Questions and Answers: Beverage Container Redemption Innovation Grant Program FYs 2022–23 and 2023–24

Questions about the Beverage Container Redemption Innovation Grant Program grant application are accepted in writing only, no later than July 24, 2025. Similar or related questions may be grouped together or reworded for clarity and responded to as one question.

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

What does NTP mean in the RIG3 Program?
NTP stands for Notice to Proceed. This terminology is specific to the RIG Program and separate from the certification process/approval from the Division of Recycling. The grant term begins on the date of the NTP email. This email is the formal notification from CalRecycle authorizing the grantee to begin the grant project and incur costs for the RIG project. Expenditures made or costs incurred prior to the NTP date are not eligible for reimbursement.
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 recycling centers? What other debts are typically due from recycling centers in the current program?
An outstanding debt includes any payment(s) owed to CalRecycle. This may include, but is not limited to, fines, violations, 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 grant period is through April 1, 2027. Does this mean that all grant funds need to be used/invoiced by that date?
Yes, all costs must be incurred and equipment delivered prior to April 1, 2027. The Redemption Innovation Grant Program is a reimbursement program. A grantee will only be able to be reimbursed for authorized expenses made during the grant term. Equipment must be purchased and delivered, and installed, if applicable, prior to the grant term end date.
If my organization received a previous RIG award or Pilot Project award, can we apply for RIG3?
If you are a current recycling center who has previously received grant funding from the Beverage Container Recycling Fund within the past five years, you may apply but the eligible project for RIG3 needs to be a different innovative method of redemption (i.e. RVM, Bag-drop, and Mobile) from what was previously funded.
Do I need to hire a grant writer to apply for the Beverage Container Redemption Innovation Grant Program?
No, it is not a requirement that you hire a grant writer to apply for the Beverage Container Redemption Innovation Grant Program. If you choose to hire a consultant, understand what is being submitted on your behalf. Before you sign and submit the application documents, make sure that you read all the documents and confirm that the information provided represents your project completely.
Does CalRecycle have a preferred equipment list?
No. CalRecycle does not have, nor will CalRecycle provide, a preferred equipment list.

Eligibility

Can a Recycling Center apply for RIG3 and use the equipment as a Redemption Contractor for a Dealer Cooperative? No, equipment funded by RIG3 would not be eligible to be used for Dealer Cooperative related activities. Certified Recycling Centers are not able to operate in an unserved convenience zone where a Dealer Cooperative is present.
Can a legal entity which holds two Recycling Center Certifications submit two separate applications for each Recycling Center? No, any and all subsidiaries, divisions or affiliated businesses are considered part of the primary business entity for the purpose of applying for and receiving a grant award under the program. A business is considered an “affiliated business” if it has at least one owner with a forty (40) percent or greater interest in another applicant’s business. Only one application per business entity will be considered. If an applicant submits more than one application, it will be the applicant’s responsibility to decide which application should go forward. If the additional application(s) are not withdrawn, all applications from that applicant will be disqualified.
Can pilot program redemption centers apply for RIG3? No, Pilot Project Recyclers are not eligible for RIG3. A Certified Recycling Center that also operates as a Pilot Project Recycler would be eligible to apply for the Beverage Container Redemption Innovation Grant Program Cycle 3 (RIG3). However, a different eligible project type (i.e. RVM, Bag Drop, Mobile) would need to be proposed than what was previously awarded for the Redemption Pilot Program Grant. For additional information, refer to the Eligible Applicants and Eligible Projects sections within the Application Guidelines and Instructions document.
Do Recycling Centers in No Zones qualify for Mobile, Bag Drop, and RVM project scopes under RIG3? Yes, all projects must be located within an unserved convenience zone or no convenience zone at time of award, or within the served convenience zone that the applicant’s Recycling Center is currently serving.
Are public agencies, such as local governments and counties, eligible to apply as that category was not mentioned on CalRecycle’s website or in the Guidelines and Instructions? The eligible applicants for the Beverage Container Redemption Innovation Grant Program Cycle 3 (RIG3) are existing or new certified Recycling Centers. The existing or new certified Recycling Center must be either a nonprofit organization, a private entity, or a for-profit business. For additional information, refer to the Eligible Applicants section of the Application Guidelines and Instructions document.
Can an operator establishing a new recycling center or redemption method (e.g., Bag Drop) in an area previously impacted by wildfires still receive priority, or does CalRecycle give priority only to re-establishing previously existing recycling centers in those affected regions?
Priority will only be given to the re-establishment of a previously existing recycling center(s) in those regions impacted by wildfires. For additional information, refer to the Eligibility Criteria and Evaluation Process for the Redemption Innovation Grant Program (Beverage Container Recycling Fund, Fiscal Years 2022–23, 2023–24 and 2024–25).
Can grant funds be administered as multiple microgrants from a local government or Certified Recycling Center to dealers in a jurisdiction for them to purchase and operate RVMs to alleviate their administrative burden of individual grant management?
Only Certified Recycling Centers are eligible to apply for the Beverage Container Redemption Innovation Grant Program (RIG3 – FY 2022–23 & 2023–24). However, a Certified Recycling Center would be eligible to apply to implement an RVM project at multiple Dealer locations.

Certification

Do applicants need to be certified and operational before the Grant Agreement is executed?
After an Applicant is awarded a grant, they will receive a Grant Agreement. The Grant Agreement needs to be signed by the Signature Authority and returned to CalRecycle no later than 60 days after receiving your notice of award. Awardees must be certified before receiving the Notice to Proceed (NTP). In addition, grantees must be operational within a designated time period, as stipulated in their Grant Agreement.

