EDC, and how we use it on the Estimated development cost | Planning website. 

The IDA will use the same approach that is used for state significant projects, which is outlined in the ‘Planning Circular: Changes to how development costs are calculated for planning purposes’ (Planning circular – PS 24-002 Changes to how development costs are calculated for planning purposes). Further information about specific project requirements will be communicated in due course.

The term hotel or motel accommodation means a building or place (whether or not licensed premises under the Liquor Act 2007) that provides temporary or short-term accommodation on a commercial basis. Hotel is a defined term in the Standard Instrument LEP.

We want the IDA to deliver the best outcomes possible for private sector led projects and the $200 million threshold has been determined to be appropriate for hotels.

This supports the NSW Government’s commitment to the NSW Visitor Economy Strategy 2035 which outlines the need for diverse, high-quality accommodation. By 2035, NSW will need an additional 40,400 rooms, with 75% of the demand concentrated in Greater Sydney.

A key action in the Strategy is to drive accommodation investment through streamlined planning approvals. 

Barriers relates to a general term to which we consider obstacles or challenges in delivering projects. The IDA is seeking to expedite projects to increase productivity in NSW and is interested in processes which may cause undue delays or obstacles to project delivery.

The IDA is focussed on supporting major projects to progress into delivery more quickly in NSW, recognising that this will be a driver for productivity growth. As such, proponents will need to demonstrate a positive commitment to commence if the IDA supports them in gaining approvals.

The Expressions of Interest Submission Guide explains the criteria in more detail. 

Applicants will need to demonstrate that they have successfully delivered similar projects or activities in the past, even if in a different sector. The Expressions of Interest Submission Guide explains the criteria in more detail.