Joint Procurement Funded Support

The Joint Procurement Funded Support provides tailored advice and assistance to councils and regional waste groups exploring and undertaking the joint procurement of waste management services and/or waste infrastructure. This support will allow councils to access expert advice and feel confident in their procurement decisions. The Joint Procurement Funded Support is part of a suite of programs available to support councils in their joint procurement journey. 

Domestic waste collection and management services represent some of the highest value contracts administered by NSW councils. The financial and resourcing burdens of large-scale procurement are just two of the challenges which can be a barrier to successfully procuring waste services. Joint procurement can reduce the financial and resourcing burden on individual councils through economies of scale, facilitating collaboration and the sharing of resources and expertise. 

In 2021, the NSW Government identified a joint procurement facilitation service as a priority under the Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy 2041. 

The joint procurement facilitation service was developed to:

• Ensure councils have access to value for money waste services
• Support the move to a circular economy through the delivery of strategic waste services and infrastructure

The Funded Support program consists of 2 funding streams:

• Stream 1 focuses on projects that are exploring joint procurement or the viability of a joint procurement (planning phase).
• Stream 2 focuses on projects where two or more councils have committed to undertaking a joint procurement of waste services or waste infrastructure and are ready to commence the procurement process (source phase).

Stream 1

Stream 1 recognises that councils sometimes need support when deciding on the best procurement path including whether joint procurement is right for them. This stream provides support for councils and regional waste groups exploring joint procurement of waste management services or waste infrastructure (plan phase).

Stream 2

Support groups (two or more) of councils undertaking joint procurement of waste management services or waste infrastructure (source phase). A project must have proof of agreement from participating councils that they are committed to the procurement exercise.

Table 1. Funded Support Program Summary

* Applicants may apply for both Stream 1 and Stream 2 at any time. Where an applicant applies for a Stream 1 Project and then applies for a Stream 2 grant for the same project, the total funding permitted across the two streams is no more than $500,000.

The objectives of the Joint Procurement Funded Support (JPFS) are to: 

• support councils to access the best advice and to be confident in their procurement decisions
• facilitate collaboration, knowledge sharing and partnerships to help councils strategically plan and deliver waste infrastructure and services
• support groups of councils to procure cost effective waste management services and/or waste management infrastructure
• promote alignment or harmonisation of services between councils
• support councils to meet waste and resource recovery targets in their transition to a circular economy.
   

The JPFS Program delivers a number of key outcomes:

• increased investment in new waste and resource recovery infrastructure in NSW
  increase in the joint procurement of waste management services amongst councils and regional waste groups in NSW
• a greater number of NSW councils and regional waste groups deliver more cost-effective waste services  
• knowledge, skills and information on waste management procurement projects is actively shared and leveraged across councils to increase confidence in waste procurement.
• support delivery of services that align the Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy 2041 targets, including:
  • have an 80% average recovery rate from all waste streams by 2030
  • halve the amount of organic waste sent to landfill by 2030
  • net zero emissions from organic waste by 2030
  • triple the plastics recycling rate by 2030
  • reduce illegal dumping.
     

Funded Support is available to the following eligible organisations:

• All NSW councils*
• Regional Organisations of councils (ROCs)
• Regional Waste Groups
• Joint Organisations (JOs)

* NSW councils remain eligible if they partner with councils outside of NSW, the lead council must be in NSW.

Organisations who are not eligible to apply for the Joint Procurement Funded Support may partner with an eligible organisation to deliver the project and in doing so, benefit from the project outcomes. However, the lead applicant must be an eligible organisation.

A council-owned company or a Special Purpose Entity created to provide waste services are also eligible to apply. A Special Purpose Entity is usually a subsidiary company set up separately from a parent company for a specific task, project or operation to shield the parent company from the risk associated with the project.

To be eligible for Funded Support, applications must:

• Be exploring the joint procurement of domestic and/or council commercial waste management services or waste infrastructure (Stream 1)

AND/OR

• Be jointly procuring domestic and/or council commercial waste management services or waste infrastructure (Stream 2)

The types of services and material streams that you can be exploring or jointly procuring are defined below.

