Circular Economy Innovation Fund – Funded projects
The $2.9 million Circular Economy Innovation Fund supports collaborative projects between:
- individual businesses
- industry groups and associations
- charities and/or research institutions.
The projects may also include government or local government organisations or other not-for-profit organisations including community groups and associations.
These grants are funded through the Recycling Victoria policy.
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Round 2 – Funded recipients
This funding round aimed to support circular economy projects that design out waste to improve environmental and economic outcomes for Victoria.
Announcement date: 14 May 2022
All projects to be completed by: October 2023
There were two funding streams:
- Textiles Innovation: focused on preventing textile waste.
- Collaborative innovation: focused on preventing waste from multiple organisations in a specific supply chain, sector or region.
Funding stream: Textiles innovation
Kathmandu Pty Ltd
Demonstrate the viability of The Renewal Workshop’s proprietary approach to repair and renewal (practised in the US and EU). This project will identify and recover Kathmandu product feedstock for the renewal process, establishing and piloting the renewal production process and partnerships while developing a renewal marketing and sales plan.
Project partners: Kirri-Mae Sampson, Aleasha McCallion
Funding: $150,000
Total co-contribution: $150,000
A.BCH Pty Ltd
Build a digital platform to connect the oversupply of textile materials with demand via a business-to-consumer and business-to-business marketplace. This project will provide the digital infrastructure to re-distribute Victorian surplus textiles in a way that captures the variety of enterprises that make up the textiles, clothing and footwear industry.
Project partners: MTK Pty Ltd, Full Circle Fibres, The Social Studio Pty Ltd, Raw Assembly Pty Ltd
Funding: $85,000
Total co-contribution: $85,000
Deakin University
Develop and research a bio-inspired textile as a viable polyester alternative. The new fibres and textiles will be made from recombinant protein-based biopolymers based on the nesting material of a native Australian solitary bee.
Project partners: Humble Bee Bio
Funding: $149,650
Total co-contribution: $525,408
University of Melbourne
Provide a safe, novel solution to extend the use of disposable medical gowns to reduce the number of gowns used and disposed of in Victoria, including evaluating and demonstrating whether a coating can be applied to a disposable personal protective equipment (PPE) gown to extend its’ use in a clinical setting.
Project partners: Western Health, Full Circle Fibres
Funding: $100,000
Total co-contribution: $140,000
Funding stream: Collaborative innovation
CLOS Laminated Offsite Solutions Pty Ltd
Demonstrate and validate the waste, cost and time-saving performance of pre-fabrication construction compared with business-as-usual in Victoria. This project will use digital design-for-manufacture to demonstrate the potential for prefab in Victorian affordable housing and deliver a waste reduction case study to share with the wider industry.
Project partners: Monash University Future Building Initiative, Ys Housing, Ireland Brown Construction, AKD Softwood
Funding: $150,000
Total co-contribution: $170,000
Round 1 – Funded recipients
Announcement date: 15 July 2021
There were two funding streams:
- Food innovation: Collaborative partnerships that identify opportunities and apply innovative circular economy business models and practices for food waste or for the food sector.
- Collaborative innovation: Collaborative partnerships that identify, develop and/or scale-up innovative circular economy business models and practices. The projects need to address systemic barriers with innovative thinking and practice.
Funding stream: Food innovation
Funding stream: Collaboration innovation
Want to know more? Contact us
Grants Support Representative
Sustainability Victoria