Environmental Assistance grants

Full details on this grant round are spelled out in the request for proposals, especially the focus areas and eligible applicants and projects.

Application deadline: Due no later than June 26, 2018 (2:00 p.m. Central Time)

Total available funding: $493,000; refer to the RFP for details on grant funding for specific projects (minimum/maximum, match).

Who can apply? Minnesota residents, organizations, businesses, institutions, political subdivisions of the state, and tribal governments (Minn. R. 9210.0810, subp. 2.B). Eligibility may be further defined within each preferred project. Multi-organizational collaboration is encouraged.

Documents and forms

FY2018-2019 Environmental Assistance (EA) grant: Request for proposals (p-f2-27a-fy18)

This document describes the State Fiscal Year 2018 – 2019 (FY18-19) Environmental Assistance (EA) grant round, including information on who may apply for funding, the funding priorities, match requirements, activities eligible for funding, and other information that will help applicants plan their project and submit a competitive application. Applications are due no later than 2:00 p.m. Central Time on Tuesday, June 26, 2018.

FY2018-2019 Environmental Assistance (EA) grant: Application form (p-f2-27c-fy18)

Project workplan (p-f2-27i-fy18)

Budget and expenditures report (p-f2-27h-fy18)

Affidavit of noncollusion (p-f2-27j-fy18)

Sample grant agreement (p-f2-27g-fy18)

Questions regarding this RFP must be e-mailed to grants-loans.pca@state.mn.us, subject line: “EA Question”, no later than 4:00 p.m. Central Time on Tuesday, June 19, 2018. All questions and answers will be posted by 4:00 p.m. Central Time on Friday, June 22, 2018.

Focus areas

MPCA invites eligible applicants to submit applications for projects in these categories; refer to Exhibit B of the RFP for greater detail on preferred projects and grant amounts (grant minimum/maximum and match requirements).

1. Communities adapting to climate change and extreme weather. Grants to help communities plan for impacts of climate change and to improve community resilience. Funded projects will serve as examples for other communities and accelerate adoption of resilience practices in Minnesota.
2. Environmental education. Support for environmental education and community engagement projects that raise awareness of and increase participation in preventing local water or air pollution or address environmental health concerns.
3. Expansion of capacity to collect and/or transport source-separated organics. Funds for projects that will expand capacity for managing source-separated organic materials (SSOM) at compost facilities or food-to-livestock operations and at transfer stations.
4. Market development: Increase use of compost. Funds for projects to expand compost use and its many benefits, and additional research and development to help expand existing markets and create new markets for compost.
5. Prevention of wasted food. Funding for projects that will lower the environmental impact associated with food throughout the food systems’ life cycle. This includes prevention of wasted food as well as capturing edible food for donation to humans.
6. Reduce/reuse/repair. Funds for projects that focus on waste prevention (reducing or eliminating products or materials), reuse and repair. Prevention and repair save valuable resources by reducing the need for new materials to be extracted, processed, designed, manufactured, transported, and disposed. Projects should serve as examples for others in the region.
7. Toxicity reduction. MPCA seeks proposals to reduce the use of toxic chemicals through adding safer product chemistry and design concepts into high school or college curricula and through assisting businesses with switching to safer products in their operations.

About this grant

Intent. The EA Grant Program provides financial assistance for researching, developing, or implementing projects and practices related to all aspects of waste management and prevention, including hazardous substances, toxic pollutants, and problem materials. Additionally, market development and education grants are also allowed under the laws governing these grants. MPCA seeks to encourage environmentally sustainable practices and approaches to pollution prevention and resource conservation.