Deadline: 12-Apr-23
Applications are now open for the Round 3 of the Circular Economy Business Support Fund to support individual organisations and collaborative partnerships with projects that improve the capability and capacity of Victorian industry to identify, implement, commercialise, and scale circular solutions.
These projects prevent, minimise or eliminate waste and pollution and keep products or materials in use – at their highest value – for longer. Projects must improve the environmental outcomes of products, services, industries, supply chains or systems and contribute to Victoria’s transition to a Circular Economy.
Funding Information
- Each project can receive a grant between $50,000 and $1,000,000 (ex GST).
Outcomes
Projects must contribute to 2 or more of the following outcomes:
- Avoidance of waste materials to any waste or Recycling destination.
- Creation of new circular products and services.
- Increase employment through direct creation of jobs
- Increase capacity to extend the useable life of products
- Reduced greenhouse gas emissions
- Improve capacity of industry for acting on sustainability.
What will be funded?
- Projects focused on identifying, implementing, commercialising or scaling circular market solutions that prevent, minimise or eliminate waste and pollution, or keep products and/or materials at their highest use.
- Eligible projects are also those that are focused on building capabilities and capacity within industry.
- Projects must improve the environmental outcomes of products, services, industries, supply chains or systems and contribute to Victoria’s transition to a Circular Economy.
- All projects must:
- meet all regulatory or planning requirements within 6 months of receiving funding
- ensure at least 50% of project activities are implemented in Victoria
- be completed by 15 December 2024.
- Project types include:
- identification and development
- implementation, commercialisation and scaling
- training and development programs for industry.
- Project activities can include (but not limited to):
- activation of waste-avoidance solutions in published industry/business-focused action plans and roadmaps
- baseline studies to understand issues and opportunities for circularity (e.g., in businesses or industries)
- waste audits and Circular economy supply chain mapping
- challenge-based projects (e.g., hackathons)
- developing, delivering or accessing Circular economy assessment tools or services (e.g., life cycle assessment)
- developing, delivering or accessing Circular economy advisory services
- delivering a campaign focused on increasing transparency and awareness of Circular economy in businesses
- facilitate networking and collaboration focused on Circular Economy business opportunities
- establishing or expanding activities in a Circular economy business focused group or cluster
- delivering Circular economy training to Businesses
- rolling out business-led product stewardship initiatives/programs in Victoria (not Recycling)
- financial and non-financial assessments (e.g., CBA, ROI, SROI)
- large scale pilots, trials, and demonstrations
- business case development and cost-benefit analysis
- purchasing, installing and commissioning infrastructure, plant and equipment or other assets
- designing and delivering promotional content for new products and services
- developing and delivering capability building for Businesses (e.g., training, education, innovation services)
- startup incubators and accelerator programs
- developing and launching a website, application, or digital platform.
Eligibility Criteria
- Applicants may apply as either a single organisation, or as a Collaborative Partnership with multiple organisations.
- Lead Applicant(s)
- All applications require a single Lead Applicant.
- Lead Applicants must be one of the following eligible organisation types:
- Businesses (Commercial for-profit).
- Social Enterprises (must be currently registered with Social Traders or prove accreditation before entering into a funding agreement).
- Industry groups and associations (also known as an industry trade association, Business association, sector association or industry body, is an organisation founded and funded by Businesses that operate in a specific industry).
- Charities and other not-for-profits that are listed on the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) charity register.
- Current Cooperative Research Centres.
- Current Rural Research and Development Corporations.
- Lead Applicants must:
- have a current Australian Business Number (ABN). If the Applicant is a Trust, the Trustee – as the proper Applicant – 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). If the Applicant is a Trust, the Trustee – as the proper Applicant – must meet this requirement
- be able to demonstrate financial viability to undertake the project (will meet or exceed the minimum co-contribution requirements)
- 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.
- The Lead Applicant is the responsible Contracting Party and is accountable for the application and project delivery, including coordinating Collaborative Partners. Only the Lead Applicant will receive grant funding. Any allocations of grant funding or financial co-contributions between Collaborative Partners and Delivery Partners must be managed by the Lead Applicant.
- Collaborative Partner(s) (optional)
- The Lead Applicant may also choose to form a Collaborative Partnership for the purposes of undertaking the project. The Lead Applicant is fully accountable for the application and for project delivery, including coordinating any Collaborative Partners. Only the Lead Applicant will receive grant funding. Any allocations of grant funding or financial co-contributions between Collaborative Partners and Delivery Partners must be managed by the Lead Applicant.
- Collaborative Partner(s) can be from any organisation that has:
- a direct, clear role in the project
- a current ABN
- a demonstrated co-contribution to the project.
- A letter of support (or equivalent) must be provided by the Collaborative Partner(s), signed by an authorised representative, and must be provided with the application detailing their:
- commitment to be publicly announced as a Project Partner should funding be awarded
- financial and/or In-kind Contribution to the project
- role and responsibilities to the project.
- The Collaborative Partnership must have a formal agreement, such as a memorandum of understanding, in place prior to the first milestone payment. There is no limit to how many organisations are involved as Collaborative Partners.
- Each Collaborative Partner will be publicly announced as a Collaborative Partner should funding be awarded.
- They encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations.
- Lead Applicant(s)
Ineligible
- The following cannot apply for funding as a Lead Applicant but can be a Collaborative Partner:
- Unincorporated associations.
- Federal, state, or local government, including water corporations (or entities owned by federal, state, local government and/or water corporations).
- Schools, universities, and TAFEs.
- Sole traders.
- Any organisation operating with an ABN less than 2 years at the fund closing date (to be validated by the date that the organisation’s ABN is active from).
For more information, visit Circular Economy Business Innovation Centre (CEBIC).