Responsible Wood announces 2025 Community Grant recipients
Community Grants Program 2025-26
Deadline extended
Applications open until 11pm, Monday 10 November 2025
Email [email protected] if you need assistance with a letter of support from a certification holder
Responsible Wood and our certificate holders are committed to supporting sustainable Australian forests and their communities. We believe communities are stronger, healthier, and happier when they can connect, understand, access, and enjoy their local forests. Through the Responsible Wood Community Grants Program, we help regional and rural communities deliver local forest-based projects that strengthen the connection between people and forests.
Through the Responsible Wood Community Grants Program, regional and rural communities can access $2,000 to $15,000 in funding to support local forest-based projects that benefit both their communities and the forests they rely on.
What kind of projects are eligible?
Funding can be used for many different types of forest-based projects, including
- the construction or upgrade of recreational facilities
- interpretive signage
- forest rehabilitation or habitat improvement projects
- bushfire-related commemorations
- forest based art installations and other events
Refer to eligibility criteria below.
Who should apply
Responsible Wood encourages groups such as registered charities, Landcare or local environmental organisations, Men’s sheds, locally incorporated groups, sporting clubs, art groups, councils, education institutions, registered bike or bushwalking clubs and or Indigenous organisations to apply with creative ideas about how to better access or enjoy forests and submit a grant application.
When do applications close?
The application deadline has been extended to 11pm Monday 10 November, and the project must be completed by 30th June 2026.
Application process
To apply for the grant, you need to complete four steps:
- Check your eligibility by downloading and completing the Eligibility Checklist.
- Seek support from your local Responsible Wood certified forest manager or certified Chain of Custody supplier for your project. Click here to search the list of Responsible Wood certified organisations.
- If your project is eligible, please download and complete the Application Form.
- Submit your application by emailing both the completed Application Form and Eligibility Checklist to [email protected] by 11pm AEST, Monday 10 November.
Please Note: Not all eligible grants can be funded. Grants are awarded based on merit by a panel of judges. You may download and view the Judging Rubric.
If you have questions regarding your project application, please review the FAQ then if still unsure, contact Responsible Wood at [email protected].
FAQ
What are the aims and objectives of the Responsible Wood Community Grants program?
The Responsible Wood Community Grants Program aims to enhance the connection and build positive long-lasting relationships with local community groups and their local forests and the forest managers, by:
- Supporting communities undertake projects or activities that better enable physical connection of people and forests or wood products.
- Providing an opportunity for communities to leverage funding from a variety of sources to complete forest access or timber utilisation projects that otherwise would not be possible.
- Supporting certified forest growers and chain of custody producers to build their relationships with their local communities.
- Linking community with Responsible Wood certified forest growers or timber product producers who have Responsible Wood Chain of Custody certification.
- Providing an opportunity to promote to local communities the value and benefits of sustainably managed certified forests and wood products.
- Supporting the forest industries through promotion of Responsible Wood certification.
Key Selection Criteria
- Project idea – What is your idea?
- What value does your idea bring to your group or the wider community?
- What is the name of the local certified forest that you want to access, support, improve or promote?
- Has the local Responsible Wood certified forest grower or Chain of Custody producer supported this project? If so, please describe their support.
- Why do you want to undertake this project?
- Are you able to complete your project by June 30th 2026?
- Is your project likely to develop any Intellectual property or products?
- How will you promote the project to your community and beyond?
- Budget – Please list all budget items for the project.
- Are you working with any other community groups to deliver this project? If so, please describe.
- Is this grant part of a co-contribution from another funding source? If so, please describe it.
How will my application be judged?
The grant will be judged in a competitive process by three leaders in the forest and timber industries. Each judge will use the Judging Rubric to assess each application and score them based on how your application meets the Responsible Wood project aims, with all scores combined to determine the highest-scoring projects. The judges’ decision is final.
How are any conflict of interests managed?
A judge must disclose any potential conflict of interest when assessing applications to the other judges. The conflict may include a current membership of the group or living/working close to the forests/communities that may benefit. A judge who declares a potential conflict is excused from assessing that application as well as the group discussion of that applicant. Where this occurs, the final combined score will be based on the average score of the remaining judges and weighted accordingly so that the applicant will not be disadvantaged.
Can projects also receive funding from other sources?
Yes, projects that can attract a co-contribution are encouraged.
Getting support from a local Responsible Wood certified Forest Grower or Chain of Custody holder
Support from either your local Responsible Wood certified Forest Grower or Chain of Custody certificate holder is one of the Key Selection Criteria and is important and will be included in the judging of your application.
We encourage you to get in touch with your local Forest Grower or Chain of Custody certificate holder early in your project planning phase. For a list of the Forest Growers and Chain of Custody producers, please refer to the Responsible Wood website. For more support, please get in touch with [email protected]
Additional requirements and more information
- Providing a completed, signed, and dated application eligibility checklist is a requirement of the application process. It must be completed and signed by the individual or if an organisation, the organisations president, treasurer or secretary.
- The successful grant winners will be required to provide evidence of the project’s completion and photographs that can be used by Responsible Wood and the forest growers to promote the project and Community Grants Program through their marketing channels.
- Any intellectual property or actual property / items created through the program will remain the property of the group or individual and not Responsible Wood. Responsible Wood will reserve the right to promote the project and market any project outcomes. Any promotion of the project must acknowledge Responsible Wood and the certified forest grower or chain of custody certificate holder.
View the Application Form for Terms and Conditions, information on project eligibility and further details.
Need more information?
If you’d like more information on the Community Grants Program, or to speak with us directly about your project idea or application, please get in touch with [email protected].
Successful Grant Recipients Details
COMMUNITY GROUP
PROJECT
REGION
Planting Seeds
Installation of nesting boxes in New South Wales primary schools as part of the B&B Highway – Bed & Breakfasts for Birds, Bees and Biodiversity program.
Cumberland, New South Wales
Friends of the Heysen Trail
Friends of the Heysen Trail The restoration of the popular Rossiter’s Hut, a 19th century shepherd’s hut located along the 1,200 km hiking Heysen Trail.
Pewsey Vale, South Australia
Gippsland Forestry Hub
A forestry career pathway program, working with the local education sector and employment agencies to train, up-skill and promote opportunities for employment.
Gippsland, Victoria
Human Projectile MTB Club Inc
Installation of bespoke timber furniture in the popular Fox Creek Bike Park located in the Adelaide Hills.
Adelaide Hills, Adelaide
Green Skills
Improvements to the farm forestry and wetland site at Denmark.
Denmark, Western Australia
