Coles Nurture Fund is offering grants of up to $500,000 to small businesses to develop new market-leading products, processes, and technologies.
Sally Fielke, General Manager Corporate Affairs Coles, encouraged Australian food and beverage producers with fewer than 50 full-time employees and turnover of less than $25 million in annual revenue to apply.
“At Coles, we aim to drive generational sustainability in Australia and one of the ways we believe we can do this is by funding innovative projects which make a significant difference – whether it’s increasing recycling and renewable energy, reducing water use or supporting the local production of Australian food and beverages.”
Since its inception in 2015, the Coles Nurture Fund has provided over 80 businesses with more than $28 million in financial support to help them introduce ground-breaking technology, establish new products, and drive innovation and sustainability.
Past projects funded by the grants include Australia’s first quinoa processing facility, fence posts made from recycled plastics, and a state-of-the-art factory to grow grass indoors.
NSW agricultural businesses, Sawmill Circuit, was the beneficiary of a $455,000 grant in 2021, which allowed it to purchase a vacuum truck to collect manure from 18 dairy farms in Nowra so it can be transported to a biogas plant being built in the area and converted to renewable energy.
David Ryan of Sawmill Circuit said the support they received from Coles Nurture Fund will make a significant difference to the way in which dairy farms in the Nowra area manage effluent and encouraged other producers to apply if they needed funding for a unique or ground-breaking idea.
Applications for the current round close 5pm AEST, 25 February 2022.