Key information
- Status: Open
- Grant amount: Grants of up to $500,000 for projects with one target landscape area, or up to $1,000,000 for projects with two to five target landscape areas.
- Application opened: 7 May 2025
- Application closes: 7 August 2025, 5:00 pm
Program objective
The Low Carbon Landscapes grant program aims to scale up high quality carbon abatement from the primary industries and land sector, by supporting the development of financially viable projects which can attract investment.
The objectives of the program are to:
- Support a range of ambitious, landscape-scale, high quality carbon abatement projects in the primary industries and land sector through the initial stages of project development, up to the point where they can secure investment
- Develop a range of financially viable models for project delivery
- Increase private sector investment in high quality carbon abatement projects in the primary industries and land sector.
This program is administered by Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.
Eligibility
Who can apply
Eligible applicants include:
- farmers or agribusinesses
- Aboriginal landholders or land managers including Traditional Owner groups, land councils or Registered Native Title Body Corporates
- not-for-profit organisations
- government entities, including NSW Government agencies and local government
- natural resource management/conservation organisations
- peak bodies or industry organisations
- producer associations
- co-operative/mutual organisations.
For-profit carbon service providers are not eligible to be applicants.
Types of projects funded under this grant
The Low Carbon Landscapes grant round covers the initial stages of project development for landscape-scale, high quality carbon abatement projects in the primary industries and land sector, up to the point where they can secure investment. This should include a focus on developing a financially viable model for project delivery and identifying suitable sources of private investment to enable on-ground implementation.
This grant round will not fund on-ground implementation of carbon abatement projects or subsequent management or maintenance of these projects.
Carbon abatement activities within the scope of this grant program include:
- increasing carbon storage in vegetation, soils, coastal, or marine areas across all land types
- reducing emissions from livestock, land use, land use change, and forestry.
This grant cannot be used for projects related to:
- energy use and transport-related emissions
- technological carbon dioxide removal from the atmosphere and geological storage.
While the focus is on carbon abatement, funded projects must aim to achieve this in a way that delivers co-benefits.
Projects that are within the scope of this grant program and which meet the other criteria described in the Grant Guidelines are eligible for this grant.
What co-contributions are required
Cash and in-kind co-contributions are not required, but are highly recommended as ‘value for money’ is a component of the merit assessment criteria.
What your application needs to include
Prepare your application with this checklist
The application process for the Low Carbon Landscapes grants is competitive. Details on the application and assessment process are provided in the grant guidelines.
Applications must be completed in full and include all the information specified. If you do not provide the specified information in the format required, we may seek additional information or clarification from you. If this information is not provided, your application may be unsuccessful.
Step 1. Confirm that you meet all eligibility requirements prior to applying
Step 2. Review the information in the grant guidelines and on the grant website
Step 3. Fill out the application form in the Grant Management System, and submit it for assessment along with all the required documentation
If you have any questions, please contact the PIPAP Market Development team: pipap.marketdevelopment@environment.nsw.gov.au.
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.
Start the application
Fill out the application form in the Grant Management System, and submit it for assessment along with all the required documentation.
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: Executive Director, Climate Change and Sustainability, or Deputy Secretary, Energy, Climate Change and Sustainability, NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.
Your application will first be reviewed against the eligibility criteria. Projects that meet all eligibility requirements will proceed to merit assessment. If your application is deemed ineligible during the eligibility review, you will receive an email.
An assessment panel will review eligible applications against the merit assessment criteria and recommend successful applicants for approval of a grant.
During either the eligibility or merit assessments, we may ask you for more information. You will have 5 business days from the date of our written request to provide a response.
If your application is successful, we will send you a written offer and the Low Carbon Landscapes funding agreement.
If your application is not successful, you will receive an email. Feedback on your application will be available on request.