Criteria 

Guidance 

Applies to 

1

Project objectives align with the funding category environmental outcomes 

• This criterion aims to assess how well the objectives of the project will meet or deliver on the environmental outcomes sought from the funding category. 
•  The project is ineligible if the objectives are not relevant to the funding category.

All funding categories 

2

Applicant Capacity  
(Feasibility) 

• This criterion aims to assess if the project is able to achieve the stated objectives within the timeframe, and the resources available (people, funds, knowledge). 
• The project is ineligible is the project is deemed not feasible, unrealistic or unachievable.

All funding categories 

3a

Impact of the project – scale 

• This criterion aims to assess the geographical extent of the project.  
   

All funding categories, except General – Education (see Criterion 3b)  

3b

Impact of the project – scale 

• This criterion aims to assess the audience / reach of the project. 
• This criterion is for education / capacity building type projects. 
• On-ground projects with an education component will be assessed against both 3a and 3b and the highest score taken. 
• The project is ineligible if there is no engagement or audience.

General - Education 

4

Biodiversity and cultural environmental values  

• This criterion aims to assess the benefits the project might provide, beyond achieving the funding objectives, in terms of native biodiversity and cultural values. 
• This criterion assesses how the projects promotes, protects or enhances native biodiversity and/or cultural environmental values.  
• A project that promotes additional values is taken to be an education or capacity building type project or activity. 
• Additional values include: 

• • Biodiversity focus areas (refer to ORC mapping). 
  • Cultural environmental values, i.e. supports mahika kai species and/or habitat, supports taoka species and/or habitat. 

NOTE: For large-scale biodiversity projects, criterion 4 is only considering the cultural values, please see criterion 5 (Special biodiversity values) which assesses the biodiversity values for large-scale projects. 

All funding categories 

5

Special biodiversity values  

• This criterion aims to assess, special biodiversity values associated with a biodiversity project.  
• Special biodiversity values include:  
  • at-risk or threatened species, rare or much reduced ecosystem types, important or distinctive habitat types. 
• The project is ineligible if it has no clear biodiversity outcomes.

Large-scale biodiversity projects 

6

Level of community engagement 

• This criterion aims to assess how much community involvement is being proposed. 
• This criterion is about assessing the involvement of community engagement in the project as opposed to assessing the community or groups who may be the focus of the project – e.g. audience for education campaign. 
• The project is ineligible if there is no community involvement or benefit.

• General – On ground 
• General - Education 
• Large-scale biodiversity projects 
• Sustained rabbit management 
• Weed removal and revegetation 

7

Value for money 

• This criterion aims to assess the level of investment contributed by the applicant, as a measure of value for money. 
• Applicant investment can include in-kind contributions such as labour or volunteer hours, monetary input from the group itself or project partners. 
• Contributions from other grants are not considered applicant’s investment. 

All funding categories 

8

New applicants 

• This criterion aims to assess the status of applicants in terms of past success with an ECO Fund application. 
• ECO Fund aims to encourage new applicants to access funding, however, recognises that previous applicants are also typically involved in good works and maintaining momentum can be good. 
• The project is ineligible if a previous successful applicant has outstanding / late reports as at the date of the Assessment Panel meeting.

All funding categories