Newcastle Small Business Sustainability Initiative

Local small businesses are invited to become part of the highly successful Newcastle Small Business Sustainability Initiative (NSBSI). Over 300 businesses are already participating in the program.

If you would like to register your business to participate simply fill in the registration form (1,762 kb) and return it to the address provided in the form.

If your business is already participating in the NSBSI, click here to access online program resources.

What is the NSBSI?

The Newcastle Small Business Sustainability Initiative is available to businesses that spend up to approximately $20,000 (incl. GST) a year on electricity or employ around 10 staff members.

The program is being offered by Newcastle City Council in collaboration with the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water NSW (DECCW). It combines Council's existing ClimateCam for Business program and DECCW's Energy Efficiency for Small Business Program.

The program offers:

a subsidised energy assessment and action plan
a 50% reduction on the costs of implementing the energy efficiency improvements outlined in your action plan
up to 4 hours of free assistance from your energy assessor to help organise the energy upgrades you choose to implement
recognition of your achievements through the ClimateCam for Business star-rating plaque.

Energy Assessment

Your on-site energy assessment will be conducted by a DECCW appointed assessor and will take 30 to 60 minutes to complete. It will detail ways your business can save electricity and money and provide you with a personalised action plan.

Businesses pay either a $75 or $150 contribution to the cost of the energy assessment. This is paid to the assessor at the time of the assessment.

50% reduction on upgrade costs

The NSW Government will pay 50% of the upgrade costs (up to $5000) for actions listed in your action plan with a greater than 2 year payback period. This offer is available for upgrades to the following equipment:

lighting and skylights
heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and insulation
electric motors
air compressors
commercial refrigeration
boilers
hot water systems.

The assessor will provide you with the relevant documents required to access this saving, and will also assist you in the application process. Refer to the terms and conditions section of the registration form for details on this process.

How much can your business claim?

If your business spends $5,000 - $20,000 each year, you can claim a maximum of $5,000 for your energy upgrades.
If your business spends less than $5,000 each year, you can claim a maximum of $2,000 for your energy upgrades.

Recognition

Participants of NSBSI will receive the ClimateCam for Business star rating plaque to help you communicate your environmental improvements to your customers and staff.

Eight stars are available for the program milestones including undertaking an energy assessment, implementing energy efficiency measures, being water and waste smart. For further details on the plaque click here.