Key information
- Status: Open
- Grant amount: From $100,000 to $1,000,000
- Application opened: 21 September 2026
- Application closes: 21 December 2026, 5:00 pm
Program objective
The EV kerbside charging grants (the grants) aim to:
- support NSW’s goal of being the easiest place in Australia to own and operate an EV
- increase EV charging options for EV drivers with limited or no access to off-street parking
- support the needs of an increasing number of EV drivers and make the EV transition process easier
- test different kerbside charging technologies and commercial models to develop a sustainable kerbside charging market
- provide information and support on planning approval pathways for kerbside charging.
This new $5 million funding round, under the EV Kerbside Charging Program, supports the rollout of EV kerbside chargers in areas of NSW with the least access to private, off-street parking.
For further information please visit the Electric Vehicle Kerbside Charging Program website.
This program is administered by Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.
Eligibility
Who can apply
Grant funding for round 3 will be available to charge point operators (CPOs) that must:
- be either:
- an entity incorporated under the Corporations Act 2001(Cth)
- a state-owned corporation or a subsidiary of a corporation owned by an Australian state or territory
- hold a valid Australian Business Number (ABN)
- hold the following:
- $20 million in public liability insurance
- workers compensation insurance.
Types of projects funded under this grant
Installation of public charging infrastructure on the kerbside (power poles and the verge), and in council and commercial carparks across 37 eligible local government areas (LGAs), as listed in the grant guidelines.
What costs you can apply for
Refer to the grant guidelines for the full list of eligible expenditure and exclusions.
What costs you can't apply for
Refer to the grant guidelines for the full list of eligible expenditure and exclusions.
What your application needs to include
Prepare your application with this checklist
Applicants must meet the eligibility, site, operational and technical requirements as listed in the grant guidelines and address all merit criteria questions in full. Funding is only available for eligible activities related to the installation of EV chargers.
Address the eligibility criteria
Each applicant, as part of an application response, must confirm that they meet the eligibility criteria.
Applicants that do not address the eligibility criteria in full may be excluded from the application process at the department's discretion.
Address the assessment criteria
Applications that meet the eligibility criteria will be competitively assessed on the quality, credibility and level of detail given in response to the merit criteria below.
Strategy and vision
- An overview of your corporate strategy regarding EV charging and operating a kerbside charging network.
- The rationale for the number of proposed sites in the project.
- Rationale for the charger types (e.g. electricity pole, pedestal, etc.) and capacities (kW).
Previous experience
- Provide an overview of similar projects, including whether timeframes and budget expectations were achieved and any experience working with councils or managing council and regulatory approval processes to support project delivery. Where an applicant has undertaken similar projects for local, state or Australian Government, please provide contact details for referees for these projects. As part of grant assessment, the program team reserves the right to contact referees for past projects undertaken for NSW Government.
- The use of hardware and software solutions that have a proven track record, provide high reliability and create a positive user experience
Project delivery
- An overview of how the project will be managed and delivered on time
- Expected timeframes for each stage of the project
- Identification of roles and responsibilities including profiles of key project team members
- Identification of key project risks and how these will be managed
- Responsibility and resourcing for timely customer support and maintenance
- Maintenance schedules and expected timeframes for reactive maintenance, including how you will meet the minimum uptime requirement
- How chargers will be decommissioned or replaced at their end-of-life
Financial plan
- A breakdown of the total installation cost estimates including (where available and applicable):
- EV charger hardware and associated components
- civil and electrical works
- electricity supply authority connection fees
- planning approval and parking space application fees
- installation of NSW Government approved regulatory parking signage and pavement marking
- costs already covered by another NSW Government, Commonwealth Government or other funding program
- Annual operational and maintenance cost estimates including (where available and applicable):
- electricity
- hardware and software maintenance
- customer service
- parking space leasing
- leasing for pole mounting
- Revenue forecasts for multiple charger usage scenarios (i.e. low, medium and high) including:
- number of charge sessions per day, expected dwell times, expected kWh delivered per charge session
- fee structure and cost to end user (including idle fees if applicable)
- rationale for any assumptions made.
- Payback periods with and without NSW Government co-contribution
User experience
- Approaches to creating a positive and enjoyable user experience including
- ensuring fair use of chargers (e.g. dedicated parking, idle fees, enforcement, scheduled charge sessions)
- how the need for dedicated parking spaces has been assessed and considered in project design
- the use of contactless payment
- the use of hardware solutions that provide high reliability and have a proven track record
- the use of software solutions that provide a user-friendly interface
- how the charger will provide ease of access to people with disability (e.g. height of control panel, charge port or display screen)
Start the application
All applications must be submitted through the NSW Government's nominated online Grant Management System (GMS), SmartyGrants.
Note: If you are a new applicant to SmartyGrants, you will need to register and create a password. If you are already registered, you can log in with your existing username and password.
Apply now
After the application is submitted
Successful applications will be decided by: Executive Director
An overview of the assessment and approval process is outlined as follows:
- Eligibility check: an initial eligibility check to ensure no eligibility issues are apparent within the application. The department may ask applicants to clarify or provide additional information. Applicants will not be given any chance to substantially improve or change their application during the assessment phase. The assessment panel will comprise the program team, director-level representatives from the department, other NSW agencies, and external independent industry experts, and will assess which applications and/or individual sites meet the eligibility criteria and which are ineligible to proceed to merit assessment.
- Merit assessment: eligible applications and sites will be competitively assessed against the merit criteria listed in Table 10. Applicants must request a minimum of $100,000 in NSW Government co-funding in each application, with the understanding that not all requested co-funding may be granted.
- NSW Government approval: the assessment panel will make a final determination on applications and the sites recommended to be approved for funding. This will also consider maximum funding caps for applicants, financial capability and the total quantum of funding available within the round. The delegated NSW Government executive decision-maker then considers this recommendation. The department’s decision is final.
- Notification of assessment outcomes: the department will advise all applicants of the outcomes of the assessment process. Successful applicants will be provided with the funding agreement and other project management documents. Unsuccessful applicants will be encouraged to apply for future funding rounds and informed of why their application was unsuccessful. If requested, the department may provide further feedback in a follow-up session at an agreed time.
- Funding agreement execution: all funding offers and any payment of funds will be conditional upon the execution of a funding agreement with the department. All successful applicants must sign a funding agreement with the department within 15 working days of receipt. This agreement will confirm the project schedule and NSW Government payments. The department does not encourage variations to the funding agreement. The department may accept or deny these departures at its discretion. Prospective applicants are encouraged to review and submit any questions or concerns about the funding agreement to the department before the end of the funding round’s application window.
Support and contact
kerbside.charging@dcceew.nsw.gov.au