Guidelines

1. What is the Port Phillip Bay Fund Program?

The Port Phillip Bay Fund (PPBF) is a grants program provided by the Victorian Government. Since its establishment in 2016, the program has supported 215 projects.

These projects contribute to several strategies in the Port Phillip Bay Environmental Management Plan (EMP). One of the significant contributions is to the Stewardship goal where projects include educational and engagement activities to demonstrate the effect of people behaviour and impact to Bay’s health.

In 2025, PPBF will focus on environmental priorities especially on-ground protection and improvement of foreshore and coastal sensitive areas and marine environments.

This grants round will support local environmental community groups, Registered Aboriginal Parties, schools and scouts, local Committee of Management, local government authorities, state agencies and research institutes to deliver targeted priorities.

PPBF will also invest in the renewal of the EMP. The Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) will engage with local communities to develop the next EMP to ensure socio-economic and ecological values of the Bay are considered. The development of the new EMP will provide guidance to prioritising grant investment in 2027-28 and beyond.

2. Who can apply?

This program provides funding support to the following organisations, and on-ground activities must be located within Port Phillip Bay or within 5km of the Bay’s high-tide mark (see Appendix 1).

The following organisations can apply for funding:

environmental organisation such as Coastcare, Friends groups and Landcare
public land committees of management
Registered Aboriginal Parties (RAPs)
schools, scouts, Rotary and youth clubs
local government authorities
state government agencies and authorities
research institutions or universities

In addition, to be eligible for funding all applicants must:

be an incorporated body, cooperative or association
be financially solvent and
have at least $10 million public liability insurance and have sufficient coverage to protect voluntary workers when carrying out the activity during the duration of the project.

3. Who cannot apply?

The following organisations and individuals cannot apply for funding:

Commonwealth government agencies
private or commercial organisations and bodies (as sole applicant) established for profit-making purposes
non-environmental organisations (no proven track record in delivering environmental works)
sole traders and individuals
previous recipients who have failed to comply with PPBF or broader DEECA funding agreements including submission of all reports.

4. What might be funded?

Priorities for funding

The priority for this round of grants funding focuses on on-ground environmental activities such as restoration of foreshore and coastal habitats as well as enhancement of marine environment.

In addition, to be considered, projects must:

have 1:1 matched in kind funding (refer to PPBF FAQ),
involve local community participation
have required approvals in place or will provide letter of approval from relevant authority upon project confirmation. On ground projects must provide letters or emails of support from the landowner/manager (see PPBF FAQ)
ensure activities align Biodiversity 2037 strategies, Port Phillip Bay Environmental Management Plan and Traditional Owner Country Plans

Categories of expenditure

The following are some of the allowable expenditure items:

materials (e.g. plants, tree guards and exclusion fencing)
site preparation (e.g. equipment hire, security fencing, and for revegetation)
personal protective equipment (e.g. gloves, goggles, and masks)
contractors (e.g. qualified environmental presenter, surveyors, installers, weed controllers for particularly difficult weeds or sites) (external party)
communication (e.g. seminars, webinars)
citizen science monitoring activities
promotional costs directly related to funded activities (e.g. website update, video and interpretive signage)
advertising (costs to advertise in newspapers, posters etc)
training and education that supports the project’s activities (e.g. First aid)
project management and coordination (e.g. staff time to manage the project, budget, coordinate volunteers, and secure approvals) (Maximum 15% of budget allowable)
technical advisers or specialists (e.g. cultural heritage) (external party).

Other types of expenditure may be considered if they are well justified and deemed suitable. You will need to demonstrate that all activities and budget items are essential to the success of the project and that the amounts requested are reasonable.

5. What will not be funded?

The program will not fund the following activities:

Waste and recycling activities (such as domestic, business and market waste products refer to other grants program)
activities that were intended to be your in-kind contribution to another funded project
any actions that are part of a land manager’s legal duty of care or responsibilities.

For more information, please refer to PPBF FAQ.

6. What are the funding details?

A total funding of about $2.16 million is available for the 2025 PPBF successful applications. It comprises two competitive funding streams as shown below.

