Call for Proposals: Waste Minimisation Fund (New Zealand)

Deadline: 15-Oct-2026

Wellington City Council’s Waste Minimisation Fund supports innovative business and community projects that prevent waste, keep materials in circulation, and improve resource efficiency within Wellington City. Grants are available for small projects requesting up to $5,000 and medium or large projects requesting more than $5,000, with up to $250,000 allocated annually.

About the Waste Minimisation Fund

The Waste Minimisation Fund was established by Wellington City Council to accelerate Wellington’s transition toward a zero-waste future. The fund supports practical initiatives that prevent unnecessary waste and extend the useful life of products and materials through sharing, reuse, repair, redesign, and repurposing.

It aligns with:

- Wellington’s Zero Waste Strategy - The Regional Waste Management and Minimisation Plan - Wellington City Council’s commitment to intergenerational sustainability - Circular economy and resource-efficiency principles Purpose of the Fund The fund aims to support projects that: - Prevent waste from being created - Reduce unnecessary material consumption - Keep products and materials in use for longer - Encourage sharing, repair, reuse, and repurposing - Test innovative waste-reduction models - Improve resource efficiency - Generate measurable waste-minimisation outcomes - Share lessons that other organizations and communities can use - Become financially or operationally sustainable after Council funding Projects must deliver clear benefits within Wellington City. Funding Streams The Waste Minimisation Fund provides support through two project categories. Small Project Grants Small projects may request up to $5,000. A total funding pool of $50,000 is available for this category.

Eligible applicants may include:

Small grants are suitable for focused initiatives that can demonstrate practical and measurable waste-reduction outcomes. Medium and Large Project Grants Medium and large projects may request more than $5,000. A total funding pool of $200,000 is available for this category. Applicants requesting more than $5,000 must be legal entities operating within the Wellington City Council area. These grants are intended for larger, more developed initiatives with strong delivery capacity, measurable outcomes, and potential for long-term impact. Total Annual Funding Wellington City Council allocates up to $250,000 annually through the Waste Minimisation Fund:

- Small-project funding pool: $50,000

- Medium and large-project funding pool: $200,000

- Total annual allocation: Up to $250,000

Applicants should confirm the amount available in the current funding round through the official guidelines. Priority Areas Preference is given to projects addressing the highest levels of the waste hierarchy.

The fund’s leading priorities are:

- Reduce - Rethink - Redesign - Reuse - Repair - Repurpose Projects focused on recycling, composting, or anaerobic digestion may also be considered, but generally after initiatives addressing higher-priority waste-prevention and reuse principles. Understanding the Waste Hierarchy The waste hierarchy ranks activities according to their potential to prevent waste and conserve resources. Reduce, rethink, and redesign involve preventing waste before it is created. Examples include eliminating unnecessary packaging, changing production methods, or redesigning products for durability. Reuse, repair, and repurpose keep existing products and materials in circulation instead of discarding them. Recycling and organic waste processing recover value from materials after waste has already been generated. These activities remain useful but rank below prevention and reuse. Strong applications should clearly identify where the proposed project sits within the hierarchy. Examples of Projects That May Be Supported Subject to the official guidelines, suitable projects may include: - Product-sharing or lending services - Repair workshops and repair networks - Reusable packaging systems - Refill and return schemes - Initiatives that reduce single-use products - Material recovery and repurposing projects - Business models based on reuse or repair - Product redesign initiatives - Systems that prevent commercial or community waste - Community reuse centres - Surplus material exchanges - Tools that help businesses measure and reduce waste - Circular economy demonstration projects - Waste-minimisation education linked to practical action Projects should move beyond awareness alone and produce measurable waste-reduction results. Who Is Eligible?

Eligibility depends on the amount requested

For grants of up to $5,000, eligible applicants include: - Individuals - Community groups - Businesses - Organizations For grants over $5,000, applicants must be legal entities operating within the Wellington City Council area.

All applicants must demonstrate:

- The capacity to deliver the project - Sound financial management - Access to required co-funding - A clear plan for completing the project within 12 months - Alignment with regional waste-minimisation plans - Measurable waste-prevention or diversion outcomes - A plan for openly sharing results and lessons Geographic Eligibility Projects must be delivered within Wellington City Council boundaries.

Applicants should clearly identify:

- The project location - The Wellington communities or businesses served - The materials or waste streams addressed - The expected local environmental benefits - How the project supports Wellington’s waste-minimisation goals Projects primarily benefiting areas outside Wellington City may not qualify. Co-Funding Requirement Applicants must contribute co-funding to the project.

Co-funding may be provided through:

- Cash contributions - Staff time - Volunteer time - Donated materials - Equipment - Professional services - Venue use - Partner contributions - Other eligible in-kind support Applications should clearly identify each co-funding source and explain how its value was calcu