Up to $150,000 is available from Circulate Industrial Ecology Grant Program to fund innovative, commercially oriented industrial ecology projects.
Circulate Industrial Ecology Grant Program
The Circulate Industrial Ecology Grant Program is designed to fund innovative, commercially oriented industrial
ecology projects that focus on the commercial and industrial (C&I) and construction and demolition (C&D) sectors in NSW.
Background
In May 2018, Circulate was revised to include industrial ecology projects that focus on materials affected by the China National Sword Policy.
Circulate supports projects that will recover materials that would otherwise be sent to landfill (or plastic, mixed paper and cardboard stockpiled because of the China National Sword Policy) and instead use them as feedstock for other commercial, industrial or construction processes.
Objectives
Circulate aims to:
- assist organisations to develop and progress viable industrial ecology opportunities
- overcome barriers to change associated with existing waste and resource recovery management practices
- support the development of realistic business cases for the use of recovered andrecycled products in the manufacture of new products
- divert C&I and C&D waste from landfill
- strengthen local markets for recyclate from municipal recycling streams.
Funding
Round 3 of the Circulate Program has been allocated $2.5 million over four years until June 2021.
Successful projects will be awarded between $20,000 and $150,000, depending on scale, duration and likely impact.
Eligible Projects
To be considered for Circulate funding your project must meet all the following eligibility criteria:
- The project diverts materials from landfill or safeguards against landfilling of recyclate affected by the China National Sword Policy, which would not be possible without the assistance of Circulate funding
- The project involves business-to-business transfer of materials, resulting in the retention of resources within the productive economy
- The material this project relates to is from the C&I and/or C&D sectors in NSW or targets NSW municipal recyclate affected by the China National Sword Policy
- The project will achieve at least the minimum tonnes of diversion for the relevant waste material
- The total funding requested from the EPA does not exceed the maximum $/tonne set for the relevant material
- The first transfer of materials will occur within:
- six months of signing the funding agreement for 12–18-month projects
- 12 months of signing the funding agreement for two- to three-year projects.
- All the material diversion to be funded by the EPA under your Circulate application will occur after funding is awarded and before 31 March 2021.
- The project will not result in long-term stockpiling of any materials.
Eligible Applicants
Your application should be submitted by the project manager on behalf of the lead organisation. The application must be authorised by two office bearers from the lead organisation.
The project manager must be available to respond to questions and requests for information from the EPA during the application and assessment process, and, if the application is successful, for the duration of the project. In the event that the project manager is no longer able to carry out their function, the EPA must be notified and a suitable replacement must be provided by the lead organisation.
The following types of organisation are encouraged to apply for Circulate funding:
- private corporations
- not-for-profit organisations
- consultancies
- industry associations or peak bodies
- waste and resource recovery providers
- product stewardship groups
- government agencies and organisations, and government-owned/controlled entities
- a consortium of any of the above.
The legal status of the lead organisation must meet one of the following definitions to be eligible for funding:
- private industry or partnership as defined under the Commonwealth Corporations Act 2001
- industrial organisation or peak council registered with the NSW Industrial Relations Commission
- non-government/not-for-profit organisation (must comply with the ATO’s definition) with an established legal status
- government agency or organisation, or government-owned/controlled entity.
If the lead organisation does not meet one of the above legal definitions, it may not be eligible for funding. You may wish to nominate another project partner to be the lead organisation on this application, or contact the EPA to discuss before progressing with yourapplication.
Timing
Applications for Round 3 close 30 October 2019.
