$30,000 in funding available to social and sustainable community initiatives
June 23, 2025
FRV Australia is thrilled to welcome applications for the 2025 Winton Solar Farm Community Grants Program.
This grant round marks the fifth year of the fund which has supported 22 community-led initiatives and projects to date through over $135,000 worth of grants.
Up to $30,000 in funding is available again this year to eligible organisations looking to make a positive contribution to the community. Local groups working to promote sustainable environmental outcomes, support skills and training, and improve community health, safety, and wellbeing are encouraged to apply.
FRV Australia’s Chief Executive Officer, Carlo Frigerio, said he has been impressed by the calibre of applications each year and the enthusiasm of the community in response to the program.
“Grassroots organisations have worked diligently to conceive and implement initiatives that improve the liveability and vitality of the region. We’re delighted to be able to support the hard work, talent, and leadership of these groups who respond to the needs and interests of their communities,” he said.
“It’s been a privilege to have supported such a diverse range of locally led initiatives in Winton, Benalla, and surrounding communities over the past four years of the program. FRV Australia is humbled to have been able to play small part in delivering these important projects.”
Last year’s Community Grants Program saw four community organisations awarded a share of $30,000. Recipients used the funds to deliver new social inclusion events and activities, build 250 community garden beds, provide peer support training to local healthcare providers, strengthen crisis support resources and facilities, and enhance social connection through cooking classes for widowed community members.
Now in its fourth year of operation, the Winton Solar Farm recently became one of the renewable energy projects supported through the Victorian Renewable Energy Target (VRET) auction scheme, to supply clean energy to power state government operations via the State Electricity Commission (SEC). This milestone marks the return of the SEC to powering Victoria’s public sector with clean energy, and highlights Winton’s role in supporting the energy transition.
Applications for the 2025 Winton Solar Farm Community Grants Program will open next Monday 30 June 2025. FRV Australia looks forward to welcoming another competitive round of grant applications.
For more information about the Winton Solar Farm and Community Grants Program and to apply, please visit www.wintonsolarfarm.com.
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About the Winton Solar Farm
Winton Solar Farm features the latest in large-scale solar technology to capture solar energy and convert this into electricity for use by homes and businesses. The Project received Planning Approval in early 2018 and is has been built on a private 250-hectare site approximately 25km southwest of Wangaratta. This location is well suited to a solar farm, with very high levels of sunlight and proximity to the existing electricity grid.
The solar farm will also contribute to the achievement of Victoria’s renewable energy target. Following a 2018 public tender process, Winton Solar Farm was awarded a 15-year support agreement by the State Government for clean energy generated by the project. The tender was part of the Government’s Victorian Renewable Energy Target (VRET) to source 25 percent of its electricity production from renewables by 2020 increasing to 50% by 2030.
Construction of the 85-megawatt (MW) Solar Farm was completed in 2021, and the asset is now up and running. The solar farm has an operating life of around 30 years.
About FRV Services
FRV Australia is one of the largest solar developers, asset owners and renewable energy platforms in Australia and one of the first solar developers to enter the Australian market and the first company to deliver a project-financed large scale solar farm in Australia with the Royalla Solar Farm near Canberra operating since August 2014. The company has developed almost 800MWdc of Australian PV assets built or under construction across 9 projects for a total project investment value of over 1 billion dollars. The activities are based in Sydney and the company has a multidisciplinary team of over 40 employees. With the ambition to continue leading the global transition to a more sustainable energy future. FRV Australia has evolved from being just a developer to becoming an independent power producer.
The company is owned by Abdul Latif Jameel Energy, a world leader in the development of sustainable energy solutions (51%) and OMERS, one of Canada’s largest defined benefit pension plans (49%); the OMERS stake is managed by OMERS Infrastructure, a global leader in infrastructure investing.
For more information, please contact Eleni Sgardelis – 0435 861 682