Thanks to generous donations and fund raising, Permaculture Australia’s 2025 Permafund grant round has been launched..
Considering the time and effort needed to write and submit an application, the closing date for applications has been extended to midnight AEST on 31 August 2025.
In the spirit of fair share, this year community organisations in Australia and the regions of Australasia, South-East Asia and the Pacific Islands are invited to apply for seed funding grants of AU$2,000 to support their environmental and permaculture education projects.
Applications for funding over AUD $2,000 will be considered and assessed on merit.
The 2025 Grant Application form and Grant Guidelines are available for download here.
Successful applicants will be notified at the end of October 2025. Applications received by 15 August and needing urgent response will be considered promptly.
Permaculture Australia is excited to share that we have initiated a Youth Circle, with the intention of connecting youth across Australia and around the world to the permaculture movement.
We are fortunate to have Karla Quintana step up to lead this circle and harness her youth network from the many youth communities that she works across.
The first activity is establishing Youth Ambassadors from each State and Territory. These inaugural ambassadors will be sponsored to attend the International Youth Permaculture Convergence in Timor Leste in October this year.
If you can’t wait to get involved and support this program, as either a nominator of a Youth Ambassador, a candidate or a Youth Circle member reach out to eo@permacultureaustralia.org.au. An information pack will be released to members within the week.
About Karla Quintana
Karla is a regenerative bioregional educator, biologist, community weaver, and founder of transformative learning spaces rooted in permaculture, collective transformation, and the sacred balance of nature. With a background in biology and scientific research, she brings an ecological and systems-thinking lens to her work—bridging science, education, and community resilience.
For over two decades, Karla has empowered young people to become stewards of the Earth through mentorship and life-shaping experiences grounded in ecological literacy, outdoor environmental education, and intentional community living. She completed her Permaculture Design Course at Crystal Waters Ecovillage, deepening her commitment to regenerative practices.
Karla currently leads the Bioethical Student Residence, an intentional urban community where youth engage in environmental sensitization, behavioral change, collective responsibility, and social transformation in action. She is also the founder of Acampalli, a cooperative of young environmental educators—an embodied school of thought and action committed to forging new paths toward ecological justice, cultural renewal, and cooperativism.
Her vision of education and community was profoundly shaped during her youth by the Zapatista revolution of the Mayan people in Chiapas, Mexico. The Zapatistas’ call for dignity, autonomy, and collective liberation continues to influence her deeply. Central to their philosophy is the phrase: “In the world we want, everyone fits. We want a world where many worlds fit.” For Karla, this is more than an ideal—it is a lived commitment. Her work centers on building social structures and relationships that care for nature, honor diversity, resist domination, and make space for multiple ways of being, knowing, and organizing life.
She fosters intergenerational learning, creating spaces where the wisdom of elders and the creativity of youth come together to restore the continuity of knowledge and regenerate both social and ecological systems. Karla’s pedagogy is rooted in Deep Ecology, Outdoor Education, and Indigenous knowledge systems. Through her programs, her mission is to cultivate a generation of empowered changemakers.
With a warm presence and radical clarity, Karla continues to guide youth in living in alignment with the Earth and with each other—through practices that heal, reconnect, and reimagine the world we share.
Certificate III and IV Permaculture qualifications are on the way to becoming recognised as important vocational qualifications, and eligible for the same kind of subsidies and recognition as other trades.
The Certificate III is now on the federal government’s Australian Apprenticeships Priority List. Importantly, it is also on the Clean Energy Sector list within it. This means that if you are a permaculture business, and you employ a young person as a trainee, they can get a qualification for doing practical work-based training, while being paid a traineeship wage, and you as the employer are eligible for a host of subsidies that together nearly cover the cost of employing them. It works just like employing an apprentice. They can be full or part time and even shared between several businesses.
In NSW, the Certificate III is also on the state training traineeships and apprenticeships list which makes an employer eligible for a set of state government subsidies too. Other states may be catching up, but it is worth making enquiries and registering your interest so that next time your state updates its list, permaculture qualifications are included.
In NSW, Certificate III and Certificate IV are also on the Smart and Skilled Priority List, which means the NSW government will pay the fees for class-based training. If a Training Organisation knows there are enough enrolments to make up a class, they can offer the course free to students.
