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IWM Grants Program 24-28

The Integrated Water Management (IWM) Grant Program 2025–28 is designed to accelerate the adoption of integrated and sustainable water management practices across Victoria.

Through targeted investment and support, the program aims to foster collaboration, innovation, and equity in water-related projects that deliver environmental, cultural, and community benefits.

The program is structured around 3 distinct funding streams. It enables IWM Forum Partners, including local governments, Traditional Owners, Catchment Management Authorities (CMAs) and water corporations, to apply for funding to deliver projects as part of the goal of embedding IWM as standard practice throughout Victoria.

The IWM Grant Program 2025-28 is tailored to support a range of project types through 3 targeted funding streams:

  • IWM Partnership Projects (metropolitan and regional)
  • Traditional Owner-led IWM Projects
  • Strategic Directed Investments.

We strongly encourage applicants to start their application early to allow ample time for thoughtful and thorough completion.

Please note: with the exception of the Traditional Owner-led IWM Projects stream, these grants are only open to organisations that are members of an IWM Forum.

Funding Stream 1 - IWM Partnership Projects

The IWM Partnership Projects stream provides co-funding to support the delivery of place-based projects that have been collaboratively developed through IWM Forum processes.

These grants aim to:

  • implement priorities identified through IWM Forum collaboration
  • build awareness, capacity and local leadership in the design and delivery of IWM outcomes
  • demonstrate the benefits of IWM through practical delivery of IWM outcomes.

These projects will support the IWM Program’s long-term goal of embedding IWM as standard practice across Victoria by strengthening the enabling environment, showcasing effective approaches, and fostering collaborative ways of working across the sector.  

A total of $7.5 million is available from 2025-26 to 2027-28 for projects in metropolitan Melbourne.

A total of $7.5 million is available from 2025-26 to 2027-28 for projects in regional Victoria.

Projects will be selected through a competitive application process open to all IWM Forum member organisations.

IWM Partnership Projects - Metropolitan Melbourne:

Applications open3 November 2025
Applications close16 February 2026
Applications assessment and approvalFebruary - April 2026
Notification of funding outcomesApril 2026
Funding agreements for successful applicantsApril - June 2026

Who is eligible to apply?

The lead applicant must:

  • be a member organisation of a metropolitan IWM Forum
  • be an incorporated body, cooperative or association (including business associations)
  • be financially solvent
  • have the capacity to manage the grant funding directly, including any procurement (e.g. consultancies or works).

What is eligible for funding?

To be eligible for funding, projects must meet all of the following criteria:

  • be located within any of the 5 metropolitan IWM Forum regions
  • be either a capital or feasibility project, defined as:
    • Capital project: Involves on-ground works and may include design and construction (D&C) or construction only. For D&C projects, a suitably detailed design and feasibility assessment (appropriate to the scale of the project) must be completed prior to applying for grant funding.
    • Feasibility project: Involves investigation or planning to support future IWM delivery. Feasibility projects may include a feasibility study or needs analysis, development of an IWM plan, preparation of a business case, creation of a functional design or research and development.
  • directly align with the priorities of a metropolitan Melbourne IWM Forum(s). This includes:
    • Priority projects listed in, or clearly derived from priority projects listed in a Catchment Scale IWM Action Plan, or
    • Newly endorsed priority projects that have been formally supported by a metropolitan IWM Forum(s)
  • be delivered collaboratively with one or more IWM Forum member organisations
  • meet the co-contribution threshold
  • satisfy one or more purposes of Victoria’s Environmental Contribution levy, namely to:
    • promote the sustainable management of water, or
    • address adverse water-related environmental impacts
  • clearly support the objectives of this grants program.

Refer to the Application Guidelines for further information.

Applicants who are unsure whether their proposed project or activity meets the eligibility requirements are encouraged to contact DEECA for clarification prior to the application close date.

IWM Partnership Projects - Regional Victoria:

Applications open3 November 2025
Applications close16 February 2026
Applications assessment and approvalFebruary - April 2026
Notification of funding outcomesApril 2026
Funding agreements for successful applicantsApril - June 2026

Who is eligible to apply?

The lead applicant must:

  • be a member organisation of a regional IWM Forum
  • be an incorporated body, cooperative or association (including business associations)
  • be financially solvent
  • have the capacity to manage the grant funding directly, including any procurement (e.g. consultancies or works).

What is eligible for funding?

