Deadline: 01-Sep-2025
The Victorian Government has launched the BushBank Seed Sector Support Grant 2025 to increase the supply of native seed and seedlings needed for large-scale habitat restoration across Victoria.
The focus areas include increased supply of native seed and seedlings of known provenance for restoration of native vegetation across Victoria, First Peoples and community benefits through engagement and participation, applicant expertise and experience in delivering similar projects, and the ability to identify and manage project risks with strong governance and quality assurance systems.
The BushBank program is a $77 million, 15-year initiative running to 2035 that will restore more than 20,000 hectares of land across Victoria, contributing to the state’s biodiversity targets under Protecting Victoria’s Environment – Biodiversity 2037. It also forms part of Victoria’s Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry emissions reduction pledge and supports the state’s goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2045. The seed sector support grant provides $3 million over three years to help expand seed supply through infrastructure, workforce capacity, and innovative projects that improve immediate and longer-term native seed availability.
Eligible applicants include registered not-for-profit organizations, private sector businesses and agencies, government entities, and local government authorities that are incorporated, financially solvent, and capable of managing government funding while ensuring compliance with laws and safety regulations. Ineligible applicants include individuals, educational institutions, and organizations not primarily engaged in conservation, natural resource management, or ecological restoration.
Projects eligible for funding must increase the availability of native woody species’ seed and seedlings suited to large-scale habitat restoration. Funding can support seed production areas, seed banks, training and workforce development, seed collection, storage and propagation improvements, and project management costs of up to ten percent of the funding request. The grant will not fund ongoing maintenance, duplicate activities already funded elsewhere, recurrent operating costs, projects outside Victoria, or those involving non-native species.
Applications open on 7 July 2025 and close at 5:00 pm on 1 September 2025, with applicants notified in November or December 2025. Projects can run for up to three years and must demonstrate co-contributions, either financial or in-kind, from applicants or partners. A government panel will assess applications based on project benefits, First Peoples and community engagement, and applicant capability, with final decisions made by the Minister for Environment.
For more information, visit Victorian Government.
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