Questions and Answers: Reuse Grant Program (FY 2019-20)

General

1. Will there be any workshops/webinars that overview the program?

At this time, there are no planned workshops or webinars. There will be a webinar orientation for new grantees after the grants are awarded. For an overview of the Reuse Grant Program application process, please see the application documents including the Application Guidelines and Instructions. For an overview of the Reuse Grant Program please see the Reuse Grant Program homepage and the Procedures and Requirements.

2. Is existing customer traction in California a criterion that will be taken into consideration by the panel that will examine each application? If yes, how do you measure the importance of customer traction in California?

One scoring criterion is “the project is economically viable.” If the project requires customer traction in order to be economically viable, this will be considered in the Project Viability Scoring described in the Application Guidelines and Instructions.

3. Do you have a quota of grants for city/regional government; nonprofit or private enterprise submissions?

No, there is no quota.

4. Would you prefer multiple stakeholders to submit collectively for a project or one lead organization to submit with collaborating stakeholders listed?

If multiple entities are collaborating on a single project, one entity will be the applicant, and the other entities should be referenced in the application as partners or collaborators. The applicant is legally responsible for grant administration, if awarded.

5. Will the Reuse Grant Program have another cycle for FY 2020–21? 

This is the first and pilot cycle of the Reuse Grant Program, and no additional cycles have been decided on at this time. Please be sure to subscribe to the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Programs listserv to stay apprised of any future cycles.

6. Local businesses, especially restaurants, are struggling to stay open during the pandemic, making it a challenging time to run a program aimed at helping them reduce single-use items. If COVID-19 continues longer than expected, is CalRecycle considering allowing an extension of the timeline to complete work due to a delayed start, or an ability to return unused grant funds if the program is not feasible during the pandemic? Outreach to businesses and businesses’ capacity to engage may be limited.

There are no plans for extensions to the grant term timeline at this time. Should work be delayed due to COVID-19, CalRecycle plans to work with each grantee on an individual basis to ensure that grant funds can be expended to achieve project success.

Eligibility

1. When reviewing the list of eligible projects, the recovery of lumber, wood flooring, or wood furniture from landfills is an eligible project. Does the product have to physically be recovered from a landfill? We operate a program to reuse products that were landfill-bound, but we do not recover directly from the landfill.

Lumber, wood flooring, or wood furniture recovered at a landfill, or that would have been sent to a landfill but recovered elsewhere are both eligible.

2. Our Public School District is planning to transition away from single-use foodware items in our cafeterias to reusable materials. Are public school districts eligible to apply?

Yes, public school districts in California are eligible applicants under the Reuse Grant Program.

3. Is the recovery of urban wood that would otherwise end up in landfills, considered under the “Recovery of lumber, wood flooring, or wood furniture from landfills or through deconstruction projects for reuse” a project type? Examples are urban wood, being logs and lumber from the removal of urban trees. Removal would be necessary only when the tree is dead, diseased, declining, and/or poses some sort of risk.

No, recovery from tree removal and tree mortality is not eligible.

4. Would a project to install a Fats, Oils, and Grease receiving station into anaerobic digestion at a wastewater plant be acceptable under this program? We intend on conducting a Biogas utilization study to evaluate the increased biogas production and construct a beneficial alternative to flaring our biomethane.

Fats, oils, and grease are not an eligible feedstock, and anaerobic digestion projects are not an eligible project type for the Reuse Grant Program.

5. Referring to: Recovery of lumber, wood flooring, or wood furniture from landfills or through deconstruction projects for reuse. Is “recovery…from landfill” the priority criteria or “for reuse”? We plan to recover lumber (C&D) from landfills, but instead of putting it back to use as lumber, we will change it into wood vinegar, an organic pesticide. So the lumber will not be reused as lumber, but it will be recovered from landfill. Is that an eligible project?

No, recovery of lumber for wood vinegar is not eligible under the Reuse Grant Program.