To be eligible for funding, projects must meet all of the following criteria:

  • be located within any of the 10 regional IWM Forum regions
  • be either a capital or feasibility project, defined as:
    • Capital project: Involves on-ground works and may include design and construction (D&C) or construction only. For D&C projects, a suitably detailed design and feasibility assessment (appropriate to the scale of the project) must be completed prior to applying for grant funding
    • Feasibility project: Involves investigation or planning to support future IWM delivery. Feasibility projects may include a feasibility study or needs analysis, development of an IWM plan, preparation of a business case, creation of a functional design or research and development.
  • directly align with the priorities of a regional IWM Forum(s). This includes:
    • Projects listed in, or clearly derived from projects listed in a Strategic Directions Statement, or
    • Newly endorsed projects that have been formally supported by a regional IWM Forum(s)
  • be delivered collaboratively with one or more IWM Forum member organisations
  • meet the co-contribution threshold
  • satisfy one or more purposes of Victoria’s Environmental Contribution levy, namely to:
    • promote the sustainable management of water, or
    • address adverse water-related environmental impacts
  • clearly support the objectives of this grants program.

Refer to the Application Guidelines for further information.

Applicants who are unsure whether their proposed project or activity meets the eligibility requirements are encouraged to contact DEECA for clarification prior to the application close date.

Funding Stream 2 - Traditional Owner-Led Projects

This stream has been designed in acknowledgement of the deep knowledge, responsibility and connection that Traditional Owners have to Country. It seeks to address structural inequities and barriers that have limited Traditional Owner participation and leadership in IWM to date.

This dedicated funding stream supports Traditional Owner-led projects that:

  • build cultural water knowledge and/or experience sharing cultural water knowledge in the context of IWM and caring for Country
  • increase Traditional Owner capacity to engage in IWM
  • contribute to achieving the strategic outcomes for IWM.

A total of $2 million is available from 2025-26 to 2027-28, with projects selected through a negotiated expression-of-interest process open to all Traditional Owner groups, both Registered Aboriginal Parties and non-registered groups.

Please note: Traditional Owner organisations are not restricted to this funding stream and can apply for funding through any of the funding streams, provided they meet the relevant eligibility criteria.

EOI open date3 November 2025
EOI close date1 September 2026
Application assessment and approvalUp to three months from receipt of EOI, subject to any clarifications
Notification of funding outcomeWithin 7 days of assessment outcome approval
Funding agreements for successful applicantsWithin one month from the date of notification of successful funding outcome

Who is eligible to apply?

This stream is open to all Victorian Traditional Owner groups including Registered Aboriginal Parties (RAPs) and non-registered groups.

Consistent with DEECA’s Traditional Owner and Aboriginal Community Engagement Framework 2024:

  • only RAPs can apply for projects on their formally recognised Country
  • RAPs and non-RAPs can apply for projects on Country in which they have an interest and over which Traditional Owners are not formally recognised.

The funding applicants must:

  • be an incorporated body, cooperative or association, or have an auspice/ organisation who can manage funding on their behalf
  • be financially solvent.

What is eligible for funding?

To be eligible for funding, projects must meet all of the following criteria:

  • satisfy one or more purposes of Victoria’s Environmental Contribution levy, namely to:
    • promote the sustainable management of water, or
    • address adverse water-related environmental impacts
  • support Traditional Owner self-determination
  • support increased participation in IWM by Traditional Owners
  • be scheduled to begin in 2025/2026 or 2026/2027 financial years.

Applicants who are unsure whether their proposed project meets the eligibility requirements are encouraged to contact the DEECA IWM Project Officer relevant to their region.

  1. Reach out to the relevant DEECA IWM Project Officer for your region and let them know of your intention to submit an EOI. The Project Officer is available throughout the application process to provide support and guidance.
  2. Download a copy of the EOI form and associated templates.
  3. Complete the EOI form, ensuring it is authorised by an appropriate delegate from your organisation(s).
  4. OPTIONAL: Submit the draft EOI to your region’s DEECA IWM Project Officer via email for review and feedback.
  5. Submit the finalised EOI to the IWM Program shared inbox at iwm.branch@deeca.vic.gov.au.

If you do not know the relevant DEECA IWM Project Officer for your region, please contact the IWM Program at iwm.branch@deeca.vic.gov.au and we will put them in touch with you.