1. New or expanding existing waste management facilities, including:
   1. transfer stations
   2. domestic and council commercial waste disposal or waste processing facilities
   3. material recycling facilities (MRFs)
   4. organics/FOGO/FO processing
   5. facilities for recycling or managing problem wastes
   6. mobile waste infrastructure used for crushing, shredding or baling waste that is intended to be accessed through a sharing arrangement between 2 or more councils
2. Domestic and/or commercial council waste management services,​ including:
   1. collection and haulage
   2. processing or recycling
   3. disposal or treatment

Eligible waste streams include:

Domestic and/or council commercial waste kerbside collection services, including:

• general household waste (red lid bin services)
• recycling co-mingled (yellow lid bin services)
• organics (garden organics and/or FOGO or FO)

Problem wastes, such as: (this is not an exhaustive list)

• bulky goods or materials
• metals and whitegoods
• textiles
• e-waste
• tyres
• mattresses

Note: Projects that focus on or include a problem waste collection service must compliment rather than duplicate the EPA funded household problem waste programs or existing product stewardship schemes.

• The application must be prepared and submitted by an ‘Eligible applicant’ (specified above).
• Applications for Stream 1 can be made by a single council or by a lead council on behalf of a group of councils.
• Applicants may apply for both Stream 1 and Stream 2 at any time. Where an applicant applies for a Stream 1 Project and then applies for a Stream 2 grant for the same project, the total funding permitted across the two streams is no more than $500,000.
• Applicants can apply for a maximum of 2 different projects under each stream throughout the life of the program. (see Glossary for definition). The TRC will take into consideration total amount of funding awarded to the lead applicant to ensure equitable use of the funding.
• The project being funded must either be exploring joint procurement (Stream1) or jointly procuring waste services or waste infrastructure (Stream 2).
• The project must be related to domestic waste (see Glossary for definition). It may also include commercial waste collection services provided by the council.
• Stream 2 applicants must demonstrate evidence of a commitment by each participating council in the joint procurement project. This could be a memorandum of understanding, a joint procurement agreement, a letter signed by each council’s General Manager or council resolution from each council showing commitment to a joint waste procurement.
• Evidence of formal commitment is not required for a Stream 1 project, however applicants must provide supporting evidence from one or more councils showing their support or intention to work with the lead applicant on the project. This can include an email or letter of support
• Stream 1 and 2 projects can run over multiple years but must start no more than 3 months after signing the Funding Deed to ensure they are delivered within the time permitted.
• Applications for Stream 1 and Stream 2 must include supporting documentation, including a project plan (that outlines the context, scope, inclusions and exclusions) a budget plan (highlighting all costs, including a minimum of one quote from suppliers).

Eligible organisations must meet the following conditions to qualify for funding:

• Complete all relevant NSW EPA application forms and supporting documents.
• Application is authorised by the names of two senior officers in your organisation (e.g. General Manager, Director, Chief Financial Officer, Group Manager) who can attest to the accuracy of the information within the application.
• Demonstrate that the project is aligned with the program’s objectives and outcomes, provides value for money and delivers public benefits.
• Submit projects that can be completed by June 2027.
• Provide at least two contact people within the eligible organisation who will be responsible for delivering the project, ongoing grant management and available to respond to questions from the EPA.

Joint Procurement Funding Support (JPFS) has been designed to be flexible and adaptable to respond to the wide variety of planning activities and specialist advice required to jointly procure waste management services and/or waste infrastructure.

The procurement process typically consists of 3 parts: Plan, Source and Manage (see figure 1 summary of the stages of procurement). 

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The importance of each stage depends on the procurement size, priorities, risk profile and type of procurement. The Plan stage is critical to delivering value for money and the desired procurement outcomes within appropriate timeframes. The Source stage requires experts in law, probity and technical matters to ensure high quality documents and governance approaches as such adequate resources should be allocated to these activities.

The JPFS only applies to the Plan and Source stages of procurement, the Manage stage is excluded.

Note: an applicant may submit a maximum of two applications under Stream 1 and two applications under Stream 2 as long as they are for different projects.

* Waste audits will only be considered where they are part of a broader project plan exploring joint procurement and where the data will be used to inform a joint procurement. The applicant must demonstrate how the outputs of the waste audit will be used to inform the viability of a joint procurement project. Audits are only applicable for councils who have not undertaken a waste audit in the previous 3 years. The EPA’s Guidelines for Conducting household kerbside residual waste, recycling and garden organics audits (PDF 213KB) must be used. 

