Coles Group has awarded grants of up to $500,000 to nine small and medium sized businesses across the country to mark World Environment Day, with an aim to drive sustainability and innovation.
Awarded through the Coles Nurture Fund, the latest round of grants bring financial support to over $36 million, across 108 businesses, since the fund was established in 2015.
Coles Group chief commercial officer, Anna Croft, said the Round 12 recipients were chosen for their industry-leading and high-impact projects, achieving impressive sustainability goals to reduce waste, enhance animal welfare, and reduce their carbon footprint.
“We are proud to be able to award more than $3.7 million to nine Aussie small and medium sized businesses — who represent a wide range of industries including the drinks sector — as part of the latest round of the Coles Nurture Fund,” said Croft.
“I am excited to watch all of the recipients bring to life their incredible ideas in their respective fields – demonstrating they are leading the way when it comes to innovation and sustainability.”
The Nurture Fund recipients awarded grants in Round 12 include:
- Bulla Mushrooms in Victoria will use a grant of $490,000 to create a zero-waste mushroom facility which will capture excess mushrooms grown on the farm and turn them into dehydrated high-quality products that would otherwise be imported from overseas. The project will also enable this small business to install a solar and small-scale wind farm to power the facility, helping to reduce emissions.
- Located in Busselton, Rocky Ridge Brewing Co. is a craft brewery which has been awarded $400,000 towards its project to become the first Net Zero Certified Sustainable Brewery in the Australian and Asia Pacific region.
- White Cloud Farms in Victoria will use a grant of $400,000 to create a blueberry growing system that is sustainable for both the crop and the land. By utilising a closed loop water supply, superior cropping microclimates, and modified atmosphere storage, this will extend the season of premium Eureka blueberries which are exclusive to Coles.
- Since 2020, Caloundra-based Indigenous family-owned business Beachtree Distilling Co. has crafted delicious small-batch gin, vodka and liqueurs with native Australian ingredients and has been awarded $380,000 for its Re-spirits project, which aims to scale up their innovative Re-spirits project, transforming local and Indigenous waste from jam, spreads and cheese production into flavourful spirits.
- Emu Hill Pastoral in Western Australia will use a grant of $500,000 to create a highly innovative, sustainable and resilient water system by desalinating underground water. The water will be processed through a solar powered water treatment plant complementing a dam built with evaporation minimisation strategies to drive production growth in a beef cattle feedlot.
- Hillcroft Farms in Western Australia will use a grant of $500,000 to construct a 600kW ground molded solar farm next to its feed mill and piggery site to provide energy to the only on-farm piggery feed mill. The electricity generated will fully power the feed mill and piggery during daylight hours. This will be the largest solar installation on a piggery site in Australia which will complement a sustainable pig production system.
- Prada Farms in Western Australia will use a grant of $461,000 to create a low emissions avocado harvesting system. By purchasing an off-grid solar system to charge electric farming vehicles, electric cherry pickers, electric vehicles and a lithium battery powered forklift, they will remove the need for fuel-powered machinery.
- Queensland Bottlers will use a grant of $500,000 to become the first Australian spring water manufacturer to use multi-layer blow molding technology in bulk water. This will enable production of an rHDPE bottle with up to 60% recycled content, rather than using 100% virgin plastic.
- Burbury Ag in Tasmania will use a grant of $85,821 to design and build an efficient and innovative bulk sheep handling system that is easily transportable and can attach to any sheep infrastructure. With large gaps between sheep yards, this invention will remove the need to walk flocks between locations which will drive major efficiencies on the farm, reduce risk of disease, provide better animal welfare and reduce manual handling.
Coles ambassador and Nurture Fund judging panelist, Curtis Stone, said this year’s nine recipients were an impressive example of Aussie businesses who are driving positive change across a diverse range of industries.
“I am blown away by the wonderful list of applicants for Coles Nurture Fund for Round 12, and the nine successful businesses are extremely worthy recipients.”
“It’s so fulfilling to know Coles will be granting close to $3.7 million to assist these amazing suppliers – to help them to make changes that drive sustainability and reduce emissions and waste at a time when many businesses are feeling the pinch.”
Australian SMEs are encouraged to apply for the 13th round of the Coles Nurture Fund via the website, when applications open again in January 2025.
