Applications are now open for the 2026 round of greening grants across Melbourne.
City of Melbourne has launched its latest Urban Forest Fund with up to $1 million in grants available for community greening projects.
Applications are now open for the 2026 Urban Forest Fund, which provides matched funding to help green laneways, rooftops, car parks and community spaces across the city. Since 2017, the program has unlocked more than $3.2 million in matched funding for greening projects.
Melbourne Urban Forest Fund 2026
- What: Matched funding grants for community greening projects, with two streams available
- Where: City of Melbourne
- When: Applications now open, community information sessions running throughout February
- Applications: here
Stay up to date with what’s happening in and around Melbourne here.
Nearly 75 per cent of land in the City of Melbourne sits outside council control, making private landholders and community groups key players in greening the city. This year’s funding pool has been boosted by an extra $600,000, strengthening the program and creating opportunities for larger, high-impact projects.
Two funding streams are available for 2026. Stream 1 supports high-impact greening with matched funding between $30,000 and $100,000 for larger projects on private property. Eligible projects include green walls and facades, new green spaces with canopy cover, communal areas, rooftop gardens, water-sensitive urban design and innovative design approaches.
Stream 2 supports community greening with matched funding up to $10,000 for smaller-scale projects on private property or council footpaths with a Greening Melbourne permit. This stream covers residential communal area uplifts, laneway greening, planter boxes and pots, garden bed revitalisation, food growing and biodiversity plantings.
Projects must be publicly accessible and provide broad benefits to the community. Urban greening initiatives don’t just benefit the environment, they make Melbourne more liveable by creating cooler, more pleasant public spaces.
Community information sessions will run throughout February, offering the chance to hear from green infrastructure experts and community greening champions. Attendees can ask questions to help complete their applications.
For more information, head here.
