Deadline: 5-Feb-24
The NSW Environmental Trust is currently accepting applications for the Environmental Education grants program.
The Environmental Education grants program funds projects that develop knowledge and skills in protecting and restoring the environment.
The Environmental Education program (the program) is a contestable grants program funded by the Trust. It provides funding to achieve long-term beneficial outcomes for the NSW environment by developing, broadening, and transforming the community’s knowledge, skills, and intrinsic motivation to engage in sustainable behaviours and encourage participation in protecting the environment.
Program Objectives
- The program objectives are to:
- facilitate change in the practices and behaviour of individuals and groups to improve specific or broad environmental problems
- develop and promote education projects that improve the environment and address sustainability challenges.
Priority Themes
- Since 2020, the Trust has been implementing its Strategic Plan 2020–24. To be considered for funding, applications must focus on one or both of the following immediate funding priorities:
- addressing climate change impacts on the natural environment – both mitigation and adaptation
- supporting threatened species recovery.
Funding Tiers
- Two funding tiers are available under the program, which align with project complexity and duration. Applicants will need to identify which tier their project is best suited to before applying. A single application process applies for both tiers.
- Tier 1
- Tier 1 provides grants of up to $60,000 for projects running for 2 to 3 years. This stream is best suited to the implementation of local projects that address a specific/small scale issue.
- Tier 1 projects are expected to:
- achieve environmental outcomes involving either one or both immediate funding priorities
- engage with the target audience in the first milestone of the project, incorporating feedback, and adapting delivery of the educational framework accordingly for the remainder of the project
- move beyond ‘workshops and educational materials’ towards engaging and experiential activities that will result in systemic and/or behaviour change, and a measurable environmental outcome
- allow for innovative ideas and adaptive management
- Tier 2
- Tier 2 provides grants of between $60,001 and $250,000 for projects running from 3 to 5 years. This stream seeks to enable emerging contemporary thinking in the design of education solutions to tackle complex and enduring environmental problems.
- Tier 2 projects are expected to:
- achieve environmental outcomes involving either one or both immediate funding priorities
- address the systemic causes of problems
- include social research and co-design in project development to ensure solutions are carefully targeted to the practical realities of people’s lives
- conduct small scale field tests, prototyping, or piloting of ideas, and then amend project plans based on learnings, prior to full implementation
- Tier 1
Eligibility Criteria
- Proposals must have a lead applicant and collaborators. The following not-for-profit organisations are eligible to apply for funding:
- community organisations
- community groups
- incorporated associations
- incorporated non-profit organisations
- non-commercial cooperatives
- state government agencies and/or statutory committees
- local councils
- Local Land Services
- universities
- regional organisations of councils
- NSW Local Aboriginal Land Councils
- Registered NSW Aboriginal Corporations
- other local government-controlled organisations
- companies limited by guarantee (that can demonstrate not-for-profit status).
Ineligible
- The following entities are ineligible to apply for funding under the program:
- individuals
- industry joint ventures
- for-profit businesses
- profit-distributing corporations (limited by shares).
For more information, visit NSW Environmental Trust.