Circular Economy Business Support Fund

The Fund is delivered by Sustainability Victoria through the Circular Economy Business Innovation Centre (CEBIC) which fosters business innovation to avoid waste, save money, increase re-use, and generate new streams of revenue for businesses.

CEBIC’s objectives are to enable innovative and commercial solutions for Victoria that deliver:

• increased access to Circular Economy products and services for Businesses and consumers
• increased materials efficiency across sectors and supply chains
• increased duration of product and material lifecycles and maintenance of product and material value
• new circular business models and/or materials markets
• new local jobs and increased Circular Economy skills in the workforce
• reduced materials to landfill and other waste destinations
• reduced greenhouse gas emissions and pollution

The grant is funded through the government’s Circular Economy policy, Recycling Victoria: a new economy, which includes targets to reduce total waste generation by 15% per capita by 2030.

Applicants may apply as either a single organisation, or as a Collaborative Partnership with multiple organisations.

All applications require a single Lead Applicant, which must be one of the following eligible organisation types:

• Businesses (Commercial for-profit)
• Social Enterprises
• Industry groups and associations
• Charities and other not-for-profits that are listed on the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) charity register
• Current Cooperative Research Centres
• Current Rural Research and Development Corporations

Lead Applicants must:

• have a current ABN
• have been operating for a minimum of 2 years by the application closing date
• be able to demonstrate financial viability to undertake the project (will meet or exceed the minimum co-contribution requirements)
• agree to comply with the Terms of Participation in Grant Programs
• agree to comply with the General grant funding agreement terms and conditions
• submit their Fair Jobs Code Pre-Assessment Certificate Number with their application if applying for $500,000 or more

The Lead Applicant is responsible for the application and project delivery, including coordinating Collaborative Partners. Lead Applicants will receive grant funding and manage allocations of funding or financial co-contributions between partners.

The following cannot apply for funding as a Lead Applicant but can be a Collaborative Partner:

• Unincorporated associations
• Federal, state, or local government, including water corporations
• Schools, universities, and TAFEs
• Sole traders
• Any organisation operating with an ABN less than 2 years at the fund closing date

provided the organisation has:

• a direct, clear role in the project
• a current ABN
• a demonstrated co-contribution to the project

Collaborative Partners must also provide a letter of support (or equivalent) and have a formal agreement in place.

See the guidelines for full details of eligible and ineligible Lead Applicants and Eligible Partners.

Projects must contribute to two or more of the following outcomes:

• Avoidance of waste materials to any waste or recycling destination
• Creation of new circular products and services
• Increase employment through direct creation of jobs
• Increase capacity to extend the useable life of products
• Reduced greenhouse gas emissions
• Improve capacity of industry for acting on sustainability

Project types include:

• identification and development
• implementation, commercialisation and scaling
• training and development programs for industry

All projects must:

• meet all regulatory or planning requirements within 6 months of receiving funding
• ensure at least 50% of project activities are implemented in Victoria
• be completed by 30 June 2024

Funding will not be provided for projects and activities focused on:

• litter, microplastics and illegal dumping
• community or government focused initiatives
• aggregates and soils
• energy, emissions, or water (although these may be co-benefits of projects)

Funding will not be provided for projects that:

• are being undertaken to comply with regulation or a regulatory notice or order
• have received funding or support for the same activities from other sources
• do not meet regulatory or planning requirements
• do not demonstrate good value for money

See the guidelines for full details of eligible and ineligible projects.

Project activities can include (but not limited to):

• activation of waste-avoidance solutions in published industry/business-focused action plans and roadmaps
• baseline studies to understand issues and opportunities for circularity (e.g., in businesses or industries)
• waste audits and Circular economy supply chain mapping
• challenge-based projects (e.g., hackathons)
• developing, delivering or accessing Circular economy assessment tools or services (e.g., life cycle assessment)
• developing, delivering or accessing Circular economy advisory services
• delivering a campaign focused on increasing transparency and awareness of Circular economy in businesses
• facilitate networking and collaboration focused on Circular Economy business opportunities
• establishing or expanding activities in a Circular economy business focused group or cluster
• delivering Circular economy training to Businesses
• rolling out business-led product stewardship initiatives/programs in Victoria (not Recycling)
• financial and non-financial assessments (e.g., CBA, ROI, SROI)
• large scale pilots, trials, and demonstrations
• business case development and cost-benefit analysis
• purchasing, installing and commissioning infrastructure, plant and equipment or other assets
• designing and delivering promotional content for new products and services
• developing and delivering capability building for Businesses (e.g., training, education, innovation services)
• startup incubators and accelerator programs
• developing and launching a website, application, or digital platform

Funding will not be provided for project activities that focus on end-of-life strategies, such as recycling, waste management or energy recovery phases, including:

• waste recycling (including feasibility, capability building, collection, infrastructure or any other aspects of waste recycling) or recycled content products (research, development, demonstration and commercialisation, standards and specifications)
• waste recovery (including feasibility, capability building, collection, infrastructure or any other aspects of waste recovery) litter and illegal dumping
• waste disposal (e.g., incineration, landfill, sewer)
• waste to energy, bioenergy and biofuel

See the guidelines for full details of eligible and ineligible activities.

Project costs must be directly related to the project and can only include:

• new or existing staff costs (such as salaries) that are demonstrated to be directly related to the project
• consultants
• contractor services
• marketing, advertising, promotion
• market research and surveys
• venue and equipment hire (including access to innovation labs and services)
• legal costs (such as costs to obtain IP)
• printing
• design and copywriting
• installation and commissioning
• freight
• project management costs
• capital purchases/assets (infrastructure, plant, and equipment)
• purchase of specialised vehicles (e.g., front-end loaders, forklifts) where equipment is integral for the project to occur, and the Applicant demonstrates they are unable to proceed with the project without funding for the vehicle

The following costs are ineligible for funding:

• lease or purchase of land
• permit, licensing and approval costs
• routine or cyclical maintenance works
• repair of facilities damaged by vandalism, fire or other natural disasters where damage should be covered by insurance
• operating or business-as-usual costs (such as electricity, water and other utilities)
• existing staff costs (such as salaries) that are not demonstrated to be directly related to the project
• pre-construction (site preparation) such as site clearing, earthworks or accessibility works
• travel and attendance at conferences
• catering
• contingency costs
• purchase of non-specialised vehicles that do not have an essential role in project delivery
• associated vehicle costs (including fuel, registration, servicing etc.)

See the guidelines for full details of eligible and ineligible expenditure.

The application form requires the following information:

• Lead Applicant business information
• Project description
• Project contribution to a circular economy and supporting evidence
• Project outcomes for at least two of the required outcomes and supporting evidence
• Funding rationale
• Information to substantiate the application, such as project plan, letters of support, pitch deck, promotional videos (maximum 90 secs) or images/drawings
• Team member and Collaborative Partner details
• Project delivery information including milestones, risk management, permits and approvals requirements, and equipment and infrastructure requirements
• Details of the financial commitment of the applicant and partners
• Fair Jobs Code (for applications over $500,000)
• Insurance details and environmental, safety, and workplace compliance

See the application form for full details of information requirements.

Applications are submitted online via the SmartyGrants portal.

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