6. Our city has been exploring a pilot composting program for some of our neighborhoods where the City provides compost bins, and we then monitor the reduction in waste and its concurring effects on the reduction of contamination in our potential recyclable material. Can this be an eligible project for the funding?

Composting, including collection of compost bins for waste characterization, is not eligible under the Reuse Grant Program.

7. Are food recovery programs eligible under this program? We would procure someone to establish a food recovery stream for our local businesses.

Food recovery projects are not eligible under the Reuse Grant Program. Please see the Food Waste Prevention and Rescue Grant Program for more information on funding for projects which rescue food to feed hungry people.

8. Would replacing drinking fountains to include refillable stations in government public facilities be an eligible program under the Reuse Grant Program? Locations would include City government building, Convention Center, Senior Center, City Community Center, Municipal Airport, City Corporation Yards, Fleet Yards and Water Treatment Plants.

RevisedReplacement of single-use water bottles is not an eligible project type. Replacing drinking fountains with refillable stations is not an eligible project type because it doesn’t replace a single-use containers with refillables. Please see the Ineligible Eligible Projects section in the Application Guidelines and Instructions. For more details on beverage containers that are subject to the Beverage Container Recycling Program, please see the Beverage Container Recycling Program homepage. Please visit the Beverage Container Recycling Grant Program web page for information on that program’s upcoming cycle.

9. Our County is seeking funds to increase wood recovery, especially wooden pallets from warehouses and wineries. Would expenditures on collection and processing equipment for wooden pallet recovery be considered an eligible project within the description, “Recovery of lumber, wood flooring, or wood furniture from landfills or through deconstruction projects for reuse”?

Yes, funding for equipment used to transport and minimally process lumber for resale or reuse is eligible under the Reuse Grant Program. Please see the Eligible Costs section in the Application Guidelines and Instructions.

10. For a project under the project category type: Replacement of single-use containers with refillables beverage bottles project. Can we use refillable bottles replacing single use bottles from the beer, wine, and non-alcoholic (soda, tea, kombucha, etc.) categories in our project?

Projects which replace or reuse beverage containers that are subject to the Beverage Container Recycling Program are ineligible under the Reuse Grant Program.

11. We are a new nonprofit organization in California. We are doing a construction project and would love to use local recycled or reclaimed redwood as a major part of our project. It seems like the Reuse Grant would be a perfect way to secure this kind of funding. The language in the Application Guidelines and Instructions suggests that this grant is primarily for suppliers, not buyers such as ourselves. Is that true, or is our project an eligible use of the grant (provided we hit the minimum budget)?

The Reuse Grant Program intends to fund the costs necessary to directly implement a project that recovers lumber, wood flooring, or wood furniture from landfills or through deconstruction projects, and not projects solely focused on the end use of the recovered lumber.

12. Our company has a program already in place for recovery of lumber from landfill – is the grant applicable only to implementation of new programs or are existing programs/upgrades to existing programs also eligible.

Existing operations are eligible only if the grant project results in increased diversion of an eligible material, and if the project meets all other requirements in the Application Guidelines and Instructions.

13. I wanted to learn more about the reusable utensils and how this program would work for schools. I am interested in applying and would like to know more.

Public school districts are eligible to apply and can implement a program that utilizes reusable utensils as part of their grant project.

14. Is the expansion of retail reuse operations eligible?

Yes, the expansion of retail reuse operations is eligible for one of the four project categories under the Reuse Grant Program. The project must also meet all other requirements in the Application Guidelines and Instructions.

15. Is the expansion of collection capacity (buying a truck) or improving the shop floor of a store which re-sells donated surplus and used home improvement items eligible?

Expansion of existing operations is eligible, including the purchase of a specialized vehicle used to transport lumber or reusables, as are site improvements on owned or long term leased properties directly related to the grant program.