For more information, get in touch at: vet@permacultureaustralia.org.au
The International PermaYouth Convergence (IPYC–2025) is a celebration of permaculture, youth leadership, arts, culture, and music across six days in the mountains of Timor-Leste.
Taking place in the village of Fatuquero, Ermera, this inaugural event is inspired by the highly successful PermaYouth movement already thriving across Timor-Leste. At its heart, the IPYC–2025 is a call to action for young people across the globe. By sharing permaculture knowledge and practice, we’re building an active global PermaYouth network, future leadership and global environmental stewardship.
Planting Water, Growing Communities Co-hosted by Permatil (Timor-Leste), Permatil Global (Australia) and the PermaYouth Association (Timor-Leste), the IPYC–2025 brings together delegations of youth (17 to 35 years) and their community leaders from six continents to camp onsite in Fatuquero, Ermera. The theme for IPYC–2025, “Planting Water, Growing Communities,” reflects the powerful work already underway in Timor-Leste—work that’s having a nation-changing impact. With the backing of the President of Timor-Leste, The Hon. José Ramos Horta, we want to expand this movement across Timor-Leste and internationally to communities that urgently need these solutions.
What to expect at IPYC–2025 Over the six days, participants will be immersed in all things permaculture to share and engage in practical activities about food, water and climate resilience, leadership training and cultural exchanges. The program will highlight innovative and effective watershed management practices including in water and ecosystem restoration and catchment management, working with your community, and the benefits that come from learning and sharing together. By night, participants will come together to share and enjoy a celebration and exchange of knowledge of indigenous culture, music, art and friendship. After the convergence ends, participants are invited to explore more of Timor-Leste—whether by visiting cultural landmarks in Dili or venturing into the country’s diverse landscapes and communities. And the journey doesn’t stop there: the PermaYouth Association (Timor-Leste) will continue to support attendees post-event, helping to establish and strengthen the global PermaYouth network.
Why it matters—and how you can get involved At the core of IPYC–2025 is an urgency to share tools of resilience and skills for our youth to utilise at the forefront of climate action, land care, and community leadership.
That’s where you come in. We’ve launched a crowdfunding campaign to help fund the event and support youth from across the globe—especially from under-resourced communities—to attend. Your contributions will help us identify and engage emerging youth leaders, cover their travel, and offer free tickets that include all transport, meals, camping, and participation in the entire program. If we exceed our fundraising goals, we’ll be able to further subsidise costs for selected attendees, helping us ensure that the IPYC–2025 truly reflects the diversity and strength of a global youth movement. Or join us in Timor-Leste—you can get directly involved by registering to attend as a participant, a volunteer, or a presenter.
Building a regenerative future together We invite you to support this global Convergence, share it with your networks, and help us bring together the next generation of earth stewards, community builders and changemakers. ** Join us in Timor-Leste, for IPYC–2025. ** Donate to the crowdfunder. ** Support global youth leadership in permaculture.
Thanks to the generous donors to Permaculture Australia’s Permafund, our small grants program is ready to launch another round of grants. This time we are calling for applications from groups in Australasia, South-East Asia and the Pacific Islands.
A Sumatran Farmer teaching a PDC
We need your help to spread the word to any groups within the region, or any Permaculture teachers who may know of eligible groups amongst their past students. Please share this notice and our contact details with them.
We hope that by funding small projects we will help to build the capacity of Permaculture groups in our region while they do important work to improve the natural environment. By publicising the successful projects in our newsletter and social media, Permaculture Australia members and supporters will learn more about groups active in our region.
This work can include the provision of information or education, or the carrying on of research about the natural environment or a significant aspect of the natural environment as well as running on the ground projects which will improve the natural environment.
The Permafund grant program is only for projects that benefit or protect the natural environment, which includes regenerative agriculture and permaculture education.
Please read the 2025 Grant Guidelines carefully before deciding if your organisation is eligible to submit an application. To see the types of projects that have been funded in the past please look at articles on our website.
The 2025 Grant Application form and Grant Guidelines are available for download from the Permaculture Australia website as Word or Pdf documents here.