**Bin reconciliation: this work only applies to councils who have not undertaken a bin reconciliation in the past 10 years, and the project must be part of a wider joint procurement project - not the sole purpose of the funded project.

***Project coordination costs: funds may be used to hire a project coordinator to manage the project on behalf of the applicant. Examples might include use of an external contractor or secondment (to new role) but should be a dedicated position established to coordinate the project, as opposed to an existing staff member’s time spent on the project. Project coordination costs can be allocated across Stream 1 and Stream 2, if required. For example, an applicant may hire somebody to coordinate their Stream 1 project. On conclusion of that project, they may decide to proceed with a joint procurement (Stream 2) and wish to continue to employ the same person to coordinate the Stream 2 project. In this case two separate applications will need to be made showing the need and budget for the project coordination costs.

The program cannot be used to fund the following:

• projects not located in NSW unless the lead council is a NSW council
• projects and project activities that do not align with the objectives of the program
• project costs already incurred prior to the date of signing the funding deed
• projects that have received funding from other EPA, State Government or Commonwealth agencies for the procurement of waste services or waste infrastructure
• procurement of equipment such as bins, caddies and education
• any costs associated with the ‘Manage’ stage of the procurement i.e. managing existing waste contracts 
• any costs associated with setting up and managing the new contract i.e. Stream 2 ends at commencement of the new contract (but can include the commissioning stage)
• fees and costs of reports associated with applying for Development Applications
• costs associated with the application or gaining of funding, e.g. consultant fees or legal fees
• land acquisition and venture capital
• project contingency funds
• project management costs associated with council/applicant time allocated towards project management. These should be included as in-kind contributions (see 5.2 In-Kind Contributions)

Applications must be submitted to the EPA via our SmartyGrants platform.

You will receive an acknowledgment of your application after submission via SmartyGrants. If you do not receive an acknowledgment email, contact the Joint Procurement team at [email protected] to ensure your application has been received.

Summary of application and assessment process

1. Complete the online Application Form (with required attachments). There are two separate Applications: one for Stream 1 and another for Stream 2 via SmartyGrants https://epa.smartygrants.com.au. Please contact the Joint Procurement Team if you are unsure which Stream your project is best suited for.
2. Review of eligibility – Applications are reviewed by EPA staff to ensure they meet the eligibility criteria. Only applications that meet the eligibility criteria will proceed to the Technical Review Committee (TRC) for further assessment. Applicants that do not make it past the initial eligibility stage will be notified and asked to reconsider their application or make an amendment. Applications that are not fully completed will also not proceed to the TRC and may be asked to re-submit or to provide missing information to support their application.
3. Eligible applications will be assessed quarterly. Eligible submissions will be assessed by an independent Technical Review committee (TRC) on a quarterly basis. The application is reviewed against the assessment criteria and the TRC makes its recommendation. Following the TRC’s assessment, the EPA considers the recommendation and makes its final decision. Decisions by the EPA are final.
4. Applicants will be notified of the EPA’s decision via letter and successful applicants will be issued a Funding Deed.
5. Within 30 days of receiving the Funding Deed, applicant accepts the funds by executing the Funding Deed
6. Projects must commence no more than 3 months after signing of the Funding Deed or the offer may be withdrawn.

For help with SmartyGrants and applying for grants see the help guide for applying with SmartyGrants.

JPFS will be undertaken via a demand driven (first in first assessed) method of grant assessment. Applications will be reviewed for eligibility before being assessed by an independent Technical Review Committee (TRC) against the assessment criteria, set out below. The information in the application form will allow the Technical Review Committee to recommend projects based on merit. The TRC will score each applicant against the weighted assessment criteria. The assessment process will also consider overall value for money for the proposed use of the grant.

All questions in the application form should be answered fully and responses should be prepared with these criteria in mind.