16. Are project activities such as improving databases and doing outreach to bring in new customers for expansion of a store’s “subscription” program eligible? In my program customers ordering online receive spout pouches, which they then drain into their reused container before mailing back the same pouch for refill.

This program would be considered an eligible project type, so long as it is located in California, is replacing single-use containers that would have been disposed in California landfills with refillables, and meets all other requirements in the Application Guidelines and Instructions. Total costs associated with education and outreach is capped at a maximum of 25 percent of the requested grant amount.

17. I am writing to inquire about the eligibility for my California State Parks District to apply for grant funding. We would like to purchase animal-proof/recycle trash containers for the beach park units. Would this type of request meet the eligibility requirements of the Reuse Grant Program?

Purchase of trash or recycle containers are not eligible under the Reuse Grant Program. Please see the Beverage Container Recycling Grant Program.

18. Can a for-profit company partner with a hospital to apply for this grant together? We are a consulting company that implements sustainability initiatives in hospitals.

Revised Partnerships Collaborations are allowed under the Reuse Grant Program; however, only one eligible entity may apply. The applicant and its partner(s) collaborator(s) must demonstrate they have sufficient resources to execute and operate the project. The project must also meet all other requirements in the Application Guidelines and Instructions.

19. May we implement an existing solution or do all projects need to be “new” solutions?

Existing operations are eligible only if the grant project results in expansion of eligible activities that result in landfill diversion, and if the project meets all other requirements in the Application Guidelines and Instructions.

20. Do clinical items qualify for this grant? We would like to fund stainless steel hard case purchases in the operating room of hospitals or use reusable surgical wrap (find blue wrap alternatives).

Clinical items described in this question are not eligible under the Reuse Grant Program. Please see eligible project types in the Application Guidelines and Instructions.

21. Why are single-use CRV containers ineligible for the Reuse Grant Program?

Revised Eligible project types were chosen based on a number of factors, including feedback received from stakeholders, availability of other local and state funding, the findings from CalRecycle’s statewide waste characterization studies, and the limited funds available for the pilot cycle, and the degree to which project types are scalable and repeatable throughout California. Projects related to CRV containers can be funded under other grant programs such as the Beverage Container Redemption Pilot Program. Projects related to beverages container subject to California Refund Value are not eligible.  Notable exceptions are milk, wine and distilled spirits.  The Beverage Container Recycling Grant Program supports projects related to CRV containers. Containers for beverages such as milk, wine, and distilled spirits are eligible for the reuse grants.

22. As a non-profit, we support businesses, schools, and cities in making the transition from single-use disposable service-ware to reusables. Could we apply for funding for our services as well as for specific eligible direct costs for those we guide?

Eligible projects include those that result in the replacement of single-use food service ware with durable alternatives that will be reused. However, invoices for goods and services must be paid by the grantee in order to be reimbursable, and costs associated with education and outreach activities are capped at a maximum of 25 percent of the requested grant amount. Please see Eligible Costs section of the Application Guidelines and Instructions.

23. Would a manufacturer of reusable products (clamshells, bowls, utensils, etc.) with mass distribution to universities, high schools and corporate offices be eligible?

Yes, this project is eligible as long as the manufacturer is specifically replacing single-use food service ware (plates, cups, utensils) with durable alternatives that will be reused. See Eligible Projects in the Application Guidelines and Instructions.

24. Would a company that collects single-use plastics and remanufactures those recovered plastics back into new single-use plastics (for multiple generations) be eligible?

The collection of single use plastics and remanufacturing the plastics into other uses is not an eligible project type under the Reuse Grant Program.

25. We are very interested in applying for the grant so we can offer a reusable takeout service ware program to our restaurants. However, we are limited on full-time city staff. If we received the grant, we would like to hire a consultant to manage the program. Would consultant fees be an eligible grant expenditure?

Yes, consultant fees are eligible costs and are considered under the Personnel budget category. The total Personnel budget category is limited to a maximum of 25 percent of the requested grant amount. See additional details of eligible costs in the Application Guidelines and Instructions.

