ECO Fund: Enhance or Promote Otago’s Environment (New Zealand)

Deadline: 31-Mar-23

The Otago Regional Council is offering grants through its ECO Fund to support community-led projects that protect, enhance or promote Otago’s environment.

Priority projects could include:

• Biodiversity (e.g. regeneration or planting of native vegetation)
• Biosecurity (e.g. pest plant or animal management)
• Water quality (e.g. riparian planting or wetland restoration)

Funding Information

• Funding is capped at $50,000 total for any project for ECO Fund.
• Funding is available for projects up to 3 years.

Activities

• On-ground works.
• Education and capacity building.
• Awareness raising.
• Administrative support (up to 50% of the cost).

Eligibility Criteria

• Funding is available for groups in the Otago region who is working on projects that will protect, enhance or promote the environment, including:
  • Community groups.
  • Iwi/hapu.
  • Incorporated societies.
  • Community trusts.
  • Resident and ratepayer groups.
  • Landowner groups.
  • Educational institutes.
  • Projects must engage or involve the community.
• Applications for Incentives Funding — Biodiversity enhancement on protected private land can be from individual landowners and do not need to engage or involve the community.

Terms & Conditions

• Projects must meet the objectives of the ECO Fund and align with at least one ORC strategic priority to eligible. Note that projects for Incentives Funding – Biodiversity enhancement on protected private land do not need to meet the objective for enabling community driven environmental activities.
• Except for multi-year projects, projects must be completed within 12 months of receiving funding.
• All applications for each round are assessed and ranked against the ECO Fund assessment criteria (link to criteria to be provided).
• All funding is GST exclusive. All financial information provided in an application must be exclusive of GST.
• The ECO fund supports both one-off projects and those running over multiple years for up to 3 years. For multiple year funding, funds will be released annually conditional upon appropriate project reports which demonstrate meaningful progress being submitted.
• Successful applicants must agree to Otago Regional Council promoting their project.
• Applicants must have completed accountability (final) reports for any previous ECO Fund grants received to be eligible for funding.
• If work funded is not completed within the specified time frame or funds are not spent as agreed, Otago Regional Council reserves the right to demand the return of funds.
• The ECO Fund does not provide funding for:
  • Commercial or private gain.
  • Government organisations.
  • Projects created to comply with Resource Consent conditions.
  • Responses to any actual or potential enforcement action (excluding projects under the sustained rabbit control programme).
  • The purpose of seed capital.
  • Individuals.
  • Maintenance for existing projects.
  • Retrospective costs.

For more information, visit Otago Regional Council.