Apply for a Zero Waste Events Grant

Thanks to Auckland Council, the Zero Waste Events Grant is designed to help you make your event zero waste. Most free community events in Auckland (minimum 250 people) are eligible to apply and can use the funding for expenses like:

• Renting reusable crockery and cutlery or bins to separate out event waste 
• Buying vouchers for volunteers, e.g. bin station educators or volunteers washing dishes (wages/contractor fees are not eligible) 
• Paying for recycling and food waste collections (landfill waste costs are not eligible)

How to apply

Our Zero Waste Events Grant is currently on hold. However, we’re accepting expressions of interest for future events to be considered in an upcoming funding round.

We don’t have a date yet for when the grant will reopen, and we may not be able to support events happening soon.

If you’d like to be notified when the grant opens again, please complete the application form.

Provide as much information as you can about your event and specific costs when you apply. We want to make sure your event is adequately funded if your application is successful.

Please note, you can only apply for events happening in the future. Events that have already taken place at time of application will not be approved.

Once you have submitted your application form, you will receive a confirmation email within 15 minutes. Please check your junk and spam folders if you can’t see it in your main inbox, and contact [email protected] if you don’t receive it.

Please note the following exclusions: Workshops, conferences and private events

Once your event is finished, you’ll need to complete an accountability report which outlines how much waste was diverted. Send that to us with your receipts, and photos of the waste minimisation activities of your project, and we’ll reimburse you the agreed amount of funding.  

You’ll receive more information on who to send this to and how to supply this information if your grant is approved in the new funding round.

Application requirements

• Funding is available for free community events in Auckland only 
• Events must be open to everyone and non ticketed e.g. markets, school fairs. Conferences, classes or workshops are not eligible
• You must work with/get advice from one of our Zero Waste Event Advisors before making a grant application 
• You must have completed a Waste Management Plan for your event
• You must be able to measure the amount of waste your event has generated and avoided sending to landfill (in kilograms) – this is required for your accountability report. Please let your advisor know if you need help with auditing your waste
• Events must have a minimum of 250 people 
• Event is at a future date – it has not already taken place at time of application. 
• We give preference to: 
  • first time grant applications. Returning applicants who can demonstrate how they will use the grant to improve their waste diversion rate will be considered 
  • Events that use the council loan gear 
  • Events that provide an opportunity to educate attendees around sorting and reducing waste e.g. events that have bin station educators 
• Event organisers may apply for a maximum of one event per year

If you have any questions about our funding, please get in touch with [email protected]