The Resource Wise Fund supports local initiatives aimed at reducing waste in Tauranga.
The 2026/27 Resource Wise Fund is opening soon to support initiatives aimed at reducing waste to landfill and align with actions set out in the Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2022-2028 (WMMP).
Grants range from $2,000 to $25,000 from a pool of $100,000.
Individuals and groups can submit applications by the deadline of Friday, 11 September 2026.
For more information, contact resource.wise@tauranga.govt.nz.
Apply now
About the Resource Wise Community Fund
The Resource Wise Fund is in its 9th year and adjusts its priorities annually to align with council goals. Read about successful applicants from previous years.
Priority outcomes for the 2026/27 funding round include:
- Support projects that stop waste before it’s created:
- Focus on avoiding and reducing the use of materials and consumption
- Show how the project will reduce the total amount of waste generated
- Encourage the prevention and diversion of food and garden waste from landfills through local initiatives
- Work towards the achievement of actions within the WMMP. This years priority WMMP actions are:
- Action 19 - Investigate, consider, trial, and implement solutions for the diversion of construction and demolition waste in collaboration with private industry.
- Action 20 - Investigate, consider, trial, and implement services for targeted waste streams, particularly hard-to-recycle items such as soft plastics, small lids, textiles, and batteries.
- Action 25 - Promote food waste prevention, food and garden waste rescue initiatives, and home and community composting.
- Action 29 - Investigate, consider, trial, and implement changes to support a circular economy.
- Support infrastructure and solutions that keep materials in use:
- Support reuse, repair, sharing, rental, and circular models
- Encourage practical systems and infrastructure that make these options easy
- Help shift behaviour away from single-use and throwaway culture"
- Encourage initiatives that deliver innovative, scalable and practical solutions for key waste challenges:
- construction and demolition waste
- hard-to-recycle materials
- textiles
- Enable community-led action that helps people, communities, and organisations to take practical steps to reduce waste.
- Include education, engagement, and behaviour change
- Support community and iwi/hapu-led initiatives
- Encourage collaboration and collective impact
Grants range from $2,0000 to $25,000 from a pool of $100,000.
Funding timelines
- Saturday, 1 August 2026 - Funding round opens for applications 9:00am
- Friday, 11 September 2026 - Funding round closes at 4:00pm
- Friday, 18 September 2026 - Applications shortlisted and further information requested from applicants
- Friday, 25 September 2026 - All applicants notified – please note that this date may vary
Before applying, please make sure your project meets the application criteria.
- be located within Tauranga city boundaries
- meet one or more of the priority outcomes
- support and achieve specific actions within the WMMP
- have waste minimisation at the core of the project, not general sustainability
- achieve demonstrated behaviour change, or waste minimisation using proven behavior change methods
- demonstrate how outcomes will be monitored, measured and evaluated for success (e.g. how you will measure the amount of waste the project has diverted from landfill; how many people changed their behaviour/engaged with your project; how your research/data will help to reduce waste in future etc.)
- commence no sooner than 1 October 2026
- litter clean ups
- waste services, including pick up or disposal of materials
- existing activities or ongoing financial support of current activities (unless otherwise agreed with council)
- waste systems at individual events
- projects that focus on waste disposal or treatment of waste for disposal (including energy from waste)
- operational costs of existing activities of organisations, individuals or firms
- projects already funded or part funded by council in the same financial year
- projects that undermine existing services, initiatives or other funded proposals
- replication of other projects or pilot programmes with no expansion in the scope or coverage of existing activities.
Guidelines for applicants (193kb pdf)
Apply now
Need help with your application?
For help with your application, please contact the Waste Minimisation Officer on 07 577 7000 or by email at resource.wise@tauranga.govt.nz