26. What are the expected deliverables/metrics and at what point do they need to be met? Does the impact have to exceed the value of the grant and if so, over what time?

The project must demonstrate a reduction in California landfill disposal and facilitate a reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions during the Grant Performance Period. For all projects except those that extend the useful life of lumber, wood flooring, or wood furniture, applicants must provide copies of peer-reviewed literature or studies that support the GHG emission reductions calculations. Please refer to the Application Guidelines and Instructions for additional details on required documents to submit. All awarded projects will be required to submit completed progress reports by the deadlines in the Milestones Table of the Procedures and Requirements. Please refer to the Reporting Requirements section of the Procedures and Requirements.

27. Is an organization eligible to apply to the grant if they have applied for 501(c)3 status, but do not yet have a letter of determination?

An applicant must meet all applicable business requirements at the time of application. If an organization is not an approved nonprofit organization, please review other eligible applicant categories such as “private, for-profit entities” to determine eligibility for other applicant types. See the Eligible Applicants section of the Application Guidelines and Instructions for more information.

28. Is the cost of a leased dishwasher an eligible cost, or does a dishwasher need to be bought outright to be covered? Our partner’s internal policy is to do long-term leases of dishwashers for more cost-effective maintenance.

Payments on long-term leases are not eligible costs. Equipment that is purchased by the grantee with grant funds is an eligible cost.

29. With the unknowns that COVID-19 presents, the roll-out of the reusables may be delayed, pending health code regulations. Are the costs of dishwashers, installation, and durable items to replace single-use foodware items eligible so long as they are installed and procured during the grant term? Do these need to be in use by the end of the term?

It is the intention of the grant program to not only have items procured and installed, but also demonstrably used during the grant term. All projects must facilitate reductions in GHG emissions and landfill disposal within the grant performance period, and these reductions do not occur unless the grant project is operating.

30. How important is the recyclability of the reusable product that is displacing single-use products? Must it be ultimately recyclable in addition to being reusable?

The reusable product is required to be reused in accordance with the Project Requirements and Eligible Projects sections of the Application Guidelines and Instructions. There are no specific requirements regarding the end-of-life recyclability of the reusable product, however CalRecycle encourages the production and use of recycled products.

31. Is permitting capped independently at 5 percent, or is it included in the 5 percent cap for indirect costs? 

Permitting is capped at 5 percent of the total requested grant budget. The costs of permits and associated activities to obtaining permits is not included in the 5 percent cap on indirect costs.

32. Is there a cap on design costs?

There is no limit on design costs. However, design costs must be directly related to the installation or construction of the project.

33. For the project type, “Replacement of single-use containers with refillables, including, but not limited to beverage, food, or personal care product containers,” are projects where the company is responsible for refilling the product allowed, or is the grant intended for solutions where the customer is responsible for refilling? Is either option acceptable?

Both are eligible if the project meets all other project requirements.

34. Are technology-related expenses (e.g. software development or subscriptions) that are directly related to and essential for project operations an eligible cost? If so, what budget category should these be listed under?

Technology-related expenses are eligible and must be listed under the budget category that most closely represents what project activity the expenses will be utilized for. This could include equipment, materials, education and outreach, or indirect costs. Please see page 19 of the Application Guidelines and Instructions for a description of the categories and any applicable caps on expenditures.

35. In terms of job creation requirements, can jobs be created at partner or contracted companies, or do jobs have to be directly created within the company applying for the grant? In either case, we understand that we must hire W-2 employees and abide by our EPPP policies. 

Salaries paid for by grant must be employed or contracted by the applicant/grantee.

