Notice of Funds Available: Beverage Container Redemption Innovation Grant Program, Cycle 9 - Reverse Vending Machine (FYs 2023-24 and 2024-25)

Criteria | Eligibility | Funding | Timeline and Cycle Details | Grant Administration Documents

The Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) administers a program to provide opportunities to support start-up costs for reverse-vending machine (RVM) programs. The goal is to increase the California Refund Value (CRV) beverage container redemption opportunities that utilize innovative projects.

Criteria

Approval of Criteria, March 25, 2026

Eligibility

Applicants

Existing Certified Recycling Center: An existing certified recycling center is defined as an operation certified by CalRecycle to accept empty beverage containers and pay California Redemption Value (CRV) to consumers.
New Recycling Center Business: A new recycling center business is defined as an applicant who intends to apply, and is eligible to become, a certified recycling center. The new recycling center must be certified and permitted under local authority prior to the issuance of the Notice to Proceed (NTP) email.

Organizational types within the two eligible applicants identified above include:

Nonprofit Organizations. Nonprofit organizations (except private K-12 schools) registered with the federal government under 501(c)3, (c)6, or (c)10 of the Internal Revenue Code.
Local Governments. California cities, counties, and other local government entities.
Joint Powers Authorities (JPA). All participating JPA members must be eligible. .
Private Entities and For-Profit Businesses.
Public Colleges and Universities.
Qualifying Tribal Entities.
- A Qualifying Tribal Entity is defined as a tribe, band, nation, or other organized group or community, residing within the borders of California, which:
  1. is recognized for special programs and services provided by the United States because of the status of its members as Native Americans; or
  2. can establish that it is a government entity that meets the grant program’s criteria.

Projects

All Projects must be located within an unserved zone, or no zone, at time of award unless either of the following exceptions apply:

The applicant is the recycling center currently serving the zone.
They are the sole recycling center within the zone.

Eligible Project Definition:

Reverse Vending Machine. A mechanical device which accepts one or more types of empty beverage containers and issues a cash refund or redeemable credit slip with a value not less than the container’s refund value.

Eligible projects include:

Reverse Vending Machine Program. An RVM Program is one in which RVM units will be purchased by a Certified Recycling Center for installation and use at their Certified Recycling Center or at a separate location if independently certified under Chapter 5 Division 2 of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations.

Funding

$18,000,000 is available for fiscal years (FYs) 2023-24 and 2024-25
$400,000 is the minimum per grant award
$2,500,000 is the maximum per grant award

Timeline and Cycle Details

Application Guidelines and Instructions

Dates	Activity and Details
May 27, 2026	Question and Answer Period and Due Date Questions may be submitted from application release date to this date Questions regarding the application and its requirements must be submitted in writing via e-mail to BevContainerGrants@calrecycle.ca.gov Questions and answers (Q&A) will be posted periodically during the Q&A period. It is the applicant's responsibility to check the Q&A web page regularly to ensure that they are aware of all program details.
June 23, 2026	Application Due Date Application Access: applications must be submitted via the Grants Management System (GMS) by this date. Customer service will only be provided until 4:00 p.m. on the application due date. If you are unable to access GMS or need assistance you may send an email to grantassistance@calrecycle.ca.gov.
July 21, 2026	Secondary Due Date for Required Authorization documents Approved Resolution, Letter of Commitment, or any other Applicant’s Required Authorization Documents must be uploaded in GMS by this date if it was not submitted with the application. If the applicant does not have an EPPP Policy at the time of application, an EPPP Policy must be adopted by this date.
October 2026 (Tentative)	Grants Awarded CalRecycle considers funding recommendations, and if approved, conditionally awards grants in this month (tentative).
April 1, 2028	Deadline for Final Report and Final Payment Request

Grant Administration Documents

Terms and Conditions

Notice: Submission of an application constitutes an acknowledgment that you have read these Terms and Conditions and understood and agreed that they will be part of the Grant Agreement upon an award of any grant funds.

The text of these Terms and Conditions may not be altered, changed or revised in any way, except in writing by mutual agreement of the parties pursuant to the Amendment provision herein. In the event of any dispute regarding the content of these Terms and Conditions, the original document contained in the grant cycle file located at the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, 1001 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814 will control. These Terms and Conditions are applicable only to the specified cycle and/or Fiscal Year of the particular grant program specified.

If you require assistance in obtaining access to this document, please use the contact information at the bottom of this page.

Procedures and Requirements

Notice: These Procedures and Requirements are in draft form. Upon issuance of Grant Agreement, these Procedures and Requirements shall become final.

The Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery reserves the right to make any necessary changes to the Procedures and Requirements prior to issuance of the Grant Agreement. Any such changes will be non-negotiable. In the event that any changes are made to the Procedures and Requirements, all Grantees will be notified as to what specific changes have been made.

Once the Grant Agreement has been issued and the Procedures and Requirements have become final, the text of the incorporated Procedures and Requirements may not be altered, changed or revised in any way, except in writing by mutual agreement of the parties pursuant to the Amendment provision contained in the Terms and Conditions. In the event of any dispute regarding the content of the incorporated Procedures and Requirements, the original document contained in the grant cycle file located at the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, 1001 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814 will control. These Procedures and Requirements are applicable only to the specific cycle and/or Fiscal Year of the particular grant program specified.