Notice of Funds Available: Co-Digestion Grant Program (FY 2021/22 and FY 2022/23)

The application period for fiscal year (FY) 2021-22 and 2022-23 is closed.

Awards | CriteriaEligibilityFundingTimeline & Cycle DetailsGrant Administration Documents

The Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) administers a program to provide funding to build new and expanded food waste co-digestion projects at existing wastewater treatment plants to achieve greenhouse gas emissions reductions by significantly increasing the tonnage of California-generated organic waste diverted from landfills to co-digestion systems.

Awards

Note: “COD” followed by a number is the cycle code for the Co-Digestion Grant Program

Eligibility

Applicants

Two applications (one wastewater treatment plant per application) per qualifying entity will be accepted.

Eligible applicants include:

  • Local governments
  • Cities, counties, and cities and counties as defined in Public Resources Code section 30109.
  • Regional or local sanitation agencies, waste agencies, or Joint Powers Authorities.

California Labor Code section 1782 prohibits charter cities from receiving state funds or financial assistance for construction projects if those cities do not comply with sections 1770– 1782 of the Labor Code. CalRecycle requires that any application that includes a charter city include a certification by the applicant that all charter cities included in the application are eligible to receive grant funds for the project described in the application. If it is later found that grant funds were received in violation of Labor Code section 1782, the grant will be terminated, and the grantee will be required to return any grant funds

Projects

Eligible projects include:

  • Design, construction, and installation of new and expanded food waste co-digestion systems at existing publicly owned wastewater treatment plants.

Project Requirements:

  1. Project must be located at an existing publicly owned wastewater treatment plant in California.
  2. Project site must have an existing anaerobic digestion system with excess digestion capacity.
  3. Project must either have an existing food waste receiving station with excess capacity on-site or propose to construct a new or expanded food waste receiving station infrastructure that allows for direct receipt of food waste into the anaerobic digester(s).
    1. A project that proposes to receive food waste at the headworks or through the sewage system for co-digestion is ineligible.
  4. Project must demonstrate an increase in permanent capacity for the co-digestion of food waste as a result of the grant.
  5. Project must co-digest food waste and utilize the biogas that is generated to produce transportation fuel, renewable electricity, heat, or biomethane for pipeline injection.

Funding

  • $19,000,000 available for fiscal years (FYs) 2021–22 and 2022–23   
  • $1,000,000 Minimum and $4,000,000 Maximum per grant award

Timeline and Cycle Details

DatesActivity and Details
April 28, 2022Question 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: ghgreductions@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.

May 19, 2022Application Due Date

If you are unable to access GMS or need assistance, please send an email to grantassistance@calrecycle.ca.gov.

June 9, 2022Secondary Due Date - Resolution and Environmentally Preferable Purchasing and Practices (EPPP) Policy

  • If the resolution is not submitted with the application: The approved resolution must be uploaded in GMS by this date.
  • If the applicant does not have an EPPP Policy at the time of application: An EPPP Policy must be adopted by this date.

September, 2022Grants Awarded
CalRecycle considers funding recommendations, and if approved, conditionally awards grants in this month (tentative).
April 1, 2025Deadline 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.

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