The 2025 round closed on 19 May 2025. The program will reopen in April 2026.
Purpose
The Environmental Restoration and Rehabilitation grants program supports community and government organisations to achieve lasting, positive impacts on the NSW environment.
The objectives of the program are to:
- improve and protect the quality of ecosystems and environmental assets managed by community groups, land managers and stakeholders
- enhance the management of environmental assets by facilitating the development of environmental expertise and stronger partnerships between individuals, community groups, governments and industry
- provide an appropriate, effective, and sustainable mechanism to deliver government policy, priorities and outcomes.
Who can apply?
We offer grants to eligible applicants, including:
- incorporated community organisations and associations
- non-commercial cooperatives
- local councils
- local Aboriginal land councils and registered Indigenous corporations
- universities for projects on their own land
- state government agencies and entities.
See the program guidelines for an extensive list of eligible organisations and options for unincorporated community organisations.
Priority themes
The priority themes for the 2025 round of the Environmental Restoration and Rehabilitation grants program were based on the NSW Environmental Trust Strategic Plan 2024 to 2029, which identifies significant environmental issues impacting New South Wales and aims to drive meaningful environmental progress.
The strategic priorities are:
- prioritise healthy Country and recognise and value Aboriginal peoples, their traditional knowledge and practices, and connection to Country
- restore ecosystems and biodiversity
- strengthen environmental management.
See the program guidelines for more information on how applicants to the 2025 round were required to align project proposals with the priority themes.
Funding available
| Total funding available | Funding amount per project | Project duration |
|---|---|---|
| $4,000,000 | From $150,000 to $350,000 | 3 to 5 years |
This program is now closed to applications. The following resources were provided to assist applicants to the 2025 round:
- Restoration and Rehabilitation Grants Program guidelines 2025
- How to develop your project 2025
- Sample workplan
- Letters of support: tips and sample (DOCX 89KB)
- Monitoring directory for ecological restoration and social activities
- Mapping guide.
Other helpful reference documents:
- Ecological monitoring guide (PDF 354KB)
- Photo monitoring master data template (DOCX 85KB)
- Photo monitoring image template (DOCX 76KB).
Applicants submitted their applications through the Grant Management System.
If your group or organisation is awarded a grant, you will need to be aware of the following. All aspects of planning, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting (including expenditure) will be managed through the online Grant Management System. Instructions for using the Grant Management System are available when you register, and through the How to develop your project 2025 document.
Workplan
Grantees must develop a workplan that builds on information you provided in your application. The workplan:
- assists project planning and management over the duration of the grant
- helps grantee and the Trust understand the project’s objectives, and sets indicators to measure success in achieving intended outcomes
- outlines which activities will be implemented, and how they will be implemented, monitored and evaluated
- provides a basis for annual reporting.
If you are awarded a grant, your workplan will be further developed in consultation with your grant administrator.
Monitoring
The Trust expects and supports effective and consistent monitoring of project activities. Monitoring methods will vary depending on the nature of the work being carried out.
We ask you to ensure that minimum standards are met by establishing the following:
- consistent monitoring methods are used to measure activity implementation and progress – for example, photo monitoring, mapping, participant surveys, et cetera.
- benchmarks/baseline data is captured at the commencement of projects and individual activities, which may be used to demonstrate the outcomes your work is achieving over the life of the project.
Milestone reports and final report
You will need to submit a Milestone report (formerly progress report) after each stage of works that aligns with your approved Workplan. These will outline what you have achieved and what you will do next.
Milestone reports are reviewed by technical experts who can ensure you are on the right track and give you feedback or advice. After reviewing and accepting your report, we will pay your next grant instalment.
When your project finishes, you will have to submit a final report describing its achievements.
Trust Administration will direct you on how to prepare your Milestone report in the Trust's Grant Management System closer to the time of reporting.
Financial reports
You must submit an updated financial report with all your progress reports. You also need to submit a certified financial report as a part of your final project report.
If you need to rearrange your project’s budget, you should apply for a budget variation.
Trust Administration will direct you on how to prepare your financial report in the Trust's Grant Management System closer to the time of reporting.
Other documents
You may also have to submit some other documents or evidence. These will be listed in the funding agreement we send you.
Acknowledgement requirement
Please acknowledge the funding you have received from the Trust in all publications and materials related to your project. We ask that you say:
This project has been assisted by the New South Wales Government through its Environmental Trust.
You also need to use the New South Wales Government logo.
See Funding acknowledgement for more information.
Under the 2022–23 round, a total of 24 projects were approved by the Trust, totalling $4,282,068. This includes activation of a single reserve project for $196,310 in February 2023.
Project summaries
All of the Trust's contestable grants programs are independently evaluated to assess their effectiveness.
The Environmental Restoration and Rehabilitation grants program was the focus of an independent evaluation completed in December 2023.
The evaluation was undertaken by Nexus Management Consulting, which demonstrated a broad range of expertise and experience in evaluation of grant programs and other government initiatives. The evaluation focused on program designs, outcomes, administration, and projects funded by the program between 2018 and 2022.
The evaluation report concluded there is overwhelming support for the program and its long-standing contribution to local environmental restoration and rehabilitation. It suggested 29 recommendations across program design, outcomes and administration. An Evaluation Management Response was developed to address the recommendations – 17 recommendations were accepted, 7 partly accepted and 2 were not accepted by Trust administration.
Trust administration will be implementing these recommendations progressively over the coming rounds of the program.