Key information
- Status: Open
- Grant amount: Grants up to $200,000
- Application opened: 20 September 2024
- Application closes: 14 November 2024, 4:00 pm
Program objective
The success of this program will contribute to NSW and national targets to halve organics waste to landfill by 2030.
The Business Food Waste Partnership grants program will provide $4 million over four years to educate and upskill businesses and institutions to avoid, reduce and source separate food waste.
The Food Waste Partnership Grants provide funding for projects that:
- raise awareness of proposed requirements for certain businesses and institutions to source separate food waste from 225
- provide businesses and institutions with the knowledge and skills to reduce food waste and source separate well
- support businesses and institutions to transition to food waste recycling
- provide tools and training to reduce food waste generation.
This program is administered by Environment Protection Authority.
Eligibility
Who can apply
Eligible applicants must:
- be an organisation with an Australian Business Number (ABN)
- be operational in NSW
- be the owner of an active network and/or have ongoing engagement with the target audience
- demonstrate experience in project delivery with the target audience
- demonstrate the project is a new activity that can be incorporated into, or build on, existing activities, programs or other initiatives
- demonstrate shared values or organisational goals aligned with the NSW organics waste and emissions targets
- deliver education and communication that aligns with the NSW EPA position statement on what can be disposed of in Food Organics Garden Organics (FOGO) or Food Organics (FO) bins
- provide evidence such as a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) detailing the clearly defined roles and responsibilities for each party involved in the delivery of a joint project
- submit the grant application using SmartyGrants by 4pm 14 November 2024.
Applications that do not satisfy these conditions will be deemed ineligible and will not be funded.
Types of projects funded under this grant
The grants support activities that raise awareness and empower food businesses with knowledge and skills in food waste reduction and source separation. Eligible activities include, but are not limited to, projects which:
- raise awareness of the requirements for businesses to source separate food waste and actions to help them transition
- educate or upskill business owners, managers and staff to source separate food waste well, minimising contamination and maximising recovery
- help businesses or institutions reduce food waste by increasing skills and knowledge, changing practices, procedures and behaviours.
- support franchise businesses, institutions or hospitality service providers delivering food waste training to equip staff, tenants and cleaners on how to reduce food waste generation and maximise food waste recycling
- support hospitality education institutes incorporating food waste prevention and recycling content into existing hospitality courses to increase awareness and empower attendees with knowledge and skills
- support councils and food waste collection companies engaging their existing customers or local food businesses to maximise food waste recycling and minimise contamination
- support peak bodies, councils, and education institutions providing capacity building training courses via webinars, and workshops to upskill their members or high waste generating businesses on how to reduce and better manage their food waste
- support training institutions or councils to host events and activities to create collaboration opportunities for local businesses or sectors to maximise food waste diversion from landfill
Projects must integrate with or build upon existing activities delivered with the target audience.
What your application needs to include
Prepare your application with this checklist
Not applicable.
Address the eligibility criteria
Each applicant, as part of an application response, must confirm that they meet the eligibility criteria.
Applicants that do not address the eligibility criteria in full may be excluded from the application process at the department's discretion.
Address the assessment criteria
The assessment criteria for the Business Food Waste Partnerships Grants can be found on this webpage: https://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/business-food-waste-grants
Start the application
Applications must be submitted through the EPA SmartyGrants platform by 4pm on 14 November 2024. Setting up a SmartyGrants account is free and a help guide can be found at: https://applicanthelp.smartygrants.com.au/help-guide-for-applicants/.
For further information about the grant, there will be an online information session held at 10.30am on 17 October 2024. Please register for the session through this link: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/3745dbae-ba86-4450-bf06-d8c790080324@96ef8821-2a39-471c-b89a-67b0833dd3b9
This session will also be recorded. For a copy of the presentation, email organics.grants@epa.nsw.gov.au.
Note: If you are a new applicant to SmartyGrants, you will need to register and create a password. If you are already registered, you can log in with your existing username and password.
Apply now
After the application is submitted
Successful applications will be decided by: EPA CEO
Applications will open on 19 September 2024. Applications will undergo an eligibility check before being reviewed by an independent Technical Review Committee (TRC) using the criteria set out in the Business Food Waste Partnership Guidelines.
Applications close at 4pm on 14 November 2024. Applicants will be notified of their assessment outcome in February 2025.
Support and contact
Contact NSW EPA Organics Unit
Email: organics.grants@epa.nsw.gov.au