Category	Stream 1	Stream 2
Amount	Up to $20,000	Up to $200,000

7. What are the assessment criteria?

Firstly, applications will be checked for eligibility to make sure that the applicant and their activity are eligible for funding. After that, eligible applications will be assessed using the criteria listed below. Each criterion is given a percentage weighting to indicate its relative importance in the assessment process. Applications should address all relevant criteria.

Assessment Criteria for Stream 1	Weight	Assessment Criteria for Stream 2	Weight
Project Design Demonstrate project alignment with 2025 PPBF priority. Describe the existing conditions and issues/problems of the site(s). How do you plan to address the issues/problems and how do you know that your proposed approach is sound. What are the key delivery activities, milestones and project outputs i.e. number of hectares of revegetation.	60%	Project Design Demonstrate project alignment with 2025 PPBF priority Describe the existing conditions of the site(s). What is/are the issue/problem with the sites and supporting evidence? How do you plan to address the problem and ensure your proposed approach is sound. How will the project enhance or add value to the health of the bay? What are the key delivery activities, milestones and project outputs i.e. number of hectares of revegetation.	60%
Organisation capability and capacity Do you and your team have the expertise or proven track record in delivering similar projects successfully? Do you have sufficient resources (materials and people) to deliver the project? DO you have a permit and a letter of support from the land manager to undertake the activity? (refer to the PPBF FAQ)	20%	Organisation capability and capacity Do you and your team have the expertise or proven track record in delivering similar projects successfully? Do you have sufficient resources (materials and people) to deliver the project? Do you have a permit and a letter of support from the land manager to undertake the activity? (refer to the PPBF FAQ) Have you considered the timeframe required to obtain all necessary permits or relevant approval for your project? Do you have a project plan ready for submission if successful?	15%
		Partnership with Traditional Owner Groups Do you have a communication strategy in engaging with Traditional Owner groups? Have you consulted with the Traditional Owner(s) about your project? Do you have a letter of support from the Traditional Owner(s) about your project? Have you included Traditional Owner(s) in the decision-making process (design and delivery)? How does the project strengthen partnerships with Traditional Owner groups?	10%
Financial and risks analysis Have you included appropriate budget items to deliver your project? Have you met the matching 1:1 contribution? Have you completed the project risk analysis? Is your proposed budget considered value for money i.e. scale vs funding sought?	20%	Financial and risks analysis Have you included appropriate budget items (including Traditional Owner activities) to deliver your project? Have you met the matching 1:1 contribution? Have you completed the project risk analysis? Is your proposed budget considered value for money i.e. scale vs funding sought?	15%

8. What supporting documents will need to be provided?

To assess your grant application, the following documents are required:

PPBF budget and risk template. For more information about how to complete the budget and activities spreadsheet, refer to the PPBF FAQ.
A copy of your public liability insurance certificate of currency.
Letters or emails of commitment from each project partner.
Polygon (shapefile) zip folder of your proposed project area generated using Mapshare.
PDF map of proposed work area generated using Mapshare.
Supporting plans, evidence for project activities (where applicable).
Quotes for large expenditure items ($2,000 and above) (where applicable).
Written consent from the relevant public land manager to undertake the activity.
Approval for appropriate works permit/s from councils or other authorities.

9. What are the funding conditions?

Funding agreements

Successful applicants must enter into a funding agreement with Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA). The Victorian Common Funding Agreement is used for funding agreements with not-for profit organisations and Local Government Authorities.
DEECA Transfer Payment Funding Agreement is used for Victorian public entities, as defined under section 5 of the Public Administration Act 2004.
It is recommended that applicants review the terms and conditions before applying. Information about the Victorian Common Funding Agreement is available on https://www.vic.gov.au/victorian-common-funding-agreement.
The activity does not include using the funding for political campaigning or advocacy activities for political parties.

Legislative and regulatory requirements

In delivering the activity grant recipients are required to comply with all relevant Commonwealth and state/territory legislations and regulations, including but not limited to:

The Privacy Act 1988 (Commonwealth)
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Commonwealth)
The Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Vic)
Marine and Coastal Act 2018 (Vic)
Environment Protection Act 2017 (Vic)
Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (Vic)
Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006 (Vic)
Working with Children Act 2005 (Vic)
Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994 (Vic)
Wildlife Act 1975 (Vic)

Tax implications

Applicants should consult the Australian Taxation Office or seek professional advice on any taxation implications that may arise from this grant funding.

