What is the Recycling Victoria Business Support Fund?
The Recycling Victoria Business Support Fund is a grant opportunity that primarily target waste prevention, reuse, remanufacture and upcycling. Innovative recycling approaches will also be supported, where they develop new recycling markets in Victoria.
Objectives
The Recycling Victoria Business Support Fund aims to:
- increase awareness of circular economy opportunities and benefits to Victorian businesses
- identify opportunities for businesses to adapt and apply circular economy approaches in Victoria, where the implementation of the solution could:
- 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.
Funding Streams
There are 2 grant types:
- Stream 1: Identification grants ($75,000 to $200,000) – For individual applicants or collaborative partnerships to investigate how to adapt and apply circular economy business opportunities and approaches.
- Stream 2: Implementation grants ($100,000 to $1,000,000) – 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.
Eligible Projects
The Stream 1: Identification grants project should focus on at least one of these areas:
- feasibility studies to apply or adapt circular economy business opportunities and approaches to business or supply chains
- materials efficiency and flow assessments (e.g. to identify waste reduction or prevention opportunities) in businesses or across supply chains
- business case development to support the implementation of a circular economy business opportunity or approach
- access to business advisory and support services to support the development of circular economy business opportunities and approaches
- pilot projects and trials of circular economy business opportunities and approaches.
The Stream 2: Implementation grants 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.
Other requirements for both streams:
- 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.
Eligible Applicants
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:
- co-contribute $1:$1 as a minimum
- have a current Australian Business Number (ABN)
- have been operating for at least two years
- provide evidence of a collaborative partnership if applying as one
- agree to comply with the Funding Agreement Terms and Conditions and Terms of Participation in Grant Programs.
Timing
Applications close 12 March 2021.
