Four grants that I found that MakeHackVoid seems to be eligible for, in order of likelihood of getting these:
National Science Week grant https://www.business.gov.au/assistance/inspiring-australia-science-engagement/national-science-week-grants support local organisations, inspire participation STEM.
Business Energy and Water Program https://www.actsmart.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/1390063/Registration-Form-Actsmart-Business-Energy-and-Water-Program-2019.pdf 50% rebate on investment in improvements
Small scale electricity generation from solar cleanenergyregulator.gov.au/RET/Scheme-participants-and-industry/Agents-and-installers/Small-scale-systems-eligible-for-certificates Subsidy 40AUD per kW per year for up to 11 years if someone buys the STC certificates created for the system. System requirements: power <100kW and output <250MWh/year.
Unclear what the eligibility requirements are:
actsmart.act.gov.au/what-can-i-do/business/lighting-upgrades-for-businesses
I’m reading through them now, the first is a possibility however would need to be actioned pretty soon.
If anyone has any ideas as to what we could offer, I’m all ears.
The second needs to be matched dollar for dollar, so could probably only cover things we’re already planning on spending money on. Applying for $1-2k for replacing all our tools with battery powered units, plus installing an off-grid solar power and charging system may be suitable. A scaled down version of the $25k grant we are currently planning on applying for next year, for example.
We could pay whatever is needed to replace our current tools, something we are planning on spending money on anyway, and at no cost to ourselves have a small solar array and battery storage system installed. If we are planning on spending that money to replace our tools as is, then I see no reason why we could, or should, not do this, however I have only had a preliminary read over the terms and conditions.
This does seem to require pre-approval and works carried out before-the-fact, however I can look further into it if so desired.
The third option requires professional installation and grid-hookup, thus I will rule it out as a possibility.
The final option is a possibility, however I cannot see how anything listed within would benefit the space, even at no cost.
Discussion is always welcome, however I think for now that the best option would be to go after the science week grant.
For the Science Week, the lazy option is just to call our regular meeting(s) Science Week event(s), changing nothing. We will show people how to use a 3D printer (assuming we have a working one) and a laser cutter, maybe other tools. They can cut or print something small for themselves (key holder, badge, figurine, puzzle piece).
I am happy to show them how to design the key holder shape in FreeCAD for 3D printing, and how to bend a hat brim holder out of steel wire.
Arduino programming intro is also a possibility.
They also are only for a single event and don’t contribute to the on going of the space. Now this isn’t a reason not todo it but a lot of effort could be put into something that gives no reward.
No immediate financial reward, perhaps. But advertising for the longer term, maybe getting more members, or just promoting science and tinkering.
I volunteer at various places just to do good. Others may have different preferences.
Yes that is one of the aims of MHV to this sort of thing. We do do the sort of thing you are talking about every time we open. However putting in for a grant takes time in itself, requires resources from the space itself (time and money) and then doesn’t yield anything above what we already do may not be the best use of our time. When we could put 100% of the original time and resources into our core aims without the needed oversite of a grant.
With the grant being between $2k and $20k we could use the funding to create a “carbon neutral workspace” and offer tours and walkthroughs of our setup, potentially transforming MHV into an entirely off-grid system, with activities dedicated to teaching people the ways they can easily cut down on their own carbon footprints, spiels about how much of this technology was developed in Australia, as well as all our regular workshops, with the caveat that they’re all off-grid.
As this is something we have planned to do regardless, however were ineligible for past grants, I think it could be a great opportunity to not only make the space into what we want, but also gain much needed publicity.
Else, we just wait for next years clean energy grants, but if any proposals have already been drafted then all they’d require would be moderate modification, and there’s still 20 days to do so.
If it was only for the costs of an ephemeral event, then there would be little purpose spare boosting good 'ol GDP, but if, after the event, there are byproducts and carryover then they become the net gain of the event.
As far as I’m concerned, that could be enough, depending on what is offered.
Turning the space into questacon-nano isn’t exactly a primary goal of mine, but if in doing so we were able to reduce the spending of our core funds by instead entirely and more quickly increasing our assets using grants, rather than slowly acquiring them from our own funds, I can see how that could justify the needed effort.