36. We understand if we wish to establish facilities or expand existing facilities on property we do not own, we must prove that a legally binding long-term commitment has been executed detailing the approved use of the property for the duration of the grant term. In our circumstances, a lease on the space would likely not commence until after we find out if grant funds have been awarded. Can we provide an alternate form of documentation to meet this criterion? For example, a Letter of Intent between our company and a prospective landlord stating that if funds are awarded, then a long-term lease would be entered in to. 

Yes, a letter of intent can be accepted in lieu of a long-term agreement.  Upon award, the project will not receive a Notice to Proceed and cannot incur costs until a long-term lease commitment can be provided.

37. Would a project be eligible for this grant if the goal of the project was to create a centralized hub for textile storage/reuse/resell?

This would not be an eligible project type under the Reuse Grant Program.

38. If an education/outreach specialist is needed and hired, would their salary contribute towards the 25 percent education/outreach limit and the 25 percent personnel limit? 

Salaries fall under Personnel costs and are capped at 25 percent.

39. Can you define packaging? Do cup sleeves count as packaging?

“Packaging” is the material used for the containment, protection, handling, delivery, or presentation of goods by the producer for the user or consumer, ranging from raw materials to processed goods. Packaging includes, but is not limited to, all of the following:

Sales packaging or primary packaging intended to constitute a sales unit to the consumer at point of purchase and most closely contains the product, food, or beverage.

Grouped packaging or secondary packaging intended to brand or display the product.

Transport packaging is the material intended to protect a product during transport.

Note that an eligible project type is replacement of single-use transportation packaging with reusable transportation packaging. Not all single-use packaging is eligible under this project type.

40. Are we only able to choose one of the project types? If so, how should we choose between options that are equally representative of the work we are doing? Do double projects need to fall into one category, or may they overlap? 

A single project may include activities from any of the eligible project types, however the applicant must choose to apply under one of the eligible project types based on the primary activity.

41. As a nonprofit organization, can we be a lead applicant and or a partner on more than one proposal? Can we be included as a partner on more than one submission (not the lead applicant on either project)?

An organization may be an applicant on only one project. An organization may be a collaborator on multiple projects, but they would not be considered a grantee on those projects Joint applications are not allowed under this grant.

42. Regarding the personnel costs, if a consultant or third party is contracted for services, will their hours contribute to the project personnel costs that are limited to 25 percent of total project cost?

Yes, if the consultant or third party are directly working on the project. Those costs are subject to the maximum of 25 percent of total requested grant budget.

43. Should graphic design services for outreach materials be listed under Outreach and Education or Personnel?

If the costs are paying salaries to complete grant related activity, they are considered Personnel.  If costs are associated with a product related to education and outreach such as materials, they are considered under Education and Outreach.

44. If dishwashers or reusable products are purchased (or rented in the case of dishwashers) with grant funds, do these items go to CalRecycle after the term of the project or are they kept by the entity that is using them?

Items purchased using grant funds remain in the possession of the grantee or associated partners after the grant term. All grant-funded items must be in operation for at least five years past the grant term. Costs to rent equipment is ineligible.

45. Are we able to submit a joint application with another eligible entity? For example, could the City partner with another City, the County, downtown business association, or local school districts to submit a joint application?

Collaborations are allowed under the Reuse Grant Program; however, only one eligible entity may apply. The applicant and its collaborator(s) must demonstrate they have sufficient resources to execute and operate the project. The project must also meet all other requirements in the Application Guidelines and Instructions.

46. Due to COVID-19, many restaurants are offering take-out. Can grant funds be used to make reusable take-out containers? Can grant funds be used to make take-out contains more sustainable (e.g. compostable or recyclable) even if they are not reusable?

Replacing disposable take-out containers with reusables is an eligible project type. However, replacing disposable containers with compostable or recyclable containers is not an eligible activity.

47. The City is considering funding a program that would audit local businesses, especially food services, and City facilities for opportunities to switch from single-use items to reusable items. This would include outreach, provide source reduction recommendations and technical assistance, quantify impacts before/after, and possibly provide funding to help businesses pay for new reusable items or other items needed (dishwashers) to make the transition. Would a program like this be eligible?

