Questions about the Quality Infrastructure Grant Program grant application were accepted in writing only, no later than October 15, 2024. Similar or related questions may be grouped together or reworded for clarity and responded to as one question.
To receive a response, a question must pertain to clarification of the application, the requirements in the application process, and any Grant administration focused inquiries. Any questions submitted pertaining to other elements of the grant will not be posted on the official Question and Answer web page.
The question-and-answer period is now closed. Questions received by the October 15, 2024, due date are in the process of being answered and posted.
All questions and answers will be posted during the application period and are subject to updates. It is the applicant’s responsibility to check this website for the latest information regarding this grant cycle.
General | Eligibility | Eligible Projects |Funding | Application
General
- What is the purpose of the Beverage Container Quality Infrastructure grant?
The fundamental goal of the Program is to provide infrastructure costs related to sorting of materials for creating clean streams of beverage container materials that are substantially free of contamination from existing curbside recycling programs or drop-off collection programs. Please refer to the Eligibility, Scoring Criteria, and Evaluation Process for the Beverage Containers Quality Infrastructure Grant Program.
- Can grant funds be used to purchase trucking and other equipment designed to move and sort material?
Vehicles are not an eligible cost under the Beverage Container Quality Infrastructure Grant Program. Equipment related to sorting materials (e.g., new lines, new belts, robotic arms, scales, optical sorters and other equipment to provide a cleaner material stream) are considered eligible costs. Please refer to the Eligible Costs section of the Procedures and Requirements document.
- What is the qualification criteria to become a registered curbside program? Will there be enough time to get registered and still make the application deadline on November 5, 2024?
Those interested in becoming a registered curbside program should reach out to CalRecycle’s Division of Recycling at 916-324-8598 or email DORCertFileRoom@Calrecycle.ca.gov. No, there will not be enough time to get registered before the November 5th19, 2024 deadline. (Revised)
- Under the grant award conditions, the grantee must pay all outstanding debts due to CalRecycle. Please provide examples of debts due to CalRecycle from certified Processors? What other debts are typically due from Processors in the current program?
An outstanding debt includes any payment(s) owed to CalRecycle. This may include, but is not limited to, fines, violations, audit findings, etc. If an entity has received an invoice from CalRecycle for funds they owe to CalRecycle, and payment has not been received, that entity must remit payment to CalRecycle within 60 days of an award email, or the award will void.
- The Procedures and Requirements document states that “costs incurred” before the Notice to Proceed are ineligible. Does the issuance of a Purchase Order count as a cost incurred? Or is the cost incurred when a payment is made?
A Purchase Order for the purpose of implementing a QIG grant project must be incurred after the Notice to Proceed (NTP) is issued. Expenditures made or cost incurred prior to the date that CalRecycle sends the NTP is not eligible for reimbursement. Refer to the Eligible Costs section of the Procedures and Requirements document.
- How many QIG applications may be submitted by each entity and what is the maximum amount an entity may be awarded?
Only one application may be submitted by a single entity and the maximum amount an applicant may request is $10,000,000. Please refer to the Eligible Applicants section of the Application Guidelines and Instructions (Revised)
- We are interested in purchasing two 20-yard roll-off containers, extra belts for our single stream compactor, and possibly a new Bobcat. Are these eligible costs for this grant?
Yes, the equipment items referenced are eligible costs associated with sorting of materials. Please refer to the Eligible Costs section of the Procedures and Requirements
- Is this a matching grant? If so, what percentage do we need to match?
No, there is not a match requirement for the Beverage Container Quality Infrastructure Grant Program.
- Is there a timeline to spend the grant?
Yes, all costs must be incurred by April 1, 2027. Please refer to the Milestones section of the Procedures and Requirements
- Can you please confirm if the eligible materials for this program include the entire beverage container, including the closures and labels, from existing curbside programs?
Yes, the eligible materials should include the entire beverage container from the existing curbside program as it is received.
- When will the answers be posted to the Q&A webpage?
Answers will be posted during the application period and are subject to updates. It is the applicant’s responsibility to check the website regularly to ensure they are aware of all program details. Similar or related questions may be grouped together or reworded for clarity and responded to as one question.
- Is a grant agreement available to review prior to submitting a grant proposal? If so, where can we access that agreement?
The Beverage Container Quality Infrastructure Grant Program Terms and Conditions and the Procedures and Requirements documents are currently available on the Notice of Funds Available: Beverage Container Quality Infrastructure Grant Program (FY 2022-23) webpage.
