The MPCA requests proposals from eligible applicants for projects that reduce emissions of high global warming potential (HGWP) refrigerants in retail settings and food assistance programs in Minnesota.
Applications must be received electronically through the SWIFT Supplier Portal no later than 4 p.m. Central Time on Thursday, May 29, 2025.
Questions and answers
Submit questions about this RFP to grants.pca@state.mn.us no later than 4 pm Central Time on May 22, 2025, using the subject line: “Next generation refrigeration grant RFP Question.” Answers to questions will be posted frequently in the SWIFT Supplier Portal.
MPCA personnel are not authorized to discuss this RFP with applicants and contact regarding this RFP with any MPCA personnel may result in disqualification.
Eligibility
Eligible applicants must operate a refrigeration unit in Minnesota at:
- A retail setting (for example, grocery store, convenience store, liquor store, restaurant, school cafeteria) and be:
- A for-profit business with 250 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees or less (including parent companies and all business operations) OR
- A governmental entity, tribe, non-profit, or educational institution, with any number of employees.
- A non-profit operating a food assistance program, such as a food shelf, food bank, or meals served on or off-site.
Eligible projects include the replacement or retrofitting of operational retail food remote condensing units or supermarket refrigeration systems to use a refrigerant with a global warming potential (GWP) under limits listed in 40 CFR Part 84 Subpart B.
- See Table 1 below for GWP limits and to make sure your new refrigerant’s GWP is below the applicable limit.
- GWP limit depends on sector and system type; the GWP limit will be 150 or 300.
Lists of alternative refrigerants and their GWP can be found online on the Environmental Protection Agency website.
Eligible refrigerants may include, but are not limited to, propane (GWP=3), 454C (GWP=146), or 454A (GWP=237).
Application assistance
For free help locating and understanding eligible equipment and refrigerants, and drafting your application, contact Ashwin Nambudiripad, Associate Engineer at the Minnesota Technical Assistance Program, at ashwin@umn.edu or 612-624-4653.
Some past applications were ineligible because replacement refrigerants exceeded the GWP limit or were missing information.
We highly encourage all applicants to reach out for technical assistance before submitting their application. Reach out early to allow time to assist.
Available funds
Approximately $120,000 in funding is available, with the potential to award more.
- Maximum award: The maximum grant award is $20,000 per applicant (all locations combined).
- Match requirement: 25%, meaning the grant recipient must match at least 25% of the total project cost. Matching funds must be cash and may be obtained through loans or other non-state grants if the applicant chooses.
How to apply
The request for proposal (RFP) and application materials can only be viewed through the online SWIFT portal. The RFP is termed an “Event” within the SWIFT system.
- Go to the online SWIFT portal.
- Click "Bidding opportunities".
- Find and view by event name (MPCA-Next generation refrigeration grant) or ID (2000017095).
- Click "View Bid Package" to see the RFP and forms. (There’s no need to log in to see the documents.)
Grant applications are only accepted through the SWIFT portal.
- Register as a bidder in the online SWIFT portal, (Bidding = "applying")
- Choose "Register for an Account" and then "Register as a Bidder".
If you are already registered in the SWIFT system as a supplier (previously known as a vendor), use your supplier ID. Visit the SWIFT Supplier Portal under “Informational Tips” and “Supplier Portal Help” for more information. For questions about applying through SWIFT, please contact the Vendor Assistance Help Desk at 651-201-8100, option 1.
More information
Developed as substitutes for ozone-depleting refrigerants, hydrofluorocarbons (HFC) are climate-damaging greenhouse gases (GHG) with global warming potentials hundreds to thousands of times greater than carbon dioxide. One 30-pound tank of R-404a, if released, has a greater global warming impact than driving eleven cars for a year.
The American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act authorizes the phase down of HFC production and consumption and facilitates the transition to next-generation refrigeration technologies. In its final rule, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) restricts the use of higher GWP HFCs in new refrigeration products and systems. Most subsectors have a maximum GWP limit on HFCs or HFCs blends. In a few subsectors, EPA has listed the specific HFCs or HFC blends that are restricted. Compliance dates vary based on sector and subsector.
Lower GWP refrigerants are available. Upgrading to new refrigeration systems and environmentally friendly refrigerants can greatly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
GWP limits by subsector
| Subsector | System | Global Warming Potential Limit (less than) | Installation Compliance Date1 |
| Retail food - remote condensing units | With 200 or more lb refrigerant charge, excluding high temperature side of cascade system | 150 | January 1, 2026 |
| Retail food - remote condensing units | With less than 200 lb refrigerant charge | 300 | January 1, 2026 |
| Retail food - remote condensing units | side of cascade system High temperature | 300 | January 1, 2026 |
| Retail food - supermarkets | With 200 or more lb refrigerant charge, excluding high temperature side of cascade system | 150 | January 1, 2027 |
| Retail food - supermarkets | With less than 200 lb refrigerant charge | 300 | January 1, 2027 |
| Retail food - supermarkets | High temperature side of cascade systems | 300 | January 1, 2027 |
| Subsector | Product | Global Warming Potential Limit (less than) | Manufacture and Import Compliance Date |
| Retail food – refrigeration stand-alone units2 | Retail food- refrigeration stand-alone units | 150 | January 1, 2025 |
1Compliance dates apply to new systems and products; the rule does not restrict the continued use of existing products or systems.
2Stand-alone units are allowed only when totally replacing a remote-condensing unit or supermarket system.
The tables above are for informational purposes only and should not be relied on for compliance purposes. Refer to 40 CFR Part 84, Subpart B for full details, including equipment descriptions.