Business Food Waste Partnership Grants

Applications are open to industry peak bodies, sector leaders, councils and relevant organisations. Eligible applicants must:

1. be an organisation with an Australian Business Number (ABN)
2. be operational in NSW
3. demonstrate experience in project delivery with the target audience
4. be an owner of an active network and/or have ongoing engagement with the target audience
5. demonstrate the project is a new activity that can be incorporated into, or build on, existing activities, programs or other initiatives
6. 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
7. demonstrate shared values or organisational goals aligned with the NSW organics waste and emissions targets
8. 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
9. be submitted using SmartyGrants by 4pm 21 October 2025.

Applications that do not satisfy these conditions will be deemed ineligible and will not be funded.

The grants support activities that raise awareness and empower food businesses with knowledge and skills in food waste reduction and source separation. 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
• delivering food waste training to equip staff, tenants and cleaners on how to reduce food waste generation and maximise food waste recycling
• 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.

Projects must integrate with or build upon existing activities delivered with the target audience.

• Applicants may allocate a portion of the funding toward hiring staff to deliver project or activities; however, this must not exceed 50% of the total grant funding. 

Costs of preparing and applying for the grant are the sole responsibility of the applicant. 

The following will not be funded:

• projects that focus on the research or the production of resources and training on using equipment
• applicants, like waste consultants or contractors, who apply on behalf of the network owners like food franchise businesses or peak bodies
• activities that have already started or are carried out before the grant is offered and accepted
• activities happening outside NSW
• operational costs such as rent, IT equipment, electricity, insurance, etc. that are part of standard business operation
• attendance at workshops or participation in the project activities – for either the grantee or their audiences
• activities (or part of activities) that are funded by other EPA programs such as Bin Trim Network or Rebates programs
• ongoing activities that occur once the grant is completed, such as app licencing (beyond the grant period)
• equipment to source separate food waste that could be funded by the Bin Trim Rebate program like commercial composters and dehydrators
• projects or activities that require funding to build a new, or expand an existing, channel or platform, like apps or websites.
• Waste assessment and advice may be included as a project activity, however only in the context of awareness-raising, capacity building and education, to avoid duplication with other EPA programs, such as Bin Trim

Projects must include a robust process for monitoring, evaluating and reporting on outcomes, including gathering supporting evidence.

Applicants are encouraged to use the EPA’s Bin Trim App as a tool to collect waste data and monitor changes in food waste diversion. As well as assisting project participants to leverage funding for equipment through a Bin Trim rebate, it provides consistent, comparable data for broader program evaluation.

Successful applicants are required to provide at least three reports – a project start, mid-point and final report. See the 'Key dates and timeframes' section (below) for more information.

A Funding Deed detailing reporting requirements and an Activity Schedule identifying tasks to be completed, documents required and reporting dates, are both issued to successful applicants. The Funding Deed is tailored for each project.

Reports must be submitted using the EPA templates provided.

Successful applicants are also required to participate in bimonthly Partnership meetings, coordinated by the EPA. These meetings aim to create a platform for partners to share experiences and lessons learnt, identify opportunities for collaboration and maximise their project success.

Grants of up to $200,000 excl GST are available for projects lasting up to 18 months. The Funding Deed signed on approval of the grant sets out a payment schedule, aligned to activities, targets and milestones.

GST

Applicants should not include any GST in the application budget. The EPA will add 10 per cent GST to the grant payment unless the applicant advises that they are GST free organisations.

Co-contributions

• Co-contributions are not required, however, the more an applicant can demonstrate additional value in their project from their contributions, the higher the project will rank under the ‘value for money’ criterion. Co-contributions can be cash or in-kind.
• In-kind contributions include using existing resources (such as venues or equipment), the promotional activities (such as social media posts), staff or volunteer time – and can come from the applicant or project partners.
• Applicants can include or seek other funding to supplement their project delivery and, if so, are required to detail the funding source. Non-EPA funding can be included as the applicant’s co-contribution.
• Funding from other EPA grants or programs cannot be included as a co-contribution. However, it can be used to fund additional activities that will supplement your Business Food Waste Partnership Grants project.

Tax invoices

A tax invoice is required for the amount of each milestone payment of the grant. The invoice should include GST as a separate component if applicable.

Broadly, funding will be delivered as follows:

• 30% on signing of the funding agreement
• 40% on submission of a mid-term milestone report that demonstrates the project progress and achievement of targets
• 30% on project completion, demonstrated by submission of a final report detailing outcomes achieved, how the funding was used and confirmation of results.

In addition to eligibility requirements, successful applicants will need to sign and return a Funding Deed. This confirms their commitment to comply with the conditions of the funding, including:

• continue to comply with the eligibility criteria for the length of the project as outlined in the funding agreement or pay back the funding
• reporting as described in the reporting and milestone payments section above
• hold appropriate insurance and public liability coverage for the duration of the grant
• acknowledge the support of the NSW Government on publications relating to the project, in accordance with the Funding Deed
• invite a NSW Government representative to any launch or public event associated with this funding. 

A copy of the template Funding Deed (PDF 650KB) is available.

Applications undergo an eligibility check before being reviewed by an independent Technical Review Committee (TRC) using the criteria set out below. The dot points under 'expected information' provide additional guidance on the types of considerations relevant to each criterion. In Round 3, priority will be given to projects that support larger food wasting businesses required under the FOGO legislation to source separate food waste from 1 July 2026.

The EPA Organics Unit is available to help applicants submit their application. Please email us at [email protected] for assistance.

The EPA has published several food waste-related reports, sector toolkits and social research including:

• Food Smart Business toolkit- Café and Restaurants
• Aged care toolkit
• Food Smart School educations resources
• Childcare Centre toolkit
• Find out about research on FOGO
• Fact sheets and report: Emissions of food waste recovery technologies
• Food organics in hospitals (PDF 420KB)
• Fact Sheet: Carbon credit income from FOGO (PDF 240KB)x
• Cool Compost