Permafund grants support community organisations in Australia and around the world to learn about permaculture design and sustainable strategies to apply to their projects to enhance and restore their natural environment.
Project successes have led to better water management and soil enrichment, improved food production and greater biodiversity. Additional benefits have been improved income and food security, the creation of alternative economy initiatives and climate change mitigation.
Below are several thankyous with gratitude from Permafund grant recipients.
“Thanks so much for greening our community.” Andronico Otieno Mitta, Mkulima Sasa Regenerative Agriculture CBO, Kenya
Mkulima Sasa Regenerative Agriculture Syntropic Greenery
“Dear Permafund Team. Hope this update report meets you well. We have been blessed by some good rain once again and continue to be blessed by the work done using your funding. We continual to be proud of how the Food Forest is coming along and the knowledge it continues to impact in the community. I wish you could see the farm now. From an arid piece of land to this. Thankyou once again for all you have done for us, the women, children and the community.” Nyakio, Founding Director of Agatha Amani House, Kenya
Agatha Amani House Gardens
“The crops chosen by the community are amaranths, eggplants, peanuts and corn because they are market gardening and food crops that give good yields during the harvest after 2 weeks of sowing. On 9 November 2024, a team of agronomists made a field visit to Runingu to technically support the members of the Fanyatu club in their amaranth and eggplant fields. They worked the land, cut strips and directly sowed amaranth seeds. It was a wonderful learning moment where each member found the opportunity to observe and practice the permaculture technique. The community continues to thank the financial support of Permaculture Australia for the generous gesture it has made through the financing of this agricultural recovery project in the “permaculture sector” of the Ruzizi plain. Today, everyone is mobilizing to practice market gardening with a view to improving their socio-economic living conditions within households. Debaba Sango Bienvenu, Fraternity Kivutian (FK), Democratic Republic of Congo https://fanyatu.org/
Fraternity Kivutian Fenced Garden
Permafund also received this heartfelt comment about the impact of this Fraternity Kivutian project for a special family.
“My name is Shukuru Zuwena, I am a widow of 5 children, my husband died in 2022 following an illness. After his death, I found it difficult to live, but today, I greatly thank the Australian Permaculture Association for its project which consists of cultivating amaranths and eggplants as part of the revival of agricultural products in the plain of the Ruzizi. And the impact of this project is positive, because we feed our children with the products harvested in our fields and others that we sell to buy clothes. My best wishes for the year 2025.” – Shukuru Zuwena
“Conclusively the grandmother kitchen gardens was a big success and an eye opener as many people took interest and copied and tried in their homes and requested for more to be extended to them, the little fund was timely and so much appreciated since it enabled us realized our objectives and goal for this project. Much appreciation to the Permafund team for the trust.” By Patrick Paul Kidega, Project Manager Kitgum Permaculture Practitioners Association, Uganda.
Kitgum PC Grandmother with Oblong Gardens
“On behalf of Chinansungwi Relief Hand Organisation (CHIREHO) of Malawi, I would like to submit our project report for the project implemented with the funding from the Permaculture Australia. The project implemented has helped the community as well as our organization a lot though it met with some challenges outlined in the project. Your assistance is highly appreciated. Thanks very much” Charlie Nzima, Executive Director, Chinansungwi Relief Hand Organisation (CHIREHO)
CHIREHO Permaculture Gardens Establishment
The Permafund team are heartened to receive these reports and testimonials of gratitude.
Identifying environment restoration projects that integrate permaculture practices and ethics and represent the best ‘bang for the buck’ helps maximise the impact of every dollar raised for or gifted to Permafund.
It’s easy to donate to Permafund via the Permaculture Australia website. Donations over $2.00 are tax deductible in Australia and can be made here.
The proceeds of fundraisers and donations to Permafund are gratefully received and so far, have supported seed funding grants for 93 community projects in Australia and 16 other countries.
In the spirit of Fairshare, the 2025 Permafund grant round opening shortly will focus on applications from Australasia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands.
For more information, please contact the Permafund team:
If you are between 17 & 35, you can be a Permaculture Youth Ambassadors representing Australia at the 2025 International Permaculture Youth Convergence (IPYC) at Timor Leste (East Timor) in the hills above Dili from October 20 – 25 this year!
