The Resource Wise Fund is now aligned with Tauranga City Council's wider community funding rounds, making it easier for community groups, businesses, iwi/māori organisations, and education providers to access support for practical, community-led initiatives.
Grants of between $2,000 and $25,000 are available from a pool of $100,000, with applications closing at 4pm on Monday, 26 October 2026.
Tauranga City Council’s Head of City Operations, Alison Law, says the fund is about empowering communities to take action.
“We know our community and businesses have the ideas, energy and commitment to reduce waste. This fund is about supporting projects that make a real difference—whether that’s reducing waste at source, keeping materials and organic resources in use for longer, reducing food waste, or finding new ways to tackle problem waste streams.”
Building on the success of previous years, which saw impressive contributions from a range of recipients like Circularity, Envirohub BOP, Good Neighbour, Green Bottle, One Earth Technologies, and Turning Point Trust, the Resource Wise Fund continues to champion innovative solutions to reduce landfill waste. Information on previously funded projects is available online.
Good Neighbour received funding to purchase a new food rescue truck to enhance its operations, helping to prevent food waste by rescuing surplus food and distributing it to communities in need.
Aligned with the Waste Management Minimisation Plan 2022 – 2028, the Resource Wise Fund aims to support projects that:
- reduce material consumption
- promote reuse and repair
- reduce food and organic waste
- identify opportunities to transition to a circular economy
The fund does not support activities such as litter clean-ups, waste collection or disposal services, ongoing operational costs, or projects that duplicate existing initiatives or have already received Council funding.
The Resource Wise Fund is funded through the Waste Levy, which is provided to councils by the Ministry for Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport for waste minimisation education. The fund does not impose additional costs on general rates.
Interested applicants can view the funding criteria, guidelines, and apply online at www.tauranga.govt.nz/resource-wise-fund
For assistance with applications, please contact funding@tauranga.govt.nz