Food Waste for Healthy Soils recycling infrastructure grants

On 11 May 2021, as part of the National Soils Strategy, the Australian Government announced a $67 million Food Waste for Healthy Soils Fund program in the Federal Budget.

The Fund aims to support the diversion of nutrient-rich household and commercial organic waste from landfill to soils, with a $57 million investment to build new or enhance existing organic waste processing infrastructure to improve product quality or increase capacity. 

How much money is available?

The Food Waste for Healthy Soils Fund grant program was a one-off funding program released to identify South Australian applications that would be applied for under the Australian Government Food Waste for Healthy Soils Fund. Please see the Recycling Infrastructure Grant program for funding support for organics recycling infrastructure.

Recycling Infrastructure Grants that were offered through this program represent a combined contribution from both the South Australian and Commonwealth governments. Applications for South Australian government funding from $20,000 to a maximum of $500,000 will be available, for large scale projects involving significant capital expenditure and of state significance.

Applicants were required to provide a minimum cash contribution of 33% of the requested grant amount, being 1/3 of the project cost (1:1:1 funding).

South Australian and Commonwealth funding will be contingent on projects gaining any necessary regulatory and planning approvals required to proceed to construction.

Applicants that include a cash co-contribution of greater than 50% of the requested grant amount will be viewed favourably, as this will maximise the State and Commonwealth government’s return on investment.  

Who can apply?

Applications must relate to a project to increase processing capacity or improve product quality of processed, recovered, source segregated, organic waste that is either:

• a proposed new facility, or
• an improvement or expansion of an existing facility.

What will we fund?

The desired outcomes of the Food Waste for Healthy Soils Fund include:

• infrastructure upgrades and developments that support the diversion of organic waste from landfill
• increasing the quantity and improving the quality, safety and consistency of recycled organic waste, especially for use in the agricultural industry
• developing sustainable markets for high-value nutrient rich compost and soil conditioners.

What WON’T we fund?

Projects that:

• do not meet the eligibility criteria of the Food Waste for Healthy Soils Fund
• have outcomes that are not directly attributable to the desired outcomes of the funding, such as:

• Mixed Waste Organic Outputs (MWOO) facilities
• Mechanical Biological treatment (MBT) facilities
• infrastructure to facilitate the collection and redistribution of edible food waste to food rescue charities
• food waste disposal such as insinkerators, macerators, food dehydrators 
• extending capacity for receipt of waste, for example: FOGO collection and transport infrastructure, such as gate fees, kitchen caddies and bags/bin liners, bins and vehicles
• do not clearly demonstrate a need for Government support.