- If our entity is the applicant, can we transfer the property to the city at the end of our contract? For clarification, our multi-material MRF and recycling service are located on City owned land; our business has a license to operate these services on city property for the duration of the contract (ten years to 2031). At the end of the ten-year period, all facilities are owned by the city.
A grantee may not transfer Title to any real or personal property, including equipment and supplies, acquired with grant funds to any other entity without the express authorization of CalRecycle. Please refer to the Real and Personal Property Acquired with Grant Funds section of the Terms and Conditions document.
- What are the quality specifications required or what must be achieved, by material type, to be an acceptable project?
There are no set quality specifications. The applicant should describe how the project is going to reduce contamination and provide cleaner material. All applications will be scored on the information provided in the application documents. Please refer to the QIG1 Scoring Assessment document.
- What information should be included in the QIG1 Material Flow Chart and how will it be used in the evaluation and scoring?
The applicant must include an overview and a detailed look at the major recycling process, from the point of material collection through each step of the recycling process, including where each piece of grant funded equipment will be added to the process to increase material sorting. Please refer to the Material Flow Chart section of the Application Guidelines and Instructions (Revised) and the QIG1 Scoring Assessment documents.
- I’m a wash line certified processor. Do I just ignore the registered curbside program identification?
Certified processors are considered eligible applicants under the Beverage Container Quality Infrastructure Grant Program and are not required to be associated with a registered curbside program. Please refer to the Eligibility, Scoring Criteria, and Evaluation Process for the Beverage Containers Quality Infrastructure Grant Program.
- Does the engineering of a new building go under indirect costs? Does demo/deconstruction of an old building go under indirect costs?
Construction of a new facility is not considered an eligible cost. Construction costs must be associated with the installation of the equipment, not construction of the facility itself. Please refer to the Eligible/Ineligible Costs section of the Procedures and Requirements document.
Eligibility
- Can you clarify how applications will be awarded? Is there a scoring process?
Complete and eligible grant applications will be evaluated and scored by a review panel of CalRecycle staff based on the criteria outlined in the Quality Infrastructure Grant Program Scoring Criteria. Please refer to the Scoring and Evaluation Process section of the Application Guidelines and Instructions (Revised) document.
- Do eligible applicants include both privately owned entities as well as publicly owned facilities and programs? Are private businesses allowed to participate?
Non-profit organizations, private entities and for-profit businesses, local governments, public colleges and universities, and qualifying tribal entities would all be considered eligible organizational types under the Beverage Container Quality Infrastructure Grant Program. However, the organizational types must be one of the eligible applicant types to be eligible to apply. Please refer to the Eligibility, Scoring Criteria, and Evaluation Process for the Beverage Containers Quality Infrastructure Grant Program.
- Our county was recently awarded $500,000 for a CalRecycle Beverage Container Redemption Pilot Project Grant Program. Would we be eligible to apply for the Beverage Container Quality Infrastructure Grant Program?Would we be eligible as an existing program since the pilot project goes to 2026?.
Certified Recycling Centers are not eligible applicants for the Beverage Container Quality Infrastructure Grant Program. Please refer to the Eligibility, Scoring Criteria, and Evaluation Process for the Beverage Containers Quality Infrastructure Grant Program.
- My company has been permitted to build a Material Recovery Facility (MRF). My question would be, could we apply for this grant to help with the purchase of new equipment for this facility?
A Material Recovery Facility (MRF) must be in collaboration with an existing registered Curbside (CS) Program to be eligible for the Beverage Container Quality Infrastructure Grant Program. Equipment costs necessary to acquire equipment must be submitted in the Budget document and include supporting documentation (i.e. quotes, bids, etc.) for each piece of equipment. Please refer to the Eligibility, Scoring Criteria, and Evaluation Process for the Beverage Containers Quality Infrastructure Grant Program.
- Can a Recycling Center apply as a co-applicant with another current Community Service Program or Collection Program?
Yes, however the certified Community Service Programs or Collection Programs would need to be the lead applicant for the project. Please refer to the Eligibility, Scoring Criteria, and Evaluation Process for the Beverage Containers Quality Infrastructure Grant Program.
- Our entity operates a multi-material MRF and recycling services for our city. Is our non-profit recycling center company eligible under the QIG Program?
Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) in collaboration with registered curbside programs are considered eligible applicants under the Beverage Container Quality Infrastructure Grant Program. Please refer to the Eligible Applicants section of the Applications Guidelines and Instructions (Revised) document.
- Does a City/MRF contract requiring MRF to accept all materials from the city’s curbside collection program meet the need to “identify the curbside program that MRF sorts for?”
The MRF needs to be in collaboration with a registered curbside program and identify this entity within the QIG application. Please refer to the Eligible Applicants section of the Applications Guidelines and Instructions (Revised) document.
- We are designing a beverage container collecting machine. The machine collects post-consumed PET water bottles from people. The machine makes the PET water bottles into flakes and stores the flakes in the machine. The machine has the capacity to crush 2,500 bottles (500ml PET bottle). Is our machine (project) eligible for the grant?
No, collection and post-processing equipment are not eligible under the Beverage Container Quality Infrastructure Grant Program. Please refer to the Eligible/Ineligible Costs sections within the Procedures and Requirements document.
Eligible Projects
- Our city owns a Material Recovery Facility (MRF), and we are interested in applying for the grant. Does the project have to be shovel ready?
A Material Recovery Facility (MRF) must be in collaboration with an existing registered Curbside (CS) Program to be eligible for the Beverage Container Quality Infrastructure Grant Program. Although being “shovel ready” is not a requirement, eligible applicants must be or should be connected to existing registered curbside recycling programs, certified processors, certified collection/drop-off programs, or certified community service programs. Equipment costs necessary to acquire equipment must be submitted in the Budget document and include supporting documentation (i.e. quotes, bids, etc.) for each piece of equipment. Please refer to the CalRecycle Documents and Applicant Documents section of the Application Guidelines and Instructions (Revised) document.
- I am a wash line processor. Can grant funding be used for more than just sorting equipment for whole bottles?
No. Only equipment related to sorting materials (e.g., new lines, new belts, robotic arms, scales, optical sorters and other equipment to provide a cleaner material stream) are considered eligible costs. Equipment related to the washing of materials would not be considered eligible under the Beverage Container Quality Infrastructure Grant Program. Please refer to the Eligible Costs section of the Procedures and Requirements document.
- Since post-grind PET flakes are still “beverage container material,” am I able to address aspects of my process beyond bottle sorting equipment?
No. Equipment related to sorting materials (e.g., new lines, new belts, robotic arms, scales, optical sorters and other equipment to provide a cleaner material stream) are considered eligible costs. Equipment related to materials post-sorting and post-processing would not be considered eligible under the Beverage Container Quality Infrastructure Grant Program. Please refer to the Eligible Costs section of the Procedures and Requirements document.
- Would AI sorting technology that is part of CRV beverage container collection equipment (i.e. RVM, Bag Drop, Mobile Technology) be considered eligible under the Beverage Container Quality Infrastructure Grant Program?
No. Costs associated with CRV beverage container collection equipment or technology would not be considered eligible under the Beverage Container Quality Infrastructure Grant Program. Only equipment related to sorting materials and software technology related to sorting materials of empty beverage container material from existing curbside programs, collection/drop-off programs or community service programs would be considered eligible projects/costs. Please refer to the Eligible Costs section of the Procedures and Requirements document and the Eligibility, Scoring Criteria, and Evaluation Process for the Beverage Containers Quality Infrastructure Grant Program.
- Would technology, such as cameras and software to assess a material’s route for targeted outreach to reduce contamination, be an eligible expense?
No, technology and/or software to assess a material’s route for targeted outreach to reduce contamination would not be considered an eligible cost under the Beverage Container Quality Infrastructure Grant Program. The Beverage Container Quality Infrastructure Grant Program focuses on updating existing infrastructure related to sorting of collected materials. Please refer to the Eligible/Ineligible Costs sections within the Procedures and Requirements document.
- Would building a bunker at a MRF that improves the sorting, separating, and decontamination of beverage containers be an eligible expense?
No, costs associated with expanding a facility are not considered eligible under the Beverage Container Quality Infrastructure Grant Program. Please refer to the Ineligible Costs section of the Procedures and Requirements document.
- Can grant funds be used for marketing or promotional campaigns aimed at increasing community engagement with the improved recycling infrastructure?
No, Education and Outreach are not considered eligible under the Beverage Container Quality Infrastructure Grant Program. Please refer to the Ineligible Costs section of the Procedures and Requirements document.
