From July 2022 the NSW Government is investing $356 million to deliver priority programs and policy reforms under the NSW Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy 2041 and the NSW Plastics Action Plan. These priority programs will help transition NSW to a circular economy and help mitigate impacts from climate change.
The investment builds on a number of successful initiatives and programs funded through the Waste Less Recycle More initiative.
Grants calendar
These are the funding opportunities under the Strategy and Plastics Plan. Expand each item for details.
The calendar will be updated as grants become available. The timing for grant opportunities is estimated, so is subject to change and revision.
Disclaimer
Open grants
| Opening date |
Grant |
Status |
February/March 2025
|
Go FOGO
Description To support councils to provide a weekly FOGO service to residents. Find out more about the grant.
Contact organics.grants@epa.nsw.gov.au
Eligible for Local Councils
|
Round 4 dates tbc
|
Mid March 2025
|
Scrap Together
Description To help councils support households to use the FOGO service well. Find out more about the grant.
Contact organics.grants@epa.nsw.gov.au
Eligible for Local Councils, groups of councils
|
Round 3 opening mid March
|
1 June 2024
|
Litter Prevention Grants Program
Description Supporting councils, community groups and other key stakeholders to deliver litter prevention projects, and develop and implement strategic plans to address litter in their local environments. Find out more about this grant.
Contact litter.prevention@epa.nsw.gov.au
Eligible for NSW local councils, regional waste and catchment groups, not-for-profits, state government agencies, community groups, industry
|
Intake 5 opens 17 February closes 12pm 30 October 2025
|
18 March 2024
|
Food Rescue Rebates
Description The rebates under this program aim to support the NSW food rescue and relief sector to build their capacity to safely manage increasing amounts of rescued food through smaller, quicker projects. Find out more about this rebate.
Contact organics.grants@epa.nsw.gov.au
Eligible for Food rescue organisations and/or food relief organisations.
|
Open |
| 1 November 2023 |
Joint Procurement Funded Support
Description Provides tailored advice and help to groups of councils to explore and undertake joint procurement of domestic waste management services. Find out more about this grant.
Contact joint.procurement@epa.nsw.gov.au
Eligible for NSW Local councils, regional groups of councils and Joint Organisations of Councils
|
Closes 12pm 30 June 2027 |
6 December 2024
|
Landfill Consolidation and Environmental Improvements Program Round 5
Description To support councils in the Regional Levy Area and non-regulated area of NSW to close and improve high risk landfills
Contact infrastructure.grants@epa.nsw.gov.au
|
Closes midnight 21 March 2025 |
| 2025 |
Waste in Aboriginal communities Round 1
Description Ongoing support for the planning and delivery of waste management projects working in partnership with Aboriginal communities across NSW
Contact aboriginal.programs@epa.nsw.gov.au
Eligible for Local Aboriginal Land Councils
|
In development |
February 2025
|
Streets to Sea Program
Description Streets to Sea is a catchment-based approach to litter prevention, focused on reducing flows of litter from the terrestrial environment (e.g., streets as well as parks, plazas and other littered places) into the marine environment (e.g., waterways like estuaries, rivers, creeks, drainage channels and shorelines). The whole journey is in consideration to intervene and reduce the flow of litter - from streets to sea and all the potential points between.
Contact litter.prevention@epa.nsw.gov.au
Eligible for NSW local councils, regional waste and catchment groups, not-for-profits, state government agencies, community groups. An applicant for Streets to Sea funding must be an existing recipient of a Stream 3 Own it and Act (OIAA) Litter Prevention strategic implementation grant and be implementing their roadmap.
|
Phase 1 EOIs close on the 26 of October 2026
|
| 2025 |
Circular Plastics Program Round 2
Description To support projects that propose solutions for the recycling of hard-to-recycle plastics, like soft plastics, and re-manufacturing to increase the use of recycled content.
Contact infrastructure.grants@epa.nsw.gov.au
|
In development
|
September 2025
|
Local Government Waste Solutions Fund Round 4
Description supporting NSW local councils in waste levy paying areas to deliver innovative and collaborative waste solutions that support the transition to a circular economy and contribute to achieving NSW Government’s waste priorities and targets. Find out more about this grant.
Contact localgovernment.programs@epa.nsw.gov.au
Eligible for Local councils and regional groups of councils in waste levy paying areas.
|
In development |
November 2023
|
Business Rebates - equipment and technology
Up to 50% to a maximum of $50,000 for equipment or technologies that assist businesses to avoid reduce and recycle waste and help them transition to a circular economy. Find out more about this grant.
Contact bintrim.rebates@epa.nsw.gov.au
Eligible for Businesses and organisations with a commercial and industrial (C&I) waste service.
|
Ongoing |
Closed grants
| Opening date |
Grant |
Status |
25 July 2024
|
Plastics Research Program
Description NSW universities and government research facilities can apply to investigate and identify harmful chemical additives in plastics products to improve understanding of factors that impact the quality of plastics recyclate and/or improve our ability to measure terrestrial microplastics safely and effectively. Find out more about this grant.
Contact plastics@epa.nsw.gov.au
Eligible for NSW universities and government research facilities
|
Closed |
| 18 March 2024 |
Food Rescue Grants
Description The grants under this program aim to support the NSW food rescue and relief sector build their capacity to safely manage increasing amounts of rescued food through large infrastructure projects, and regional coordinated collaboration. Find out more about this grant.
Contact organics.grants@epa.nsw.gov.au
Eligible for Food rescue organisations, food relief and coordinating organisations including not-for-profits, NSW councils, NSW local government regional waste groups or regional organisations of councils.
|
Closed |
20 September 2024
|
Business Food Waste Partnerships Grants
Description The grants under this program aim to support eligible organisations to incorporate education or training into existing programs to reduce and source separate food waste. Find out more about this grant.
Contact organics.grants@epa.nsw.gov.au
Eligible for Industry Peak bodies, sector leaders, councils and other relevant organisations.
|
Round 2 closed
|
16 September 2024
|
Go FOGO
Description To support councils to provide a weekly FOGO service to residents. Find out more about the grant.
Contact organics.grants@epa.nsw.gov.au
Eligible for Local Councils
|
Round 3 closed
|
| Round 3: Mid to late 2025 |
Illegal dumping prevention grants
Description To support land managers clean up and prevent illegal dumping. Find out more about the grant.
Contact IllegalDumping.Strategy@epa.nsw.gov.au
Eligible for Local councils, State government agencies, Regional waste groups |
Closed |
Previous grant programs
From 2013 to 2021, Waste Less, Recycle More provided $802 million to stimulate new investment and transform waste and recycling in NSW. It included grant programs for local government, business, industry and the community, delivered by the EPA and the NSW Environmental Trust.
The Alternative Waste Technology Transition Package Grants were in addition to Waste Less Recycle More and supported the alternative waste technology industry and local councils directly impacted by the 2018 EPA revocation of resource recovery orders and exemptions allowing application of mixed waste organic outputs to land.