Eligible projects include those that result in the replacement of single-use food service ware with durable alternatives that will be reused. However, invoices for goods and services must be paid by the grantee in order to be reimbursable, and costs associated with education and outreach activities are capped at a maximum of 25 percent of the requested grant amount. Please see Eligible Costs section of the Application Guidelines and Instructions.

48. I am interested in finding out whether, related to the lumber section, we are allowed to use Education and Outreach to fund: website design, development and updates that help us promote, get the word out about our grant activities, registration for contractors, and create a service for listing lumber open to the public? 

If the costs are paying salaries to complete grant related activity, they are considered Personnel. If costs are associated with a product related to education and outreach such as materials, they are considered under Education and Outreach. Advertisement or promotion of product sales are an ineligible cost.

49. I see that the limit for salaries is 25 percent of the total grant requested. We are proposing an educational component of our program and wondering if we can use stipends or contractors to provide programming? If so, could that be outside of the 25 percent limit, or would it be included? 

If the costs are paying salaries to complete grant related activity, they are considered Personnel. If costs are associated with a product related to education and outreach such as materials, they are considered under Education and Outreach.

50. Are projects that divert clean wood from disposal facilities where the recovered wood is ground up and processed in a co-generation facility eligible to apply for and receive funding from the Reuse Grant Program? We are interested in expanding our operations to divert more clean wood from disposal. 

Diverting wood for co-generation is not eligible under the Reuse Grant Program.

51. We have several public and private partners working together to submit our Reuse Systems Project. The primary applicant is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization experienced in project management and Zero Waste reuse methodology. It is a small nonprofit with a small annual operating budget. Are there size or other particular requirements of the primary applicant? 

Joint Applications are not allowed under this grant. There is no specific size requirement of the primary applicant, but the nonprofit 501(c)3 organization must be qualified to do business in California and be in good standing with all applicable California state agencies, including being registered and current in the Registry of Charitable Trusts. The Reuse Grant Program is a reimbursement grant, so the applicant must be able to cover the costs of the project before receiving reimbursements for line items in the budget.

52. We would like to outsource the majority of the Education and Outreach work to the local reusable packaging company, who will also be our supplier of reusable packaging. If one deliverable of the packaging company was an educational outreach campaign to drive daily consumer engagement with menu items, what is the best way to represent that in the Education and Outreach section of our budget?

If the costs are paying salaries to complete grant related activity, they are considered Personnel. If costs are associated with a product related to education and outreach such as materials, they are considered under Education and Outreach.

53. We will have at least two kitchens partnering with us on this project, and they will be the kitchens piloting the reusable packaging program. These kitchens would need equipment (or services) such as new dishwashers (dishwashing services) and electric vehicles to implement the reusable packaging program. I understand that this grant program is a reimbursement grant program. Can we have multiple project partners expending funds and applying for reimbursement (e.g., kitchen partner applies for reimbursement for electric vehicles, the technology provider applies for reimbursement for technology development, etc.) or must all budget items be expended by the lead project partner? 

Joint applications are not allowed under this grant. All equipment purchased with grant funds must be owned and under the direct control of the applicant. Only one entity is eligible to apply on behalf of the project. All eligible expenditures must be made by the grantee. See eligible costs in the Application Guidelines and Instructions. Please see Grant Payment Information in the Procedures and Requirements.

54. I am interested in knowing whether research projects are eligible for this grant program? We are exploring an open source, proof of concept research project that would compare material types (based on a detailed life cycle assessment) that may be used for refillable/reusable packaging to transport beverage, food or personal care products. The goal would be to spur market development of new reusable packaging formats based on a complete set of environmental data.

Research projects are not eligible under Reuse Grant Program.

