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CalRecycle opened the application period for the Food Waste Prevention and Rescue Grant Program with applications due January 31, 2019. Applicants are eligible to receive up to $500,000 in grant funding through the program as detailed below.

The purpose of this competitive grant program is to lower overall greenhouse gas emissions by establishing new or expanding existing food waste prevention projects (source reduction or food rescue for people) in California to reduce the amount of food being disposed in landfills. One of the reasons this program is such a great opportunity is that it will fund equipment like refrigeration systems, transportation/storage, and food preparation items, which is rare for grant programs.

Eligible applicants for this program include: local governments, nonprofit organizations, B-Corp and Benefit Corporations, private entities, for-profit entities, state or federal agencies, University of California campuses, California State University campuses, California Community College campuses, solid waste facilities, public school districts, and qualifying Indian Tribes.

Eligible projects for this program include:

• Food waste prevention projects that prevent food waste from being generated. Examples include, but are not limited to; modernizing production and handling practices to prevent and reduce food preparation waste; identifying and modifying ordering practices that result in measurable decreases in food waste; education and outreach programs that result in quantifiable reductions in food waste.
• Food rescue projects that result in edible food being rescued and distributed to people. Food waste residuals from the project should be composted, sent to a digester, or otherwise diverted from landfills, if those services are available in the jurisdiction where the project is located.

Eligible costs for this program include:

• Refrigerators, freezers, and refrigeration systems
• Transportation such as refrigerated trucks
• Storage and collection infrastructure such as food crates or bins
• Food preparation and cooking items such as ovens, ranges, etc.
• Salaries, public education, and outreach costs up to 50 percent of the applicant’s requested grant amount, not to exceed $150,000.
• Activities or equipment to modernize production and handling practices, and/or ordering practices, that result in the measurable source reduction of food waste
• Software (food waste online exchange and source reduction platforms) up to 25 percent of the applicant’s requested grant amount, not to exceed $50,000.

Funding levels: A total of $5,750,000 is available for this grant cycle, fiscal year 2018–19. Awards are subject to a $50,000 minimum and a $500,000 maximum per application. There are limitations on salaries, public education, outreach, and software costs.

Cost sharing requirement: There is no cost sharing requirement for this program.

Duration: Grant awards will likely be made in May/June 2019 with the grant term ending on April 1, 2021.

The full Application Guidelines and Instructions can be found here.

We have been writing state and federal grant applications on behalf of our clients for more than 16 years with a strong track record of success, including writing a successful grant application for the inaugural round for this program. If you have interest in learning about Morrison's grant writing services to apply for grant funding for this or any other programs, please contact the Morrison Grants Team by email at grants@morrisonco.net or cal us at 530-893-4764