Successful applicants without an ABN will need to provide a completed Australian Taxation Office form ‘Statement by a Supplier” so that no withholding tax is required from the grant payment.

Acknowledging the Victorian Government's support

Successful applicants are expected to acknowledge the Victorian Government’s support and promotional guidelines (https://www.deeca.vic.gov.au/grants) will form part of the funding agreement. Successful applicants must liaise with the departmental program area to coordinate any public events or announcements related to the project.

Payments

Payments will be made as long as:

the funding agreement has been signed by both parties,
grant recipients provide reports as required, or otherwise demonstrate that the activity is progressing as expected; and
other terms and conditions of funding continue to be met.

Monitoring

Grant recipients are required to comply with project monitoring and reporting requirements as outlined in the funding agreement. This may include progress reports, site inspections, completion reports and acquittal documentation.

Privacy

Any personal information about you or a third party in your application will be collected by the department for the purposes of administering your grant application and informing Members of Parliament of successful applications. Personal information may also be disclosed to external experts, such as members of assessment panels, or other Government Departments for assessment, reporting, advice, comment or for discussions regarding alternative or collaborative grant funding opportunities. If you intend to include personal information about third parties in your application, please ensure that they are aware of the contents of this privacy statement.

Any personal information about you or a third party in your correspondence will be collected, held, managed, used, disclosed or transferred in accordance with the provisions of the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 and other applicable laws.

DEECA is committed to protecting the privacy of personal information. You can find the DEECA Privacy Policy online at www.deeca.vic.gov.au/privacy.

Requests for access to information about you held by DEECA should be sent to the Manager Privacy, P.O. Box 500 East Melbourne 8002 or contact by emailing Foi.unit@deeca.vic.gov.au.

10. What is the application process?

To apply, go to the grant program web page www.marineandcoasts.vic.gov.au/grants/port-phillip-bay-fund and click on the ‘start new application’ button for the applicable program stream. To return to a saved draft application, click on the ‘access saved application’ button.

https://www.marineandcoasts.vic.gov.au/grants/port-phillip-bay-fund

Attaching required documents:

Supporting documents must be in an acceptable file type, such as Word, Excel, PDF, or JPEG. The maximum file size for each file is 10MB.

You will receive an application number when you submit an application online. Please quote this number in all communications with the department relating to your application.

If you have documents to submit that cannot be attached to your online application, you can email them to grantsinfo@deeca.vic.gov.au quoting your application number. Attach all documents to one email, zipping the files if required.

Make sure your application is submitted by 3:30 pm on Wednesday 12 November 2025 (AEST)

Note: No hard copy applications will be accepted. Late and incomplete applications will not be considered.

11. Additional Information

Additional information is available at https://www.marineandcoasts.vic.gov.au/grants/port-phillip-bay-fund.

If you require assistance submitting your application online, email grantsinfo@deeca.vic.gov.au

For questions about the Port Phillip Bay Fund program, you can email enviro.grants@deeca.vic.gov.au

You can also contact the DEECA Customer Contact Centre on 136 186

12. What is the notification process

Successful and unsuccessful applicants will be notified in writing after the assessment process is completed. All decisions are final and are not subject to review. Unsuccessful applicants can ask for feedback on their application.

13. Key dates

Description	Date
Applications open	Wednesday 17 September 2025 AEST
Applications close	3:30pm Wednesday 12 November 2025 AEST
Applicants notified	January - February 2026
Activities commence	From January - February 2026

14. Checklist

Read these guidelines and the information about PPBF at www.marineandcoasts.vic.gov.au/grants/port-phillip-bay-fund before applying and complete the following checklist.

Have you:

read these guidelines carefully?
checked if your organisation is eligible for this grant funding?
checked if your activity is eligible for this grant funding?
checked that you would be able to comply with all relevant laws and regulations in delivery of your activity?
prepared all the appropriate supporting documents?

Attachment 1: Extent of the Port Phillip Bay Fund (inland 5km)

The extent of the Port Phillip Bay Fund (5km inland of the Bay)

Page last updated: 17/09/25