55. Our team is interested in applying under the category “Recovery of lumber, wood flooring, or wood furniture from landfills or through deconstruction projects for reuse.” Our project consists of collecting wooden chopsticks from local restaurants and businesses that are destined for the landfill and recycle them into products to sequester the carbon that would have been released into the atmosphere. Would this initiative be eligible for the grant?

Collection of wooden chopsticks for recycling is not an eligible project type.

56. I am the treasurer for a non-profit craft shop that caters to seniors who create unique crafts to sell. The crafters use repurposed items to create new items to sell within the Shoppe. Items consist of beautiful paintings on old barn wood, handmade signs made from recovered wood, tote bags made from upholstery samples, keychains from driftwood, handmade scarfs from leftover (donated) yarn, etc. Would this project be eligible under the Reuse Grant?

Driftwood is not an eligible product to recover. Lumber, wood flooring, or wood furniture recovered at a landfill, or that would have been sent to a landfill but recovered elsewhere are both eligible.

57. Would technology or application development and/or software fees be considered an eligible expense in the same way that design fees are, if it is in service to the core reuse product and service?

Yes, these costs would be eligible as design costs directly related to installation, design, and construction of the project. See eligible costs in the Application Guidelines and Instructions.

58. In terms of “Education and outreach,” can you please clarify what kind of expenses can be included? Could additional personnel expenses on top of the 25 percent ceiling be attributed to this category if that individual(s) is focused on sales and outreach to generate partnerships critical to the proposed project? 

If the costs are paying salaries to complete grant related activity, they are considered Personnel. If costs are associated with a product related to education and outreach such as materials or equipment, they are considered under Education and Outreach. Advertisement or promotion of product sales is an ineligible cost.

59. I am seeking a grant to start a zero-waste grocery store.  I would need the grant funding to fund the grocery store’s overhead costs (interest, taxes, insurance, utilities) for at least a few years and hire a volunteer coordinator to run the education center. 

This project may fit the project type replacement of single-use containers with refillables, including, but not limited to beverage, food, or personal care product containers.  All costs must be directly related to the grant project and be under the budget category caps. Please see the Eligible Costs and Ineligible Costs sections of the Application Guidelines and Instructions.

60. I represent a nonprofit that produces hands-on learning kits out of donated materials destined for landfill. Would this program fall under the eligibility requirements of the Reuse Program? 

The project is ineligible as it is not one of the four eligible project types listed in the Application Guidelines and Instructions.

61. We are a start-up working to introduce our new returnable glass bottled beverages to the California market. We do not produce or plan to produce any beverages that would be subject to California Redemption Value (CRV).  Would our business be eligible?

This project would be considered an eligible project type, as long as it is located in California, is replacing single-use containers that would have been disposed in California landfills with refillables, and meets all other requirements in the Application Guidelines and Instructions. Note that projects that replace single-use CRV containers with the same product in reusable containers are not eligible for this grant cycle, regardless of whether the reusable container is subject to CRV.

62. Can this grant be used to develop a new eco-friendly solution that offers and ships bath, body, home, and cleaning products?

This type of project would be eligible as a project replacing single-use containers with refillables, including, but not limited to beverage, food, or personal care product containers.

Funding

1. What is the funding process? Will it be a lump sum or every quarter infusion of funds?

This is a reimbursement grant. Grantees will have the opportunity to submit Grant Payment Requests for reimbursement in conjunction with the submittal of Progress Reports. For more information on Payment Request requirements, please see the Procedures and Requirements.

Application

1. There is a requirement for applicants to have an Environmentally Preferable Purchasing and Practices (EPPP) Policy in place prior to submission. If my City does not have policy in place, but our county does, will that qualify for this grant application?

The applicant applying must have an EPPP Policy. The applicant has until the secondary due date to adopt an EPPP Policy and submit an EPPP Notification.

2. Is it possible to extend the application period deadline?

Applications were open on August 4, 2020 and are due September 10, 2020. At this time there are no plans to extend the application deadline.