This is the opportunity of a life-time to take the next step in your permaculture journey. Connect with hundreds of other like minded permie youth change makers from around the planet learning about and working towards creating “the more beautiful world our hearts know is possible”.
500 East Timorese Permie Youth Leaders will be hosting another 500 from around the world with the intention of building an active global PermaYouth network, future leadership and global environmental stewardship.
The day program includes permaculture practice and development of leadership skills in:
Water resilience
Sustainable Agroforestry
Agro ecology
Permaculture in action
Art, music and indigenous culture
The night program will be a real “hoot” with participants coming together to share a celebration and exchange of indigenous knowledge, culture, music, art and friendship.
After the event, we will spend another three days touring the many cultural sites in and around Dili and enjoying some additional permaculture site visits.
The cost of the convergence including food and accommodation will be minimal (yet to be confirmed) but my intention for the South Australian team is to collaboratively fund raise to offset associated transportation and additional food and accommodation costs.
I am looking to support and co-ordinate a team of up to 10 inspired South Australian Permie Youth Change makers on this journey. I am also looking for a non male permie to jointly share this responsibility with me. If your state or territory does not have a group attending, and you would like to be part of this amazing event maybe you can join up with us. To learn more about this awesome opportunity, contact Jasper Simmons on 85289113 or jasperearthwizard@proton.me
The Australian Permaculture Convergence 2025 isn’t just a gathering — it’s a cross-pollination of ideas, experience, and action. And the speaker lineup? Absolutely buzzing.
Join us in Kangaroo Valley this October to learn from some of the most passionate and pioneering voices in permaculture:
David Holmgren – Co-originator of Permaculture, sharing deep system thinking & regenerative vision
Anna “Nana” Matilda – Everyday Permaculture for renters, suburbanites & small-space living
Pete the Permie – Fruit tree wizardry, cool climate know-how & homesteading brilliance
Robina McCurdy – Community-scale permaculture, earth rights & participatory design
Taranar – Mycoregen:The act or process of utilising endemic fungi for bush regeneration.
Whether you’re here for design systems, social permaculture, bioregional strategies, or practical skills — there’s a voice, topic, and workshop for you. This is a convergence of perspectives, and we need all of them.
October 3–7, 2025 – For Catering and Planning purposes – Order your tickets NOW!
If you are not sure, Accredited Permaculture Training (APT) is permaculture education accessed through Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) and is a Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification – just like your plumber, sparky, horticulturist, hairdresser, motor mechanic. These qualifications are identified as Certificate I through to Certificate IV, Diploma and Advanced Diploma.
In the early 2000’s APT was kicked off, and APT was provided by and available through several RTOs across the country, some were private RTOs and some were TAFEs (Technical And Further Education organisations), operated by the public sector.
Over the last decade and a half, hundreds at least (perhaps more) Permies undertook this training, mostly completing Certificate III and Certificate IV. In late 2024 a new team was established, a VET Circle, within Permaculture Australia to progress the extraordinary work done before to invigorate this pathway for permaculture education. Importantly, not to conflict with other learning streams, such as PDCs, but to coexist and with an intent of complimenting other education streams. Providing choice for our permie community.
After a lot of discussions, discovery of what courses were where and in what state, understanding any new guidelines that might exist for the delivery of APT, connecting with our Jobs and Skills Council – Skills Insight (responsible for all agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry, etc and of course Permaculture, in VET), we have an aspiration and a plan.
Our aspiration is to initially focus on Schools; the delivery of permaculture education within the school curriculum for years 9 through 12, commencing in 2026, in every state and territory. We know some schools in Victoria and WA are already delivering Certificate II for years 9-12. Our discovery, like any design forensics, is expected to be a little wanting and there may well be others we have yet to find and connect with – let us know if you or someone you know should be connected with.
Our plan that is underway is to refresh the Certificate II training material, to bring a refreshed approach to structure and content, and shift it to a more appropriate project-based learning approach rather than paper-based knowledge tests – more suited to learning permaculture.
There are several things that must happen to give us the capability to start delivering in 2026, including engagement with schools, engagement with RTOs, establishing a list of any member with an interest and competency in teaching Certificate II in schools, and last but by no means least, is the uplift of the training material.