Assessment Criteria for Streams 1 and 2

Criterion 1 – 15%: Alignment with program objectives

The project aligns with the Funded Support objectives

• The application describes, with supporting evidence, how it aligns with the Joint Procurement Funded Support program objectives
• The application demonstrates joint procurement objectives specific to the joint procurement project as agreed to by the council partners (Stream 2 only). See Note on joint procurement objectives below.
• The application describes how the project will deliver on broader strategies, including but not limited to: Council Waste Strategies, Regional Waste Strategies, NSW Government priorities.
• The application shows evidence of project support from participating councils (Stream 1) or evidence of a written agreement to partner with more than 1 other council to undertake a joint procurement (Stream 2 only)

Criterion 2 – 35%: Project plan, budget and implementation

The applicant and any project partners have shown an ability to deliver the project to a high standard

• The application describes the resources required to deliver the project. For instance, project team capacity and capability and/or use of external contractors.
• The application provides a project plan detailing methodology for how the project will be delivered with realistic timeframes.
• The applicant provides a realistic project budget
• The application provides evidence on how the project will be managed, progress monitored and any reporting frameworks (Stream 2 only)

Criterion 3 (Stream 1 only) – 10%: knowledge gap

• The application demonstrates how the project will address a knowledge gap or assess the viability of a joint procurement activity (Stream 1 only)

Criteria 3 (Stream 2 only) – 10 %: Risk management

• The application demonstrates risk management mechanisms are in place

Criterion 4 – 15%: Collaboration and knowledge sharing

The project demonstrates strong collaboration and knowledge sharing

• The application demonstrates how the project may involve or undertake collaboration with other councils
• The application demonstrates how it will undertake knowledge sharing with other councils and organisations, or networks including the EPA.

Criterion 5 – 25%: Value for money

The project shows value for money

• The application pricing and service offering are viable and credible.
• The predicted outcomes and outputs are proportionate to the funding amount requested and in-kind or other contributions.

Note: Joint Procurement objectives – Stream 2 

For joint procurement to be successful, all participating councils will need to develop a common vision and specific procurement objectives, to ensure the success of the project. When applying for a Stream 2 grant, applicants must show what those specific and agreed joint procurement objectives are. These are usually recorded in a Memorandum Of Understanding or Procurement Agreement and developed in the Plan stage. Examples of joint procurement objectives may include:

• value for money
• improved environmental outcomes or service harmonisation
• Improve resource recovery rates
• achieve economies of scale
• optimising transport/collection routes
• reduce waste to landfill

Through the JPFS, the EPA are seeking to foster strong partnerships between councils and with the EPA. The EPA will share learnings from projects to benefit and upskill councils and regional waste groups in waste procurement. To help drive this outcome, successful applicants will be encouraged to demonstrate collaboration and opportunities to share learnings through their project. All successful applicants will be required to complete an EPA provided ‘case study’ template to capture lessons learned to be provided on their final milestone report.

Types of collaboration and knowledge sharing opportunities you can consider incorporating in your application include (this is not an exhaustive list):

• the EPA included in regular project meetings to help build capacity and understanding of the waste service needs and procurement challenges. This knowledge sharing can help inform policy and development of tools and resources.
• sharing non-confidential outputs with the EPA or other council stakeholders and/or so they can be used in guidance materials such as templates, case studies or fact sheets.
• opportunities to share project learnings at conferences and events (including regional waste coordinator meetings, ad hoc EPA procurement workshops etc.)

The Application Budget can be completed in the table provided in the application form, adding additional rows if required. Alternatively, applicants can choose to upload a separate file (e.g. excel sheet) into SmartyGrants .

An incorrect or incomplete Application Budget form may render the application ineligible or reduce the Technical Review Committee’s confidence in your capacity to deliver the project and manage project finances. If you are unclear about what is eligible and ineligible or how to complete the budget spreadsheet, please contact the EPA Joint procurement team [email protected] to discuss. 

All items in your budget need to be detailed, reasonable and justifiable, especially where individual items comprise a large proportion of the overall budget. Detailed costing ensures that your budget is well planned and linked to the objectives and activities of your project. Be specific and give unit values where possible. The TRC expect to see a quote(s) or similar breakdown as evidence of the budget request.

You will be required to report all project expenses as part of ongoing grant reporting requirements. Ensure you can provide a corresponding invoice and proof of payment for all expenditure when you come to the reporting stage. 

In-kind contributions can include donated goods, services, or volunteer labour, that are provided to support a project or organisation. Examples include:

• existing staff being reallocated from their normal work to the project
• voluntary labour
• donated goods e.g. equipment, materials, office supplies
• donated services: professional advice (e.g. legal, commercial, IT) given free of charge.