- Can the applicant apply for funding to retrofit existing facilities with energy-efficient upgrades, such as solar panels?
No, facility improvements are not considered eligible under the Beverage Container Quality Infrastructure Grant Program. Please refer to the Ineligible Costs section of the Procedures and Requirements document.
- Can funds be used to train staff on operating new equipment purchased through the grant? If so, would this be considered a direct cost?
Yes, but training costs would be limited to five percent of the combined costs for licensing and permitting, indirect costs, and salaries not directly related to construction or installation. Please refer to the Indirect Costs section of the Procedures and Requirements document.
- Is a certified Collection Program eligible to apply for Beverage Container Quality Infrastructure Grant Program funds that would be used to expand an existing Workforce Development Grant project?
Yes, Certified Collection (CP) Programs are considered eligible applicants under the Beverage Container Quality Infrastructure Grant Program, however, the project must include infrastructure costs related to sorting of empty beverage container material. The expansion of an existing Workforce Development Grant project would not be eligible. Please refer to the Eligible Applicants section of the Applications Guidelines and Instructions (Revised) document and the Criteria Request for Approval.
- As noted on page 7 of the BCQIGP Application Guidelines and Instructions, the Eligible Projects section states that newcurbside recycling programs, collection/drop-off programs or community service programs are not eligible under the BCQIGP In this case, is “new” defined as a start-up program under the BCQIGP or is there a broader definition of “new” projects?
Applicants must be certified or registered at the time of application. The Beverage Container Quality Infrastructure Grant Program is not for start-up programs, but for existing programs which support the goals outlined in Section 14549.1 of the Public Resources Code. Please refer to the Eligible Applicants section of the Applications Guidelines and Instructions (Revised) document and the Criteria Request for Approval.
- We are a certified processor of curbside bales of PET. We have been evaluating a project to add two optical sorters to our sorting system to better clean the PET stream of contamination while also improving yield. Does this sound like a good project to be submitted in our grant application?
Adding optical sorting equipment would be considered an eligible cost under the Beverage Container Quality Infrastructure Grant Program. Please refer to the Eligible/Ineligible Costs sections within the Procedures and Requirements document.
- Can QIG funds be used to increase recovery of additional CRV and non-CRV material?
No, this program is not focused on increased recovery of CRV materials; it is focused on updating sorting infrastructure to decrease contamination. However, we do need to understand how much CRV material is within the outgoing bales since the program is focused on beverage container materials. Please refer to the Material Flow Chart requirement within the Applicant’s Documents section within the Application Guidelines and Instructions (Revised) document.
Funding
- Is this a reimbursement grant or do we get advanced the funds (if awarded) at the beginning of the grant term?
Payments are made to the grantee on a reimbursement basis and only for eligible activities, products, and costs specifically included in the approved Work Plan and approved Budget. To be eligible for reimbursement, costs must be incurred and fully paid (payments must be cleared). All grant-funded costs must be incurred after receiving a Notice to Proceed and before the end of the Grant Term. For additional information, refer to the Procedures and Requirements document.
- Can we use the grant money for software technology as an app where residents can use the app to sort materials before putting the material in the residential blue-bin? The app will serve as an educational tool for residents and consequently lessen contamination.
Although software technology related to sorting materials is an eligible cost; the software must be related to equipment purchased. Education and Outreach are ineligible costs under the Beverage Container Quality Infrastructure Grant Program. Please refer to the Eligible Costs and Ineligible Costs sections of the Procedures and Requirements document.
- Can the grant money be used to embed the software technology in the collection truck to determine if the materials are contaminated?
No, the focus of the Quality Infrastructure Grant Program is for the purchasing of infrastructure at the facilities where material is sorted. Please refer to the Eligible Costs section of the Procedures and Requirements document.
- Under AB 179, will CalRecycle offer this program again or is the Beverage Container Quality Infrastructure Grant Program a one-time only opportunity? If ongoing, how often will the grant be offered?
The Beverage Container Quality Infrastructure Grant Program is a one-time appropriation.
Application
- When are applications due for the Beverage Container Quality Infrastructure Grant Program?
Applications are due no later than 11:59 p.m. on November 519, 2024. (Revised)
- The word count cap in the Narrative Proposal is making it difficult to adequately answer the questions asked. What should I do?
