Expression of Interest: Become an Every Bite Hub and help your community prevent food waste
Do you care about tackling food waste and making a difference in your community?
Are you ready to work at the top of the waste hierarchy, addressing the problem before it begins?
Every Bite is on a mission to help New Zealanders make small changes at home to waste less food. The project is part of the Ministry for the Environment’s National Food Waste Reduction Programme.
The Every Bite project launched in 2024 with four hubs and a core team designing a practical, community-driven way for households across Aotearoa to reduce food waste. Participants receive simple, proven tips and tools that make it easy to waste less at home.
In Year Two, we built on this work and expanded the project’s scope, adding a facilitated online option, more regions, and a schools programme.
Now it’s your turn
We’re inviting new Hub partners to join us in Year Three and lead the change in your community. You’ll deliver Every Bite locally, connect with households, and help create lasting behaviour change. This is your chance to make a visible, measurable difference.
Year Three begins 1 October 2025, and includes a national campaign to help you recruit participants and deliver a coordinated programme in May 2026. You’ll also run a smaller pilot in February 2026 to get familiar with the content and adapt it for your community.
A funded opportunity for your Hub
We have capacity to support 8–10 funded Hubs in Year Three. Funding levels are between $18k - $31k, tailored to your hub’s size (catchment area) and agreed KPIs, with co-funding options available so we can extend the programme’s reach even further. Applications are open to all Hubs, regardless of past outcomes.
For more details on the programme’s background, KPIs, funding, and timelines, please watch our presentation recording ahead of applying (no Academy Awards imminent, but it should offer useful context). Here’s the slides from that presentation for reference.
You can also join a Q&A Zoom session to meet the team and ask questions. These will take place on Tuesday August 19th from 12.30 to 1.00pm, Tuesday August 26th from 10am to 10.30am and Tuesday September 2nd from 10am to 10.30am. Click on your preferred date to add a calendar reminder. This Zoom link will be live at those times.
Is your Hub the right fit?
You could be exactly who we’re looking for if you:
Can join our collaboration from 1 October 2025.
Have one key team member able to attend our in-person induction hui on 20–21 November 2025 (location TBC, with time and travel expenses covered).
Can participate in the November Online Facilitated Programme, which includes attending 2–3 evening Zoom calls (or reviewing the recordings) and engaging with regular emails offering practical tips to try at home. This is for Hubs that are new to the programme and time for this is included in the funding.
Bring proven experience delivering behaviour change programmes and would love to collaborate with fellow Hubs to share ideas and strengthen capability.
Have communication skills and capacity to recruit participants for the programme, and keep those who are working through the programme engaged and motivated.
Work in partnership and can leverage your networks to recruit participants and deliver the programme where it is needed most.
Are a member of Zero Waste Network Aotearoa and/or Environment Hubs Aotearoa.
Have strong connections to audiences who will benefit from the Every Bite programme, such as :
Mid-to-high income families
Young people aged 18–26, who are known to have higher levels of food waste.
People already embedding sustainability practices into their lives, who want to make a bigger impact, save money and reduce food waste.
What you’ll get:
As a Year Three Hub partner, you’ll receive:
Brand guidelines, key messages, and ongoing comms support.
Templates, resources, and a ready-to-go toolkit for participants.
A delivery guide for Hubs and a robust evaluation framework.
This is more than a funding opportunity. It is your chance to be part of a nationwide movement, connect with like-minded changemakers and help your community waste less and live better.
Expressions of Interest close 5pm on the 12th September, 2025.