NSW Environmental Trust – Environmental Education Grants 2026

$1 million total annual allocation for the program
- Tier 1: up to $60,000 for projects running 2 to 3 years, suited to local, small-scale issues
- Tier 2: $60,001 to $250,000 for projects running 3 to 5 years, tackling larger and more complex problems
Organisations can lodge up to two Tier 1 applications and one Tier 2 application
Applications close: 9 November 2026

The Environmental Education grants program funds projects that build people's skills and change their behaviour to improve the environment in NSW. It's run by the NSW Environmental Trust, an independent statutory body chaired by the NSW Minister for the Environment.

The program looks for projects that go beyond workshops and awareness-raising. Funded projects work with their audience to design and test engagement approaches, build strong partnerships, and measure real changes in behaviour and on-ground environmental outcomes.

Tier 2 projects are expected to use social research and co-design, pilot ideas through field tests, then scale up what works. Tier 2 grantees also work with the Trust and behaviour change experts during project planning.

Key Requirements

Projects must address at least one priority theme from the NSW Environmental Trust Strategic Plan 2024 to 2029, and name the theme they relate to most strongly:

Healthy Country: recognising and supporting Aboriginal traditional knowledge, practices and connection to Country
Restoring ecosystems and biodiversity: building species and ecosystem resilience to climate change, and protecting waterways and wetlands
Strengthening environmental management: better monitoring and data, cross-tenure connectivity, and land managers’ capacity

Projects must deliver measurable environmental outcomes and changes in behaviour or systems, not just knowledge or awareness. They must trial their education approach with the target audience in the first milestone and use what they learn to shape later delivery.

Applicants must involve external collaborators in developing the project and keep them actively involved during delivery. Projects that draw on Aboriginal knowledge or practices must partner with relevant Aboriginal organisations or stakeholders, with those partnerships built into design, delivery and decision-making.

Projects focused on monitoring and data must show they’ll also deliver on-ground change. Waste projects can be eligible under the environmental management theme if they deliver measurable natural resource management outcomes.

The Trust’s Environmental Education grants program guidelines explain the expectations for each tier in more detail.

What is eligible for funding?

Project staff, either newly recruited or existing staff taking on additional hours
External specialists and contractors, such as videographers or app designers
Project-specific educational resources, such as booklets, signage, apps and websites
Facility and venue hire, including digital platform licences
Training and upskilling of project staff
Demonstration materials, such as GPS trackers or wildlife monitoring cameras
Promotion and advertising for project activities
Social research and project-related research, such as surveys, focus groups and photo-point monitoring
Domestic travel and accommodation, including realistic costs for remote locations
Administration, up to 10% of the grant

What companies are eligible for funding?

Not-for-profit organisations based in NSW, or able to show environmental benefits for NSW, with an active ABN. Eligible organisations include:

Incorporated associations, community organisations and non-profits
Non-commercial cooperatives and companies limited by guarantee
Councils, regional organisations of councils and other council-controlled organisations
State government agencies and statutory committees
Universities
NSW local Aboriginal land councils and registered NSW Aboriginal corporations

Individuals, industry joint ventures and for-profit or profit-distributing organisations can’t apply. Unincorporated community groups can apply through an eligible partner organisation acting as an external manager.

Is this grant competitive or entitlement based?

Competitive. Your application will be assessed among other applications by a judging panel.

How can I increase my chances of winning this grant?

By engaging a professional government grant writer consultant. Avant Group is Australia’s largest independent grants advisory firm. Find out more about our government grant writing and consulting service here.

How can I get help understanding if I’m eligible for this grant? Or know if I’m likely to win funding?

Avant Group offers a no-obligation assessment of your eligibility for funding and will assess your likelihood of a successful grant application.

This grant is open

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