Sustainability Victoria is supporting industry and local councils to diversify and attract new investment, to attract reprocessing infrastructure and to support technologies related to recycling and and manufacturing solutions.

The fund aims to:

• build the capacity, capability and resilience of Victoria's resource recovery sector
• support Businesses to respond to the national regulation of waste exports
• increase the quality of materials for manufacturing
• create jobs in the circular economy.

Funding will support projects that:

• meet one or more of the fund objectives
• operate at an existing facility that increases processing capability and capacity or improves the quality of hard-to-recycle plastics to meet product specifications for products or for re-manufacture or use
• target hard-to-recycle plastics which are plastics in waste streams where there are:
  • very low recovery and recycling rates due to difficulties in recycling
  • limited infrastructure and technology solutions to support circularity in the supply chain.
• are aligned with the Recycling Victoria: A new economy policy and, for applicable materials, the Australian Government's national regulation of waste exports.

Project types:

• purchase, install and commission new equipment or upgrades to existing equipment to meet one or more objectives of the fund.

Project costs:

• capital purchases: equipment only (including shipping of this equipment, installation and commissioning) that delivers on the objectives of the fund.

Projects must:

• source 50% or more of the project feedstock (materials) from Victorian sources
• meet regulatory and/or planning requirements
• be located in and service Victoria
• enter into a funding agreement within 60 days of being notified of a successful outcome.
• be commissioned and operational by 30 April 2026.

You can submit multiple applications. Each application must be for a different project. An application must not be for multiple projects. If recommended for funding, only one project per applicant will receive funding.

Eligibility

Eligible organisations must be one of the following organisation types:

• An Australian Business.
• A Victorian local government.
• A Social Enterprise (must be currently registered with Social Traders or prove accreditation before entering into a funding agreement).
• Other Not-for-profit organisation, ideally registered on the ACNC charity register.

Note: If the Applicant is a Trust, the Funding Agreement must be executed by the Trustee of the Trust. For example XYZ Pty Ltd as The Trustee for the XYZ Trust. The Trust as the trading entity must meet all the eligibility requirements of the fund (for example ABN).

Applicants must:

• have a current Australian Business Number (ABN). If the Applicant is a Trust, the Trust as the trading entity must meet this requirement
• have been operating for a minimum of 2 years by the application closing date (to be validated by the date that the organisation’s ABN is active from)
• be able to demonstrate financial viability to undertake the project (will meet or exceed the minimum Co-contribution requirements
• agree to comply with the Terms of Participation in Grant Programs
• agree to comply with the funding terms and conditions of the General grant funding agreement
• submit their Fair Jobs Code Pre-Assessment Certificate Number with their application if applying for $500,000 or more (exclusive of GST). A Certificate must be held prior to applying for the grant.

Who cannot apply

Individuals and unincorporated entities are not eligible for funding.

• Phone: 03 8656 6757
• Email: grants.enquiries@sustainability.vic.gov.au