The Integrated Water Management (IWM) Grant Program 2025-28 is designed to accelerate the adoption of integrated and sustainable water management practices across Victoria.

Through targeted investment and support, the program aims to foster collaboration, innovation, and equity in water-related projects that deliver environmental, cultural, and community benefits.

The program is structured around 3 distinct funding streams. It enables IWM Forum Partners, including local governments, Traditional Owners, Catchment Management Authorities (CMAs) and water corporations, to apply for funding to deliver projects as part of the goal of embedding IWM as standard practice throughout Victoria.

The IWM Grant Program 2025-28 is tailored to support a range of project types through 3 targeted funding streams:

• IWM Partnership Projects (metropolitan and regional)
• Traditional Owner-led IWM Projects - this record
• Strategic Directed Investments.

This dedicated funding stream supports Traditional Owner-led projects that:

• build cultural water knowledge and/or experience sharing cultural water knowledge in the context of IWM and caring for Country
• increase Traditional Owner capacity to engage in IWM
• contribute to achieving the strategic outcomes for IWM.

A total of $2 million is available from 2025-26 to 2027-28, with projects selected through a negotiated expression-of-interest process open to all Traditional Owner groups, both Registered Aboriginal Parties and non-registered groups.

Application is initially by expression of interest.

This stream is open to all Victorian Traditional Owner groups including Registered Aboriginal Parties (RAPs) and non-registered groups.

Consistent with DEECA's Traditional Owner and Aboriginal Community Engagement Framework 2024:

• only RAPs can apply for projects on their formally recognised Country
• RAPs and non-RAPs can apply for projects on Country in which they have an interest and over which Traditional Owners are not formally recognised.

The funding applicants must:

• be an incorporated body, cooperative or association, or have an auspice/ organisation who can manage funding on their behalf
• be financially solvent.

• Email: grantsinfo@deeca.vic.gov.au