Eligible Projects

If a Recycling Center serves a convenience zone that also includes overlap from neighboring convenience zones served by other Recycling Centers, would our Recycling Center be an eligible applicant?
Yes, the Recycling Center would be eligible to apply for the Redemption Innovation Grant Program. However, the project locations must be within the areas of the zone solely served by the applicant, or within an unserved convenience zone or no zone area. For additional information, please refer to the Eligibility Criteria and Evaluation Process for the Redemption Innovation Grant Program (Beverage Container Recycling Fund, Fiscal Years 2022–23, 2023-24 and 2024-25).
Does opening a new recycling center that only does weigh-and-pay suffice as an eligible project type?
No. New recycling centers will be required to include one or more innovative methods of redemption (Mobile, Bag Drop, or RVM) to be considered eligible for funding.
If a company received RIG1 funding in a previous cycle for a Bag Drop and RVM project at one location, can that same company apply in RIG3 (serving a different zone) for a new Bag Drop or RVM program at a different site? Is this limitation assessed at the company level or the site level?
No, if an entity received previous grant funding from the Beverage Container Recycling Fund within the past five years for RVM and Bag Drop, the eligible project for RIG3 would need to be a different innovative method of redemption such as mobile. The limitation is on the entity.
Can an individual application (e.g., for Mobile Units, RVM) include multiple project sites and types under the same application?
Yes, an individual application may include multiple project sites and multiple eligible project types within the same application. For additional information, refer to the Eligible Projects section of the Application Guidelines and Instructions document.
Is there a maximum distance (e.g., radius in aerial miles) that all included sites must fall within?
No, there is not a maximum distance that the proposed project sites must fall within. However, all eligible project sites must be within an unserved zone, no zone or within a zone served by the applicant.
Would the proximity of project sites impact project eligibility, scoring, or funding decisions?
No, there are no implications based on the proposed project site proximity for eligibility or funding decisions.
If I establish a new entity that has not previously received a RIG grant, would that entity be eligible to apply for the same form of innovation that was previously funded under a separate entity I’m affiliated with?
No, any and all subsidiaries, divisions or affiliated businesses are considered part of the primary business entity for the purpose of applying for and receiving a grant award under the program. A business is considered an “affiliated business” if it has at least one owner with a forty (40) percent or greater interest in another applicant’s business. If the owner was previously awarded funding under a different entity, the owner would still required to apply for a different innovative method of redemption from what was previously funded. For additional information, refer to the Individual Application section of the Application Guidelines and Instructions document.
If a tiered scoring system is being used again in this round, like in RIG1, will existing recycling centers be prioritized or awarded before new sites?
The Beverage Container Redemption Innovation Grant Program Cycle 3 (RIG3) will not be scored and awards will be determined by a random selection drawing. Also, there is no priority for existing or new Recycling Center. Only the re-establishment of a Recycling Center due to a wildfire will be given priority. For additional information, refer to the Eligible Applicants and Evaluation Process sections of the Eligibility Criteria and Evaluation Process for the Redemption Innovation Grant Program (Beverage Container Recycling Fund, Fiscal Years 2022–23, 2023-24 and 2024-25) document.
Is an eligible project one where the mobile unit and “anchor recycling center” are the same? For example, is a mobile van setting up at jurisdictions and pop-up events the same as a weigh and pay Recycling Center?
No. The anchor recycling center must already be an established site serving the convenience zone it is within, and the mobile project operation would be conducted at a different location in the recycling center’s convenience zone or in an unserved convenient zone approved by CalRecycle. Any material redeemed via the mobile unit must be returned to the anchor recycling center by the end of the day in which it was redeemed.
We are proposing retrofitting a warehouse to construct stalls allowing cars to access parking spaces, with the intent to offload and deposit their CRV material directly into bulk vending machines. We will also be installing electrical infrastructure and cash payment machines. Is site prep (i.e. grading and paving the parking lot) and engineering costs (i.e. electrical) eligible for the RIG3 grant?
No. Site prep (i.e. constructing stalls and/or paving of a parking lot) would be considered an ineligible cost. Only the engineering for electrical and construction costs associated with the installation of the infrastructure would be considered eligible.

Funding

No questions at this time.

Application

Can the entire award amount be used for the same project type (e.g., all RVM)?
Yes, an entire award amount may be utilized for the same project type or multiple different project types. All costs associated with the project must be included in the Budget document that is submitted with the application.
The application requires Access Agreements for each proposed site location at the time of submission. Will CalRecycle provide a standard template or recommended format for these agreements? If not, are there specific terms, clauses, or elements that must be included to satisfy this requirement?
CalRecycle will not provide templates or a recommended format for Access Agreements. The Access Agreement(s) is a contract between the Grantee and property owner that authorizes the Lead Grantee permission to enter and use the landowner’s property for the operation of the proposed Redemption Innovation Grant project and for the intended duration of the Grant Term. For additional information, refer to the Access Agreement section of the Application Guidelines and Instructions document.
Can RIG3 funds be used to construct a facility that supports CRV redemption activities, such as a warehouse or indoor recycling center, on land that was not acquired by grant funding?
No, costs related to construction of a facility are not eligible under the Beverage Container Redemption Innovation Grant Program Cycle 3 (RIG3). For additional information, refer to the Eligible Costs and Ineligible Costs sections of the Procedures and Requirements document.