CALL FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

Ministry for the Environment - Plastics Innovation Fund Round 2 - Te Tahua Pūtea mō te Kirihou Auaha

About the Fund

The Plastics Innovation Fund supports projects that will minimise plastic waste and its harm on the environment. They are seeking to fund projects that find ways to use less plastic and make what we do use reusable or recyclable. It should be noted that applicants are required  to secure at least 50% co-funding. 

Key Things to Note

Funding Type: Project Grant EOI

Total funding pool: $50 million over 4-years.

• The minimum grant available for feasibility or scoping studies will be $20,000.
• The minimum grant for other project types will be $50,000.

Eligibility: 

• Application must be from a legal entity
• Must promote the fund's primary objective
• Must cover at least one eligible activity 
• Timeframe of up to four years 
• Must not be suitable for other government funding sources 
• Must secure at least 50% co-funding contribution (in-kind not accepted and must be confirmed at the time of the application) 

Please consult the applicant guidelines for further details on project eligibility and alignment to the priorities of this funding scheme. 

EOI Deadline: The funder is accepting EOIs from 1 November 2022 through to 30 June 2023.

The most competitive EOI submissions will move into the EOI pool. The Ministry will invite the most competitive expressions of interest from the pool to progress to the application phase on a monthly basis. The number of projects invited to apply will vary based on their type, size and complexity. The projects that are not invited will remain in the pool until the following draw or the end of the round.  As such, the Funds Advisor team will accept EOIs at any time during this period for a QA check provided that you allow at least 7 working days before final submission to the funder. 

Full Proposal Deadline: Successful applicants will be notified and given six weeks to complete the full proposal stage. 

Informational Videos

• A short dedicated video explaining the background of this round can be accessed using this link.
• The funder also hosted an hour-long webinar from the previous year's round that can be accessed via this link

For help developing your application, please contact your local support (FIRST) team.
If you have any funder-specific queries, please contact the UniServices Funds Advisor Team.

Funds Categorisation Information

Support tier: Supported
Process Map - Supported 

Portal Registration Process

EOIs must be submitted through the online portal using a RealMe login. 

New Users

If you do not have a RealMe account, you will need to create one.
Click and select "Create your RealMe Login". If you are unsure at any stage of the RealMe process, refer to RealMe help.

Once you are all set up, please email submissions@auckland.ac.nz to request for 
your account to be linked to the University of Auckland.

Existing Users

For existing users, email submissions@auckland.ac.nz to send you an
invitation to be linked to the University of Auckland account. For more information about setting up a RealMe account, follow the link below:
Information about RealMe

*We recommend that you allow plenty of time to familiarise yourself with this portal, and the specific submission requirements including any required supporting documentation. 

Application and Submission Process

Stage 1: Create an expression of interest

1. Once your application is complete and ready for a QA check, 'save' your application in the portal and notify the Funds Advisor team. Do not click 'submit'.

2. Create a record in the Research Funding Module (RFM), upload a copy
of your application and submit for Faculty sign off. Allow at least 48hrs for this process. 
(Instructions to create an RFM record and upload your application can be
found here).

Please note: Applications are required to be received at least 7 working days prior to final submission to allow sufficient time for our Quality Assurance process and any associated rework/revision of the application by the Principal Investigator.

3. Following on from QA, the Funds Advisor Team will submit your EOI application to the funder on your behalf to meet the funder deadline.

Stage 2: Full Application

Successful EOI applicants will be given six weeks to complete a more in-depth application form. This is modelled similarly to the expression of interest, and the expression of interest information will be automatically populated into the online form. Additional guidance will be available for those invited to the next stage. 

Resources

• For further information, visit the funder website
• Funder guidelines
• See the criteria for approving funding of projects [New Zealand Gazette website]
• One-hour webinar about the fund