Funding Stream 3 - Strategic Directed Investments (SDI)

The SDI stream is a new component of the IWM grant program, designed to support high-impact IWM initiatives that align with Victorian Government priorities.

It targets large-scale, time-critical projects in Greater Melbourne and the Barwon IWM Forum region, as well as IWM planning in regional areas that are forecast to experience rapid growth.

The geographic scope of Greater Melbourne and the Barwon IWM Forum region is a focus of this stream because it accounts for the most rapid and largest portion of planned urban development and consequently covers the areas where the greatest time critical high impact IWM opportunities are located.

These grants aim to:

  • Support investment in IWM planning and infrastructure in rapidly growing areas of Victoria (particularly the Greater Melbourne and Barwon IWM Forum regions) to ensure sustainable urban development and water resilience.
  • Enable timely and proactive government investment in initiatives that would otherwise miss critical windows for influence, integration, or co-investment.
  • Support high-impact, system-scale projects where early intervention can address major water system risks or unlock significant social, cultural, environmental or economic benefits.
  • Deliver infrastructure and planning responses that prevent greater future costs or irreversible failures, such as environmental degradation, fragmented infrastructure delivery, or inefficient retrofitting.
  • Strengthen alignment between water investments and broader government priorities, including housing delivery, climate adaptation, and Traditional Owner self-determination.
  • Demonstrate the value of IWM through the practical delivery of IWM outcomes.

A total of $7 million is available from 2025-26 to 2027-28 and, due to the targeted and strategic focus of the SDI stream, applications are accepted by invitation only.

Applications open3 November 2025
Applications close 30 June 2027 or until funding allocation is exhausted (whichever occurs first)
Applications assessment and approvalUp to 3 months from receipt of application
Notification of funding outcomesWithin 7 days of assessment outcome approval
Funding agreements for successful applicantsWithin one month from the date of notification of successful funding outcome

Who is eligible to apply?

The lead applicant must:

  • be a member organisation of a metropolitan or regional IWM Forum
  • be an incorporated body, cooperative or association (including business associations)
  • be financially solvent
  • have the capacity to manage the grant funding directly, including any procurement (e.g. consultancies or works).

How are projects identified for funding?

Participation is by invitation only, with projects identified throughout the application open period.

The project identification process is as follows:

  • Project identification: Projects can be identified at any point during the application period through two main pathways:
    • Forum-member initiated: An eligible IWM Forum member may approach DEECA to propose a project aligned with the SDI stream objectives
    • DEECA initiated: DEECA may contact an eligible IWM Forum member to explore a potential project opportunity.
  • Scoping and suitability discussion: once a potential project is identified, DEECA and the IWM Forum member will meet to discuss the project’s scope and alignment with funding objectives
  • If a project is determined to be suitable, DEECA will invite the Forum member to submit a formal application.

What is eligible for funding?

To be eligible for funding, projects must meet all of the following criteria:

  • clearly support the objectives of the SDI funding stream.
  • be delivered collaboratively with one or more IWM Forum member organisation.
  • meet the co-contribution threshold
  • satisfy one or more purposes of Victoria’s Environmental Contribution levy, namely to:
    • promote the sustainable management of water, or
    • address adverse water-related environmental impacts
  • be either a capital or feasibility project, defined as:
    • Capital project: Involves on-ground works and may include design and construction (D&C) or construction only. For D&C projects, a suitably detailed design and feasibility assessment (appropriate to the scale of the project) must be completed prior to applying for grant funding
    • Feasibility project: Involves investigation or planning to support future IWM delivery. Feasibility projects may include a feasibility study or needs analysis, development of an IWM plan, preparation of a business case, creation of a functional design or research and development.

Refer to the Application Guidelines for further information.

To discuss potential project funding through this stream, please reach out to your DEECA IWM Forum representative or email iwm.branch@deeca.vic.gov.au

Grant guidelines and templates

The IWM Grant Guidelines outline full eligibility, assessment criteria and required documentation for your application including the supplied Budget template and Risks and Mitigations template.

Application guidelines and forms

Templates

FAQs

Need help?

You can find detailed information in the Application Guidelines for each funding stream. Additional information can be found in our FAQs.

For technical help with Grants Online, contact grantsinfo@deeca.vic.gov.au.

If you have additional questions, please contact iwm.branch@deeca.vic.gov.au noting that DEECA is bound by probity principles when responding to your questions.

Page last updated: 03/11/25