Big Ideas Grants Round

The Noosa Biosphere Reserve Foundation Grants Scheme funds projects that deliver environmental and socio-economic outcomes for the Noosa Biosphere Reserve, the Noosa Shire.

The overarching purpose of this grants round is prosperity from protection, with a focus on "Big Ideas" in four priority areas.

Priority areas

Respecting the ‘prosperity from protection’ objective of the Call, your project idea should deliver environmental and socio-economic outcomes for the Noosa Biosphere Reserve, the Noosa Shire and may respond to one or more of the following priority areas:

• Contribution to the long-term health of Noosa River, Estuary and downstream marine values for current and future generations.
• Contribution to the best practice and innovative management of our hinterland, particularly Kin Kin catchment, to deliver sustainable use of our land, water and agricultural assets.
• Improved biodiversity management within the Biosphere, including those with a focus on icon species.
• Sustainable socio-economic development proposals, feasibility studies, prospectus or new financing mechanisms which can deliver long term prosperity and protection to the Biosphere and its communities.

Project funding

The Big Ideas Grants Round includes a combined fund of $330,000.

Projects costing less than $20,000 will be considered and approved directly from the Expressions of Interest stage.

Successful projects over $20,000 will be invited to collaborate with the Grants subcommittee in a project documentation, implementation planning and contracting phase before final approval later in the year.

Submissions

Expressions of interest for the 2017 Grants Round are accepted via the online submission form below by the extended closing date of Friday, 15 September 2017.

  Download the Big Ideas 2017 Grants Round EOI Guidelines.

The following media release outlines the purpose of the Big Ideas Grants round, which is to drive Noosa’s prosperity from the protection of key priority areas. Applicants are encouraged to include in their proposal how their project meets this aspiration as they complete the form.

  Download the NBRF Media Release - Big Ideas Grant Open.

Register your expressions of interest here

grantS coach

The NBRF recognise that completing an Expression of Interest takes time, and time away from other priorities, with no guarantee of a return.

The NBRF also recognise the unique aspirations of the Grant Round for both prosperity and protections, as well as the more detailed criteria. Understanding and applying these aims to the applicant's context can be quite involved.

To help foster the greatest number of quality applications, the NBRF is providing an expert to be a resource for applicants thinking of applying.

NICK HEATH

Nick Heath is qualified as a chartered accountant and worked as management consultant for a decade before working for the last 18 years in NRM, environmental policy and advocacy. Nick works two days a week - on a Thursday and Friday - and can help applicants better understand the Grants Round purpose, criteria, process and timeframes.

As a coach, Nick will not be a decision maker on any of the grants decisions. His advice is not a guarantee of success or a definitive guide to how the final assessment will be made, and so while his advice may assist, each applicant must still make their own final decisions on what to put into their applications.

He can be contacted at 041 888 5324 or nick@noosabiosphere.org.au.