Applicants should list all in-kind contributions in their application budget. The EPA encourages the inclusion of council officer time to project manage or coordinate projects as in-kind contribution in your application. In-kind contributions help show support for a project and add value for money.

GST may apply to payments made under this grant program. In addition, some grants of financial assistance may be subject to income tax in the hands of certain recipients. It is therefore recommended that you, as the applicant, seek independent legal and financial advice if uncertain about your organisation’s taxation obligations. 

Organisations administering a grant (and registered for GST) are not to include GST in the application budget figures. The EPA will add 10 per cent GST to the grant payment. 

Organisations administering a grant that are not registered for GST are to include in the application budget any GST that will be incurred during the life of the project.

Use SmartyGrants to apply for funding.

If you have any issues accessing the platform or completing any questions, please email [email protected].

Who to contact for assistance

All organisations interested in applying can contact the EPA Joint Procurement Facilitation Service to discuss potential projects and eligibility. Staff can assist with any question related to the application process.

Email: [email protected]

Successful applicants will be required to enter into a Funding Deed with the EPA which will stipulate all funding obligations and conditions. The EPA will monitor the performance and progress of projects through agreed milestones. Funding is provided against agreed milestones and continuing funding is dependent on satisfactory milestone reports. 

Successful applicants will have up to 30 days from the date an offer of funding is formally notified by the EPA, to sign the Funding Deed. If the Deed is not signed within the specified period, the offer of funding may lapse.

Successful applicants will be required to comply with all conditions contained in the Funding Agreement, including, but not limited to:

• Confirm a final schedule of payment and reporting dates relative to project activities.
• Provide progress report(s) and final report in accordance with the reporting requirements outlined in the Funding Agreement.
• Submit a Statement of Expenditure with each progress report. At the final report stage, provide a Final Statement of Expenditure signed by a qualified public or chartered accountant, e.g. the applicant council’s Chief Financial Officer.
• Provide any related invoices and proof-of-payment to the EPA that correlates to the Statement of Expenditure.
• Provide a Tax Invoice to the EPA for each grant instalment, with GST added where relevant.
• Seek prior approval from the EPA for any variation to the agreed project plan, timeframe or budget items.
• Acknowledge the EPA in all promotional material and public statements about your project. The acknowledgement must include the appropriate NSW government or EPA logos in accordance with publishing requirements. Logos and requirements for use to be downloaded from the EPA website.
• Invite EPA representatives to any launch or public event associated with this project, and where they can attend, that they are acknowledged as official guests and provided an opportunity to publicly address the event.

The EPA receives strict annual funding allocations for its programs, with limited capacity to carry over funds to future financial years. Successful applicants will be required to:

• Commence the project within three months of signing the Funding Deed. If a project does not commence within three months, without justification, the EPA may revoke the grant.
• Commit to have the project completed by June 2027.

The EPA will consider minor requests for variations to your project scope, timeframe or budget when it does not involve the seeking of any additional funds. These should be submitted as soon as possible when known by you using the ‘Schedule B’ Deed Change Request Form in the Funding Deed. Significant extensions of time will only be approved under exceptional circumstances with evidenced justification. Any significant changes such as the use of the funds for any additional unproved purpose/activity would be treated as a new grant application.

Successful applicants will be required to provide progress reports and final reports in accordance with the timelines and reporting requirements outlined in the Funding Agreement. Progress reports must include details on all the activities completed in that period, evidence (e.g. consultant reports or council reports), outcomes, and next steps. The final report must include an evaluation of the project (e.g. were the objectives and outcomes met) and completion of the EPA provided case study template. A statement of expenditure, with correlating invoices and proof of payment must be provided with each report.

The milestone reporting and payment schedules will vary for each project. They will be flexible and based on project need. Typically, Stream 2 projects will require a mid-project activity report in addition to the final report. Stream 1 projects may require a mid-project activity report (depending on complexity of the project). All funding deed schedules will be finalised by the grant inception meeting in collaboration with the EPA Joint Procurement team.

After the application is submitted, the EPA will check whether your application is eligible and complete. 

