Key information
- Status: Open
- Grant amount: Up to $1,000,000
- Application opened: 7 May 2025
- Application closes: 7 August 2025, 5:00pm AEST
- Register now for the webinar on 29 May, 11am AEST
Grants of up to $1,000,000 are available to fund the initial stages of development for landscape-scale projects which aim to deliver carbon abatement alongside other benefits.
Successful applicants will receive grant funding to cover the costs of project development for up to 3 years, up to the point where they are able to secure investment. No funding for on-ground implementation of carbon abatement is included in the scope of this grant program.
What’s included in the grant funding
The grant amount available is:
- up to $500,000 for projects with one target landscape area
- up to $1,000,000 for projects with 2 to 5 target landscape areas
Examples of landscape-scale projects
There are various ways of defining a target landscape and a range of opportunities that could be explored. Some examples include:
- a water catchment area, with multiple private properties and public land such as state forests or national park, where there is potential for carbon abatement projects to mitigate flood risk to downstream communities, improve water quality and increase habitat connectivity
- a landscape dominated by producers of a certain food or fibre product, where there is potential for carbon abatement projects to address supply chain sustainability targets while simultaneously improving productivity.
See the grant guidelines for further guidance.
Eligibility
To be eligible for grant funding, an application must meet all eligibility criteria. These are detailed in the grant guidelines. While the application may represent a group of organisations, the Department will only enter into a funding agreement with the lead applicant.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants include:
- farmers or agribusinesses
- Aboriginal landholders or land managers including Traditional Owner groups, land councils or Registered Native Title Body Corporates
- not-for-profit organisations
- government entities, including NSW Government agencies and local government
- natural resource management/conservation organisations
- peak bodies or industry organisations
- producer associations
- co-operative/mutual organisations.
Carbon service providers operating for-profit are not eligible to be applicants.
What you can apply for
The scope of the Low Carbon Landscapes grant round covers the initial stages of project development for landscape-scale, high quality carbon abatement projects in the primary industries and land sector, up to the point where projects are able to secure investment. This should include a focus on developing a financially viable model for project delivery and identifying suitable sources of private investment to enable on-ground implementation.
Carbon abatement activities within the scope of this grant program include:
- increasing carbon storage in vegetation, soils, coastal or marine areas across all land types
- reducing emissions from livestock, land use, land use change and forestry.
While the focus is on carbon abatement, funded projects must aim to achieve this in a way that delivers other benefits. These other benefits are referred to as co-benefits and can include:
- improvements to biodiversity, water quality, soil health, or climate resilience
- Aboriginal cultural benefits
- social and economic benefits for local communities
- productivity gains or other commercial advantages for primary producers.
What you can’t apply for
This grant cannot be used for projects related to:
- energy use and transport related emissions
- technological carbon dioxide removal from the atmosphere and geological storage.
This grant round will not fund on-ground implementation of carbon abatement projects or subsequent management or maintenance of these projects.
What projects are eligible?
The application must demonstrate that the target landscape area for the project:
- is at least 3,000 hectares
- is wholly within NSW, or with a maximum of 5% of the target landscape area outside of NSW with a clear rationale provided as to why this is required
- is continuous (all land in the target landscape area is connected) or there is a clear rationale provided for the project to include disconnected areas
- includes multiple private and/or public landowners/managers or there is a clear rationale for the project to be limited to one property only.
For applications with more than one target landscape area, each target landscape area must meet the above criteria.
The application must demonstrate that the proposed project:
- will be within the scope of the grant program as described in the grant guidelines
- will not commence until after the funding agreement has been signed by all parties
- will commence no later than 3 months after the funding agreement has been signed by all parties
- will be completed within 3 years of commencement.
Further details including the full eligibility criteria and guidance on developing your application are included in the grant guidelines.
How to apply
Read our Low Carbon Landscapes grant guidelines
Read the Frequently Asked Questions
Register for the information session on 29 May at 11am AEST
Key application steps
The application includes 3 eligibility criteria you must meet:
- Eligible applicants: demonstrate that you are an eligible organisation (see Section 3.1 of the guidelines).
- Insurance and financial viability: demonstrate that you have the appropriate insurances and financial viability to complete the proposed project (see Section 3.2 of the guidelines).
- Eligible projects: demonstrate that your project aligns with the objectives and scope of the grant program (see Sections 2.3 and 2.4 of the guidelines) and adheres to the project eligibility requirements (see Section 3.3 of the guidelines).
If any of the components of the eligibility criteria are not met, your application is ineligible, and you should not apply.
- Download the guidelines for all detailed application requirements
- Read the Frequently Asked Questions
- Sign up for the information session
- Complete and submit your application through the Grant Management System online application form prior to the grant closing date.
- After you complete and submit your application, you will receive an email to confirm your application has been received.
- Note: If you do not receive an email, please email us at [email protected].
The full review process may take up to 12 weeks.
Eligibility assessment
- Your application will first be reviewed against the eligibility criteria. If your application is deemed ineligible during the eligibility review, you will receive an email.
- Projects that meet all eligibility requirements will proceed to merit assessment.
Merit assessment
- An assessment panel will review eligible applications against the merit assessment criteria and recommend successful applicants for approval of a grant.
- During either the eligibility or merit assessments, we may ask you for more information. You will have 5 business days from the date of our written request to provide a response.
Receive an outcome
- If your application is successful, we will send you a written offer and the Low Carbon Landscapes funding agreement.
- If your application is not successful, you will receive an email. Feedback on your application will be available on request.
If your application is successful, we will execute the funding agreement with you. Following the signing of your Low Carbon Landscapes funding agreement, your project can commence. Your project must commence no later than 3 months after the signing of your funding agreement.
Contact us
If you have any questions about this funding opportunity, or to discuss your project or application, please email us at [email protected].
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Program evaluation
The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (the Department) is committed to providing excellent service that responds to customers' needs through well targeted programs. For that reason, the Department evaluates its programs. This includes surveys at various points of your application, approval and completion.
The Department may also contact you to ask about your experience of the assistance you received. The Department will always treat the responses you provide as confidential and use the information only for the purposes it was collected.