The responses to the Narrative Proposal should be clear and concise. The response size for each question in the Narrative Proposal is in place to ensure responses are succinct, detailed, and most importantly, that they address each of the criteria in the Eligibility, Scoring Criteria, and Evaluation Process for the Beverage Containers Quality Infrastructure Grant Program. Tampering with the official CalRecycle version or otherwise circumventing imposed character limits, will subject the applicant to disqualification.
- The Business Flow section of the QIG1 Application Guidelines and Instructions includes this bullet point: The flow chart must include the following information as it applies to the project: Manufacturer within California who will purchase the sorted and cleaned materials for reuse in new beverage containers. Is this information only required to be stated in the grant application if a known manufacturer within California is accepting the materials or can an applicant also state other manufacturers located outside of California?
Manufacturers located outside of California may be included in the Business Flow Chart.
- On page 2 of the QIG Narrative Proposal Document, applicants are asked to describe their relationship to, and their role with the Quality Incentive Payment Program. Could CalRecycle provide additional directions regarding the information that is requested?
Yes, applicants would need to identify whether they are currently receiving or are eligible to receive Quality Incentive Payments. Please refer to the Eligibility, Scoring Criteria, and Evaluation Process for the Beverage Containers Quality Infrastructure Grant Program.
- Are resumes required for this grant application?
No, resumes are not required as part of the application. Please refer to the Application Guidelines and Instructions (Revised) document.
- We are a certified processor. To make FDA approved rPET resin clean again, PCR bottles go through sort, grind, and wash processes. We need to upgrade the optical sorter (both bottle and flake) to increase our yield and quality on our finished rPET flake. How do we proceed with this grant application?
Certified processors are considered eligible applicants under the Beverage Container Quality Infrastructure Grant Program. The purchase of optical sorters is considered an eligible cost. Please refer to the Eligible Costs section of the Procedures and Requirements document.
- Can you please provide an example of a completed Material flow chart and Business flow chart?
CalRecycle has provided templates/examples that applicants may use, or applicants may develop their own with the requirements included. Please refer to the Business/Material Flow Chart requirements within the Applicant’s Documents section within the Application Guidelines and Instructions (Revised) document.
- Why is the department asking for yield rates from end processors prior to sale of material to manufacturers on the Material Flow diagram?
The Material Flow Chart does not require yield rates. Please refer to the Material Flow Chart requirements within the Applicant’s Documents section within the Application Guidelines and Instructions (Revised) document.
- Under the Terms and Conditions, Exhibit A – Ownership of Drawings, Plans, and Specifications, can you please site the legislative authority for the department to require, as part of this grant, an applicant to provide CalRecycle complete access to company confidential, proprietary, patented, copyrighted, and other business information related to the Grant application?
CalRecycle is not requiring an applicant to provide the items referenced in the question. However, CalRecycle may request copies of any data, drawings, design plans, specifications, photographs, negatives, audio and video productions, films, recordings, reports, findings, recommendations, and memoranda of every description, or any part thereof, prepared under the Grant Agreement. Please refer to the Ownership of Drawings, Plans, and Specifications within the Terms and Conditions document.
- Can you please show the formula and calculation the department will use to evaluate the decrease in contamination?
CalRecycle will not use a formula to evaluate the decrease in contamination. It is the applicant’s responsibility to determine the decrease in contamination that will be the result of the new infrastructure. CalRecycle will evaluate the application based on the information provided within the application to support the reduction. Please refer to the QIG1 Scoring Assessment document.
- Under the Scoring Criteria Sheet, Budget, the sheet indicates that “the budget template must include all necessary costs to complete the project, including costs other than grant funds.” Can you please provide a link or template where the applicant will include costs other than those listed on the grant budget sheet template?
The applicant may include (i.e. reference) other funding costs within the Budget section of the Narrative Proposal document. Please refer to the Application Guidelines and Instructions (Revised) document.
- Can you please provide the definitions for baseline material collected, gross unprocessed material, gross pre-processed material, and gross processed material from the Material Flow Chart?
The baseline material collected would be defined as the current volume of material that is currently collected by the MRF, Community Service Program, or the Collection Program before the material is received by the Processor.
Gross unprocessed material would include the volume being received by the Processor.
Gross pre-processed material would include the volume of material sorted and cleaned prior to cancellation.
Gross processed material would include the volume of sorted, cleaned, and cancelled CRV material prior to being purchased by the Manufacturer.