The EPA establishes an independent Technical Review Committee (TRC) for each grant program. Each TRC is made up of people with knowledge and experience relevant to each grant program. TRC members agree to undertake their duties within the principles of ethical conduct, integrity, objectivity and independence. They are also required to keep all matters concerning applications confidential and to declare any potential conflict of interest. The TRC membership is confidential to avoid opportunity for influence.

The TRC assessment process involves consultation with relevant EPA staff. The TRC will assess the merit of your application by using the assessment criteria outlined in these guidelines. The TRC then makes recommendations to the EPA who will ultimately approve the funding. Where required, the assessment process may be overseen by an independent probity auditor.

Successful applicants may not receive the full amount requested and the offer of funding may be subject to special conditions. The EPA may also include conditions that may not have been addressed in these guidelines, should a particular issue come to light during the assessment process. 

Decisions by the EPA are final. There is no appeal process.

The NSW EPA may publicly announce the successful grant applications. Applicants will also be notified in writing. Applicants must not publicly promote the outcomes of funding decisions until the NSW EPA formally announces the funding outcomes. 

Applicants are required to declare any real, potential or perceived conflict of interest that they may be aware of in relation to being awarded a grant, particularly where:

• members, or relatives of members, of the organisation applying for a grant are being paid as project managers (or similar) with EPA funds
• members, or relatives of members, of the organisation applying for a grant are being paid as contractors with EPA funds
• works carried out by the project could create current or future financial or other benefit for members of the organisation applying for the grant, or their relatives
• third parties used to assist in the preparation of the grant application will potentially be engaged to carry out work on the project.

Such circumstances do not exclude the project from being funded; however, they must be acknowledged as a potential conflict of interest. The TRC will assess each situation on its merits.

Applicants must certify that all the information in the application is true and correct. 

Applications that include misleading or false information will not be considered for funding. If the EPA is made aware of any issues relating to misleading or false information after a grant has been awarded, the grant will be revoked and funds, plus interest, must be repaid. An assessment regarding possible fraud will also be undertaken and appropriate legal action initiated if warranted.

The EPA will use the information you supply to it to assess your project. The EPA may share this information with other NSW Government and Commonwealth Government agencies and consultancies, on a confidential basis. Some of this information may also be used for promotional purposes. Otherwise, subject to legal requirements of disclosure, the EPA will endeavour to treat sensitive personal and private information that you provide confidentially. If you require strict commercial confidentially, you should request this in your application. However, all documents held by the EPA are subject to the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009.

Council commercial waste management services – refers to the waste collection and disposal services provided by local councils specifically for businesses and commercial properties, encompassing general waste, recycling, and potentially other specialized waste streams. 

Commingled recyclables – recyclable wastes such as plastic, glass and paper, that have been collected for recycling through the yellow lid bin.

Domestic waste – refers to all waste created by households: the residual waste, recyclables, and organics that councils collect from households from the kerbside and includes clean ups and drop-off facilities.

Drop-off – a council facility where residents can drop off material for recycling or disposal.

MRF (Material Recovery Facility) – a facility for the sorting of recyclables (typically packaging) into various product streams.

Processing – processing of recovered materials to make raw materials for use in making new products or direct use.

Problem wastes – some household products and materials in the waste and recycling stream that pose potential harm to the environment and human health and/or make the recovery and recycling of other materials more difficult or uneconomic such as e-waste.

Project – a project is defined as exploring and/or undertaking the procurement of domestic waste management services, or council commercial waste services to achieve a specific outcome. For example, an applicant may apply for a Stream 2 joint procurement FOGO processing service and at another point in time, the same applicant can apply for a Stream 2 recycling processing service contract, each of these are considered different projects as one is for processing FOGO and the other is processing recycling.

Recycling – activities through which wastes are collected, sorted, reprocessed (including through composting), and/or converted into raw materials for use in a production system, excluding for energy.

Residual waste – household waste, less recyclables, and organics. Residual waste is what is left over after households have separated out the dry recyclables and organics. It is collected at the kerbside, at drop-off facilities and through clean-up services.

Resource recovery – meaning the receiving of waste (other than hazardous waste, restricted solid waste, liquid waste or special waste) from off site and its processing, otherwise than for the recovery of energy.