The VET Circle has established a team that will work on the revised training materials. We want to hear from anyone that can contribute to this team and its endeavour. Be that simply insight, through to hands on writing. The team is being led by Lindra Woodrow, who most of you will know or know of, and is a veteran of VET, not just in permaculture but also other disciplines.
The door is open, and we welcome any inputs you feel you can contribute. And of course, if you know folks who might not be members of PA, but have a skill and an interest, reach out and encourage them to contact us. If you are an accredited teacher and/or have a valid TAE, and have an interest in teaching in this space, let us know so we can add you to the growing team of interested/available teachers.
And of course, if you want to get your school onboard in 2026, or know of a school that should be contacted, get in touch. Please contact us at vet@permacultureaustralia.org.au
Story by Permafund’s Louise Learmont – by Farm Sahel in Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso is a land-locked country in Africa, one of the world’s poorest and least developed countries, ranking 134th of 137 according to the World Bank/UN Human Development Index. With just 3 months of rain per year, the Sahel region in the north is the driest, having suffered from deforestation and degradation over the last few decades. The region is also faced with terrorism.
For this project, 50 smallholder women farmers of Binde region were provided with composting and agroforestry training to plant 500 tangelo trees alongside annual crops. The main emphasis is the need to obtain a yield, enhance food security, generate income for participants and knowledge share with husbands and neighbouring communities.
Project Team Workers
5 hectares of land had been donated by the chief of the village for the project aiming to help restore this degraded land, improve and revitalise soil health and equip farmers to better face climate change.
Farm Sahel trainers & workers
A 2024 Permafund grant of $2,000 was used to purchase the 500 tangelo plants as well as have trainers oversee the project. Before planting the tangelo trees, the holes were dug and filled with compost the women farmers had made using organic matter from crop residues, kitchen scraps, dry leaves, cow manure and ash.
Due to unusually excessive rainfall at the end of 2024 the planting of the trees was delayed until April 2025 to ensure the success of the project.
Farm Sahel had already successfully installed solar powered water wells, so ongoing watering of the trees is possible. Also, women farmers have been trained to make their own biological pesticides using neem kernels, onion, chilli, garlic and neem oil, for use should the trees succumb to pests and diseases.
Adding compost to holes
Preparing to plant & water source
Men digging holes and women weeding
Alongside the tangelo trees, watermelons trail the ground, helping to reduce evaporation plus chilli and basil are grown alongside as insect repellent plants. In the future they would like to increase the biodiversity of the tangelo orchard by planting papaya trees. Food crops already being grown include cucumbers, onions, lettuce and cabbage.
Spacing trees in melon cover crop
Women ready to prepare holes for planting
Tangelo trees ready for planting
Carefully planting tangelo tree
This project has come about due to the dedication of the founding Executive Director Madjalia Seynou, winner of the World of Difference award by the International Alliance for Women.
Families involved in planting
Madjalia grew up in Burkina Faso and knows the difficulties young rural women of Burkina Faso face, growing up in remote regions in polygamous family communities. Madjalia, whose father was a teacher, was able to receive an education and furthering this by becoming an accountant and migrating to New Jersey. She speaks of her childhood remembering how her father would allow 19 students to live with them during weekdays to avoid walking the 5-6 km to school daily.
Through her leadership, FarmSahel has provided smallholder women farmers with the resources, training, and support needed to improve food security, increase income and lift their communities out of poverty; all whilst improving soil fertility, emphasising community-based participatory methods, addressing climate change and promoting regenerative agricultural practices.
The proceeds of fundraisers and donations to Permafund are gratefully received and so far have supported seed funding grants for 93 community projects in Australia and 16 other countries. Donations over $2.00 are tax deductible in Australia and can be made here.
In the spirit of fairshare, the 2025 Permafund grant round opening shortly will focus on applications from Australasia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands.
The Australian Permaculture Convergence 2025 isn’t just a gathering — it’s a cross-pollination of ideas, experience, and action. And the speaker lineup? Absolutely buzzing. 
October 3–7, 2025 – For Catering and Planning purposes – Order your tickets NOW!
Gangurang- Kangaroo Valley, NSW
Tickets: 
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