The Otago Regional Council’s (ORC) community grants fund, the ECO Fund, is open for applications until March 20.

The Environment Community Otago (ECO) fund supports community-led projects that seek to protect, enhance and promote Otago’s environment. 

There is $125,000 of contestable funding available in this round.

“A point of difference of the ECO Fund is that it’s available to support both administration costs and on the ground costs,” ORC Biodiversity Partnership Lead Euan Hind says. 

“The fund recognises there is a lot of work that needs to be done in the background to get boots on the ground.”

The ECO Fund is one of the key ways ORC works with the community to achieve environmental outcomes in Otago. ( Continue reading below)

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The fund puts an emphasis on projects that align with ORC’s work programmes.

“Over $1,000,000 across more than 60 projects has already been awarded to the Otago community who have used these funds to achieve great results in pest control, to protect native species, educate and engage youth on Otago’s unique biodiversity, and maintain or restore local water quality,” Euan says.

The ECO Fund team strongly encourages anyone with a project idea, big or small, to get in touch to discuss eligibility and how they can best put their application together.

You can contact the ECO Fund team by emailing [email protected] or calling 0800 474 082. More information is available on ORC’s website at www.orc.govt.nz/ecofund.