NGIV is delighted to announce funding has been secured to continue Branch Out, our program introducing secondary school students to the world of horticulture.

Branch Out gives students hands-on experiences and insights into the diverse career pathways our industry offers, inspiring the next generation to consider horticulture as a rewarding future.

We thank the Victorian Government and The Hon. Ros Spence, Minister for Agriculture, for their support in ensuring more students will have the chance to connect with plants, people and possibilities in horticulture.

The Victorian Schools Garden Program (VSGP) is proud to announce that 2025 marks the third consecutive year of record-breaking participation in our annual grants. This year, we received an extraordinary 951 grant applications from 461 schools and kindergartens across Victoria, evidence of the enthusiasm for garden-based learning and outdoor education in our schools.

The VSGP Committee was thrilled by the quantity and high quality of so many of the submissions received. From edible gardens to habitat homes, to sensory spaces and sustainability hubs, schools demonstrated their deep commitment to using gardens as powerful, hands-on tools for learning, wellbeing, and community connection.

With such a large number of exceptional applications, the process of reviewing and scoring was both rewarding and challenging. Many fantastic submissions missed out on a grant by just a few points, resulting in a handful of merit grants being awarded to schools.

The VSGP sincerely appreciates the time, thought, and effort entrants invested in preparing submissions. Each year, the pool of applications grows more competitive, but also more inspiring.

2025 VSGP Grants Result

Entries for the 2025 Awards are now open! With over $46,000 in prizes available, it’s another great opportunity to gain recognition and support for your school garden.

This year, a new award application system has been implemented to streamline and simplify the entry process. The design element of previous entries has been removed, and entrants are now able to directly add answers and photos into the template, eliminating the creation of a presentation. For more details, visit the VSGP website.

The VSGP Grants Program encourages schools to start new gardens or repair existing gardens by providing funding through nursery vouchers or provision of products to use for school garden projects.

This year there is over $46,000 worth of vouchers and products to be distributed.

A new and improved grant application system has been implemented to streamline and simplify the entry process for users.

Applications are now open and close on Thursday 24 April 2024 at 5 pm.

Click here to see the Grant categories available this year.