Circular Economy Business Support Fund – Stream 2: Implementation grants

Last updated: 13 September 2022
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Prior to 1 July 2022, this fund was named the Recycling Victoria Business Support Fund.

The Fund will primarily target waste prevention and reuse/remanufacture. Innovative recycling approaches will also be supported, where they develop new recycling markets in Victoria.

There are 2 grant types:

Stream 1: Identification grants – For individual applicants or collaborative partnerships to investigate how to adapt and apply circular economy business opportunities and approaches

Stream 2: Implementation grants – For individual applicants or collaborative partnerships to implement solutions across one or multiple businesses. These grants will support the business to implement evidence-based circular economy business opportunities and approaches in Victoria.

Stream 1 applicants may apply for Stream 2 as well, in the first round or subsequent round (s).

This page is about Stream 2: Implementation grants.


Guidelines

View the program guidelines.

Information bulletin

For our responses to questions not addressed on this page or in the guidelines, view the Information bulletin.

Status: Applications closed
Closing date: Friday 12 March 2021, 3:00 pm
Total funding available: $100,000 to $1,000,000 per grant
Co-contribution:

$1:$1 (minimum). Co-contribution can be made as cash or in-kind. Up to 10% of the applicant’s co-contribution can be in-kind.

Available to: Businesses, Charities, Other not-for-profit organisations, Industry groups and associations, Consultants (as a lead applicant in a collaborative partnership only)

Eligible applicants

An application can be made by one organisation or a group of organisations.

For a group application (known as ‘collaborative partnership’), the main organisation responsible for delivering the project is the lead applicant, and the others are the project partners.

Applying as an individual

To be an individual applicant, you must be from one of the following:

  • business
  • charity
  • other not-for-profit organisations
  • industry group and association.

Applying as a collaborative partnership

To be a lead applicant, you must be from one of the following:

  • business
  • charity
  • other not-for-profit organisations
  • industry group and association
  • consultant (assisting other organisations).

To be a project partner, you must be from one of the following:

  • business
  • charity
  • other not-for-profit organisations
  • industry group and association.

You must also:

Eligible projects

The project should focus on at least one of these areas:

  • set up a new circular economy-based establishment
  • extend an existing circular economy-based establishment
  • diversify the output of an establishment into new additional circular economy-based products, services, models or markets
  • improve circular economy-based outcomes within existing establishments.

The project must also achieve at least one of these targets:

  • reduce generation of product or material waste by at least 750 tonnes per year
  • reduce the materials intensity of a product, service or model by at least 750 tonnes per year
  • redistribute materials or products (to prevent waste) by at least 750 tonnes per year
  • reuse, remanufacture, or upcycle materials or products by at least 750 tonnes per year
  • increase capacity to prevent waste or to re-use, remanufacture, redistribute, or upcycle materials or products by at least 2,500 tonnes per year.
  • increase capacity to recycle materials or products currently wasted, through new and innovative solutions, by at least 2,500 tonnes per year.

The project should meet these objectives:

  • increase awareness of circular economy opportunities and benefits to Victorian businesses.
  • increase uptake of circular economy opportunities and approaches by business and to accelerate Victoria’s transition to a circular economy, where implementation will:
    • increase access to circular economy products and services for businesses and consumers
    • increase materials efficiency within individual businesses and across supply chains
    • reduce materials intensity of a product, service or business model
    • increase the duration of product and material lifecycles and value
    • establish new circular economy-based services, products, models, and markets
    • create new local jobs and increased circular economy-based skills in the workforce
    • reduce materials to landfill and other waste destinations
    • reduce greenhouse gas emissions and pollution
    • increase processing markets and capacity.

Other requirements:

  • the project must be completed by 31 December 2022
  • projects must not have started or completed before the funding agreement is signed
  • At least 50% of project activities must be in Victoria. If they are outside of Victoria, the project will need to deliver the minimum required benefits to Victorian businesses.

Funding limits

Grant amount per project for individual applicants: $100,000 to $500,000

Grant amount per project for collaborative partnerships: $100,000 to $1,000,000

Co-contribution is required.

Application process

  1. You must read the program guidelines, which contain the assessment criteria and other important information.
  2. Read and accept the Funding Agreement Terms and Conditions.
  3. Read and understand the Terms of Participation in Grant Programs.
  4. To apply you’ll need to register an account with Smarty Grants. Once you’re logged in, click on Recycling Victoria Business Support Fund and choose Recycling Victoria Business Support Fund – Stream 2: Implementation Grants.

For our responses to questions not addressed on this page or in the guidelines, view the Information bulletin.

Timeline

Applications open Friday 20 November 2020
Information session Thursday 3 December 2020
Applications close Friday 12 March 2021
Notification of outcome Wednesday 21 July 2021
Projects must start by Thursday 11 November 2021
Projects must be completed by Saturday 31 December 2022

Background

Recycling Victoria (PDF, 1.7MB) is a ten-year policy and action plan to transform how our economy uses materials. The policy will assist business to generate less waste through:

  • innovation and design
  • using recycled materials in products
  • considering impacts across product life cycles
  • exploring new circular economy business models.

This will create value for Victorians through increased access to:

  • circular economy products and services
  • new local jobs
  • increased circular economy skills in the workforce.

Circular economy

The Recycling Victoria policy defines circular economy as:

“A circular economy continually seeks to reduce the environmental impacts of production and consumption, while enabling economic growth through more productive use of natural resources.

It allows us to avoid waste with good design and effective recovery of materials that can be reused.

It promotes more efficient business models that encourage intense and efficient product use, such as sharing products between multiple users, or supplying a product as a service that includes maintenance, repair and disposal.

The value people obtain from the resources used to create goods and services increases.

It transforms our linear economy mindset—take, use and throw away—and fosters innovation and productivity that invigorates existing businesses and creates new ones, delivering more jobs and more growth for local, regional, state and global economies.”

Want to know more? Get in touch with...

Grants Support Representative
Sustainability Victoria