Great Barrier Reef Urban Technology and Innovation Fund
The joint Queensland and Australian governments’ $24 million Great Barrier Reef Urban Technology and Innovation Fund drives innovation in urban water management to reduce water pollution flowing to the Great Barrier Reef from our urban landscapes.
Urban areas cover less than one per cent of the Reef catchment, yet urban run-off contributes seven per cent of the nutrients entering the Reef, and close to two per cent of the sediment. This can have a significant impact on Reef water quality at a local scale.
The Fund supports the trial and commercialisation of novel, cost-effective treatment systems that reduce nutrient and sediment pollution in wastewater, stormwater and urban run-off, driving change in urban water management practices and the uptake of new technologies by addressing a key barrier for the urban sector, affordability.
The Fund has three focus areas and phases delivered over four years until 2030.
1. Wastewater grant program
Applications for this program closed at 10am on Monday 17 August 2026.
The wastewater grant program aims to enhance the range of affordable wastewater treatment systems in the marketplace capable of achieving leading practice end-of-pipe nutrient concentrations.
Applications were invited from local government, urban water management utilities, research organisations, innovators and other interested parties, with up to $10 million available in funding across two funding tiers with details outlined in the Wastewater Grant Program Guidelines 437.1 KB) and Frequently asked questions 479.9 KB).
Tier 1
Provides grants of up to $4 million to support on-ground trials of wastewater treatment/management approaches ready for evaluation at the operational scale test. Successful recipients are required to co-invest a cash contribution of at least double the amount of grant funding received.
Tier 2
Provides grants of up to $200,000 to support the commercialisation of promising wastewater treatment technologies/management approaches recently introduced to market that are yet to gain market traction.
An information session on the Wastewater Grant Program was held on 6 July 2026. View the Information session presentation 402.9 KB).
2. Stormwater challenge
A stormwater challenge invites innovators, industry, researchers and delivery partners to participate in an innovation-led co-design process to identify new and emerging approaches to reduce stormwater pollutant loads flowing to the Great Barrier Reef.
Participants will be invited to put forward practical, scalable stormwater solutions that deliver measurable reductions in nutrients and sediment in stormwater run-off.
Successful projects will be supported through on-ground trials and tailored commercialisation pathways with over $7 million available in funding.
Priority will be given to projects showing a strong potential for commercial viability and uptake by councils, developers and other potential buyers.
Interested parties are encouraged to read the Frequently asked questions 418.7 KB).
Register your interest in the stormwater challenge.
3. Sediment and erosion
This focus area and phase of the Fund will commence in 2027 and will be informed by the learnings from the Wastewater Grants Program and Stormwater Innovation Challenge.
Read more about other initiatives to manage urban run-off to the Reef.