Grants open to deliver upskilling for plumbers training

Applications close at 4:00 pm on Monday 22 September 2025.

About the grants

Applications for Upskilling for Plumbers grant funding are open to training providers to equip registered and licensed plumbers and fourth-year plumbing apprentices in Victoria with the knowledge and skills needed to:

understand energy efficiency requirements
design and install energy efficient heat pump hot water systems.

This initiative will grow workforce capacity and skills to meet the higher consumer demand for electrical appliances driven by the Victorian Government’s gas substitution reforms. Reforms include new building electrification and minimum energy efficiency standards commencing in 2027 for new builds, rentals and water heater replacements.

Successful organisations must deliver Upskilling for Plumbers training by 31 May 2026.

The total funding available to successful applicants is $950,000 (excluding GST) over the period 1 October 2025 to 30 June 2026. Funding for delivery will be paid based on participant completions, as stated in the Application Guidelines linked below.

Upskilling for Plumbers is funded through Solar Victoria’s Electrification Training and Workforce Development Program, a $5 million investment in subsidised training initiatives over three years.

What will be funded

Five activity streams are to be funded under Upskilling for Plumbers:

Self-paced online module/s covering energy efficiency and an introduction to heat pumps.
Metropolitan face-to-face theoretical and practical training sessions on the design and install of energy efficient heat pump hot water systems.
Regional series of face to face theoretical and practical training sessions on the design and install of energy efficient heat pump hot water systems.
Forums/Masterclasses to be scheduled over the delivery period.
Face-to-face training and networking events for women.

Activities eligible for funding are detailed in the Application Guidelines. This includes course content development costs, project resourcing, equipment and tools to deliver in-person training, and costs associated with partnership/auspice arrangements required to delivery training and events.

Who can apply

Applications for grants to deliver this training are open to private sector businesses, educational institutions, trade unions, and peak industry associations that can demonstrate they can meet the eligibility criteria in the Application Guidelines and listed below:

Be an incorporated body, cooperative or association (including business associations).
Be financially solvent.Have a learning facility in Victoria.
Have demonstrated capacity to deliver training online.
Experience in delivering training to the plumbing industry.
Capacity to deliver industry-relevant heat pump hot water systems and home energy efficiency-related training.
Capacity to administer training, including managing enrolments, participant queries, issuing certificates, ensuring participants are eligible in accordance with grant conditions, reporting.
Experience and capacity to promote and advertise training to the plumbing industry and generate an ongoing pipeline of participants.

Individuals, government agencies, and local government authorities cannot apply. Detailed assessment criteria are listed in the Application Guidelines below.