Wellington REACT Business Case & Funding
$11.25m secured
Challenge
The Wellington Renewable Energy Awareness and Career Training (REACT) Centre began as a local idea that needed to be tested for feasibility and translated into a structured proposal. The concept had circulated in the community for years but lacked the evidence and structure to attract government investment. Council needed a robust business case capable of demonstrating feasibility, policy alignment and quantified economic benefits, all under compressed timeframes.
Adding complexity, the project spanned multiple stakeholder groups, from local community organisations to education providers, industry partners and multiple levels of government. It also needed to address policy drivers around skills shortages in the renewable energy sector while balancing local aspirations for long-term community benefit.
Approach
We delivered a structured two-phase process: first a Discovery and Pre-feasibility phase covering site analysis, a site selection framework, and early workshops to test feasibility and stakeholder appetite; then a Full Business Case with detailed option analysis, economic impact modelling, and co-design with government, industry, and education partners. The business case created the foundation for a compelling funding application, and we then supported Council through the full application process, ensuring the staged scope aligned with available funding while retaining flexibility for future expansion.
Phase 1 · Discovery
Site analysis, a site selection framework and feasibility workshops to test stakeholder appetite.
Phase 2 · Business case
Detailed option analysis, economic impact modelling and co-design with government, industry and education.
Funded
$11.25m
Backed by state and federal government, and by industry.
Outcomes
Delivered a robust, evidence-based business case that gave REACT legitimacy and secured the $11.25m to build it.
- Balanced local aspirations with state and federal policy priorities, winning broad support across all levels of government.
- Built lasting alignment and trust with industry, education providers and the local community.
A local idea, built into a case three levels of government could back.