Treatment – refers to the thermal treatment of waste or waste-derived materials for the recovery of energy. 

Waste audit – a systematic review of an organisation's waste stream, analysing the type and quantity of waste generated to identify opportunities for waste reduction and improved management.

Stream 1 is for projects that fall under the planning stage of a joint procurement. It can be used to explore if joint procurement is the right approach for your council or to scope a joint procurement project (e.g. undertake options analysis). 

For examples of Stream 1 projects please refer to ‘current grant recipients’ on this webpage.

Stream 2 is to assist with the source stage of joint procurement. It can be used for procuring experts to develop tender documents, provide legal and probity advice or apply for ACCC authorisation. 

For examples of Stream 2 projects please refer to ‘current grant recipients’ on this webpage.  

Yes you can. If the Stream 1 and Stream 2 application is for the same project, it is best to discuss this with the Joint Procurement team before applying to ensure the activities and project timelines are appropriate for each application.

Where an applicant applies for a Stream 1 Project a Stream 2 grant for the same project, the total funding permitted across the two streams is no more than $500,000.

Example of an application for funding under Stream 1 and Stream 2 for the same project

In 2026, a council leading a project on behalf of 5 member councils applies for $100,000 under Stream 1 to undertake a study to identify land for a transfer station. Later in 2026, they apply for $400,000 under Stream 2 to procure the transfer station. Under this scenario they can only apply for a maximum amount of $500,000 across the two streams because it is for the same project.

Yes you can. After submitting a Stream 1 project and identifying your procurement approach, you can apply for funding under Stream 2 to assist with the procurement exercise. The timing of your Stream 2 application depends on when you need to start using the funds. It is better to hold off applying until it gets closer to the time you need to start the procurement project. This is because we require the project to start within three months of signing the Funding Deed. It is also better to wait to ensure you have clarity on the scope and cost of the Stream 2 project.

An applicant can submit a maximum of two applications under Stream 1 and a maximum of two applications under Stream 2 if they are for different projects. The Technical Review Committee will take into consideration total amount of funding awarded to the lead applicant to ensure equitable use of the funding.

Example of the same applicant applying for multiple projects under both funding streams

In October 2025, a regional waste group applies for $250,000 under Stream 1 to investigate jointly procuring FOGO waste services for 5 member councils. Then in February 2026, they identify a Joint Procurement project for 3 of their councils to procure FOGO services and apply for $250,000 under Stream 2 to assist with the procurement (they have reached their funding cap of $500,000 for a single project).

In December 2025, the same applicant identifies another Joint Procurement project for 4 different councils in their region for their residual waste and apply for $400,000 under Stream 2. In 2026, they also need to do some pre-procurement work on recycling services for another group of their member councils, so apply for a Stream 1 project. This is all eligible.

Can they apply again under Stream 1 or Stream 2?

No, they have exhausted the number of applications they can make under the program i.e. no more than 2 projects per stream.  Note, the Technical Review Committee will take into consideration total amount of funding awarded to the lead applicant to ensure equitable use of the funding.

You should wait until closer to the project start date to submit your application. This is because we ask that projects commence within 3 months of accepting the funding offer and signing the Funding Agreement.

Eligible waste streams include all council kerbside collection services i.e. residual waste, kerbside recycling, organics services, as well as council commercial waste collection services. It also includes problem waste streams such as e-waste, mattresses, metals, whitegoods, tyres, textiles and mulch services etc (that would otherwise be collected through bulky goods or offered at drop off centres).

Yes. A group of councils or a regional waste group can apply for funding to hire or employ a project coordinator to carry out projects under Stream 1 and/or 2.  It is recommended you contact the joint procurement team to discuss how the project would be structured across the two Streams and how much to apply for under each stream.

An example is a regional waste group applies for $150,000 under Stream 1 to hire a part-time person working for a year to project manage activities to explore joint procurement in their region. Within the same application, they also apply for $100,000 to fund project costs towards exploring joint procurement options (totally $250,000 under Stream 1). If a joint procurement project is identified and the group agrees to proceed with it, they can apply for Stream 2 funding and include $150,000 to keep the contractor on to coordinate the joint procurement project. They also apply under Stream 2, for up to $100,000 for procurement costs. In this scenario total funding awarded across the two Streams must not exceed $500,000.