Waste Minimisation Fund

Fund purpose

The purpose of the Taupō District Council Waste Minimisation Fund Grant is to provide community groups and organisations with the the opportunity to fund initiatives that:

• Reduce the generation of waste
• Encourage the reuse and recovery of materials
• Divert waste from landfill through reuse, repair, recycling, and composting
• Raise awareness of issues around food waste, single-use plastics, and other wastes

Funding and availability

Grants are available for up to $5,000 from an annual contestable fund of $10,000. The funding comes from the national waste levy, which is set by the Ministry for the Environment (MFE).

Please be aware Taupō District Council reserves the right to grant successful applicants funding that is different to the amount requested, and consideration of all applications will be dependent upon available funding.

Eligibility

To apply you must be an individual, school, business, iwi/Māori group, community group, early childhood centre, or other community-based organisation within the Taupō District.

• Projects must be based within the Taupō District and mainly benefit the Taupō community.
• Projects must contribute to waste minimisation, waste avoidance, the reduction of waste to landfill, and/or the recovery of materials or energy.
• Applicants must demonstrate sound financial responsibility, clear objectives and planning, ways of measuring performance and the success of the project, and reporting this progress.
• The funding granted must be used within one year to see the project to completion or until the project becomes self-funding.
• Funding can be granted for capital or operational expenditure.
• Eligibility for funding will be discretionary to the Taupō District Council and decisions will be final.
• If you have been allocated funding, you must read and sign the Terms and Conditions.

What we won’t fund

• Litter pick-ups or materials (please email shanson@taupo.govt.nz if you would like to borrow these materials).
• Waste disposal services.
• Projects that do not deal with the minimisation of waste produced within the Taupō District.
• Operating costs or projects that are ongoing.
• Projects that are already existing or completed.
• Projects that do not align with the goals and objectives of the Taupō District Council Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2018.
• Individuals funding private projects.

How to apply

Please create a document with a minimum of 500 words including the following details:

• Project name and applicant/group name(s)
• Contact email and phone number
• Desired funding amount
• Details of project
• Project objectives
• Project outcomes (volume/tonnage waste to be diverted)
• Who will benefit from the project?
• Who are your project partners and/or supporters and how do you work with them?
• What the funding will go towards and how spending will be proven
• How the project will be measured for performance, monitored, and reported

This document should be sent to wasteminimisation@taupo.govt.nz

Review process and timeline

Applications will be reviewed by a panel of Council staff who will assess the most eligible applications according to the following hierarchy:

• Compatibilty with the objectives outlined in the Taupō District Council Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2018
• Waste minimisation and reduction projects
• Waste reuse projects
• Recycling projects
• Recovery of waste resource projects
• We will endeavor to respond within one month from date of application.

Please note that successful applicants must submit a final written report within one year of funding being allocated.