Funding available to support Reduction of Business Food Waste (Australia)

Aims

• The Business Food Waste Partnership Grants program provides funding to peak bodies, sector leaders, councils, educators and other relevant organisations working with food wasting businesses, to help them reduce and source separate food waste. The program supports NSW Government targets to halve organics waste sent to landfill and achieve net zero emissions from organics waste in landfill by 2030.
• The Food Waste Partnership Grants provide funding for projects that:
  • raise awareness of proposed requirements for certain businesses and institutions to source separate food waste
  • provide businesses and institutions with the knowledge and skills to reduce food waste and source separate well
  • support businesses and institutions to transition to food waste recycling
  • provide tools and training to reduce food waste generation.
• The grants support projects that will contribute to the following NSW Government waste targets:
  • Reduce total waste generated by 10% per person by 2030
  • 80% average resource recovery rate from all waste streams by 2030
  • Halve the amount of organic waste sent to landfill by 2030.

Funding Information

• The program provides $4 million over four years from 2023-27. Up to $200,000 ex GST is available for projects up to two-years’ duration to educate and support businesses and institutions to source separate food waste.

Eligible Activities

• The grants support activities that raise awareness and empower food businesses with knowledge and skills in food waste reduction and source separation. Projects must integrate with or build upon existing activities delivered with the target audience. Eligible activities for a project include, but are not limited to:
  • raise awareness of the requirements for businesses to source separate food waste and actions to help them transition
  • educate or upskilling business owners, managers and staff to source separate food waste well, minimising contamination and maximising recovery
  • help businesses or institutions reduce food waste by increasing skills and knowledge, changing practices, procedures and behaviours
  • support franchise businesses, institutions or hospitality service providers delivering food waste training to equip staff, tenants and cleaners on how to reduce food waste generation and maximise food waste recycling
  • support hospitality education institutes incorporating food waste prevention and recycling content into existing hospitality courses to increase awareness and empower attendees with knowledge and skills
  • support councils and food waste collection companies engaging their existing customers or local food businesses to maximise food waste recycling and minimise contamination
  • support peak bodies, councils and education institutions providing capacity building training courses via webinars and workshops to upskill their members or high waste generating businesses on how to reduce and better manage their food waste
  • support training institutions or councils hosting events and activities to create collaboration opportunities for local businesses or sectors to maximise food waste diversion from landfill.

Eligibility Criteria

• Peak bodies, sector leaders, councils, hospitality, education and organisations with an active network or ongoing working relationship with food waste generating businesses or institutions.
• Eligible applicants must:
  • be an organisation with an Australian Business Number (ABN)
  • be operational in NSW
  • demonstrate experience in project delivery with the target audience
  • be an owner of an active network and/or have ongoing engagement with  large food waste generating businesses or institutions targeted in the project
  • demonstrate the project is a new activity that can be incorporated into, or build on, existing activities, programs or other initiatives
  • provide evidence, such as a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), detailing the clearly defined roles and responsibilities for each party involved in the delivery of a joint project
  • demonstrate shared values or organisational goals aligned with the NSW organics waste and emissions targets
  • deliver education and communication that aligns with the EPA position statement on what can be recycled through Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) or Food Organics (FO) bins.

For more information, visit Australian Government.