Recycling Modernisation Fund - Plastic Technology stream

The Recycling Modernisation Fund (RMF) Plastic Technology (PT) stream supports projects that drive significant increases in Australia’s recycling and recovery rates for hard to recycle plastics.

The program also supports collaboration across supply chains to promote a safe circular economy.

Applications are made by state and territory governments, who will work with project applicants to develop their proposals.

Key dates

• Tuesday 18 July 2023 - applications open for RMF Plastics Technology stream.
• Friday 15 September 2023 - program closes for completed applications to be submitted for evaluation to the Northern Territory Government (NTG), Department of Industry Tourism and Trade (DITT).
• Monday 13 November 2023 - closing date for the NTG to submit supported projects to the Australian Government for assessment.

Who can apply

Eligible applicants must:

• have a current Australian business number (ABN) or Australian registered body number (ABRN)
• be registered for GST
• not be training while insolvent
• not have owners/directors who are an undischarged bankrupt.

What projects are funded

• Advanced recycling projects targeting hard-to-recycle plastics such as:
  • mixed, multi-layer, flexible or contaminated plastics.
• Commercialisation or scaling-up of emerging and trial technology targeting circularity of hard-to-recycle plastics.
• Infrastructure upgrades and technology to extract and process plastics contained within products, such as e-waste, into higher-value products.
• Proposals to equip existing or new material recovery facilities or plastic recovery facilities with sorting, separation and de-contamination technology such as optical or robotic machinery to increase the diversion of plastics from landfill.
• Proposals put forward by a consortium proposing end-to-end solutions and circularity in our plastics supply chain. For example, this may include supply chain collaboration between:
  • collection and sorting facility of plastic waste
  • advanced recycling facility
  • manufacturers.

Applications must relate to eligible activities and be for:

• new infrastructure, technology, processes, machinery and/or equipment to recycle hard-to-recycle plastics
• an improvement or expansion of existing infrastructure, technology, processes, machinery and/or equipment to recycle hard-to-recycle plastics
• commercialisation or scaling up to build or increase existing capacity for recovering and recycling hard-to-recycle plastics.

What you can apply for

Grants between $1 million and $20 million are available for approved projects.

Successful applicants must contribute at least 50% of the eligible project financial cost.

How to apply

To apply, follow these steps:

Step 1. Read the Recycling Modernisation Fund - Plastics Technology stream funding guidelines PDF (821.8 KB).

An industry briefing on the plastics technology (PT) stream is available on the Australian Government's Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water website.

Step 2. Submit your proposal by emailing ntrmf.ditt@nt.gov.au or calling 08 8946 9502.

After you apply

DITT will work with project applicants, or a project consortium to develop applications.

Successful projects will be submitted to the Australian Government to be considered for funding under the RMF PT stream.