3. If our organization has many policies in place already regarding considering environmental factors can we assemble the existing documents under the umbrella title EPPP or is it preferred to implement a new EPPP single document explicitly to replace the existing policies?

CalRecycle does not pre-approve or review EPPP Policy documents as part of the process for applying for a grant. There is no required format and each organization needs to determine what policies work best for their organization. You should review your policy to be sure it fulfills the purchasing and practices requirement. The applicant has until the secondary due date to adopt an EPPP Policy, if needed, and submit an EPPP Notification.

4. In the Project Viability scoring category, should we list how we will be specifically meeting California COVID-19 health and safety regulations?

There are no specific requirements under the Reuse Grant Program to list COVID-19 health and safety regulations; however, if your project involves navigating California COVID-19 health and safety regulations, please include how your project will meet those regulation guidelines.

5. Our company operates a variety of reuse programs. Can one company submit two different applications, each in a different product category area?

No, eligible applicants can submit only one application. However, a single project may include activities from any of the eligible project types, and the applicant must choose to apply under one of the eligible project types based on the primary activity.

6. We will be operating within multiple geographies, multiple locations with hundreds of participating businesses though we do not have all of the participants confirmed at this point. How should we address this in both the Applicant/Participant tab and the Sites tab? Also, how would we handle this in the Detail tab for the Assembly/Senate districts?

No joint applications are allowed under this grant. Only one qualifying entity may apply for the grant. None of the collaborators related to the project should be listed in the Applicant/Participant tab.

7. Can you help to clarify the difference between the Resolution and the Letter of Commitment? Do we only need a Resolution or a Letter of Commitment? As a non-profit with a board of directors, my understanding is that we would submit a resolution only. Is that correct?

An applicant must submit either a Resolution or a Letter of Commitment depending on their governing structure.

Any applicant that is subject to a governing body must upload a Resolution that authorizes specific grant-related matters.

Applicants that are not subject to a governing body must upload a Letter of Commitment that authorizes specific grant-related matters.

Some publicly held businesses or private companies with a governing body may submit a Letter of Commitment under the condition that the signatory is an individual authorized to contractually bind the applicant for the conditions of the grant award.

For examples of these documents, please see the Resolution and Letter Examples on CalRecycle’s website.

8. Is there a character limit for the Project Summary/Statement of Use in the Detail tab? In that same vein, are there character or word limits for the Work Plan or any other documents (aside from the Narrative Proposal)?

There is not a character limit in the Project Summary/Statement of Use section in the Detail tab of GMS. However, the project summary in Detail tab should only be three to five sentences, please see page 13 of the Application Guidelines and Instructions. The application documents with character limits are the Narrative Proposal and Supplemental Business Information.

9. If we are planning to include restricted documents, how should we be going about identifying in our application which documents are indeed restricted access?

Restricted documents may be uploaded to GMS. The entire contents of your submitted application are subject to California Public Records Act requests. Restricted documents will be held from release if it is determined that they are exempt from the Public Records Act. This may include contact information, project summary, uploaded documents, and scoring information. If you are including documents with proprietary information, you may mark the document as confidential.

10. In the grant guidelines, it says, “Add an entry for each grant project/site. List the site name, site type, and complete street address with zip code and county.” If the project site includes multiple proposed/potential sites (i.e. food service establishments throughout Alameda County), what information should we include for “project/site”? Alternatively, is this just the site of the lead organization/jurisdiction (i.e. mailing address)?

Project sites should include the location of the Lead applicant site and any associated participating locations where grant funded project activity will occur.

11. What is the Application Certification document? I see the list of required documents, along with samples in the “Application Documents” section, but I do not see anything for the Application Certification. I do see the Supplemental Business Information GRU1 in the “Application Documents” section on the left that is not listed in the “Required Documents by Application Due Date” section on the right. Is that the Applicant Certification document?

The Application Certification document is a document that certifies all items in the application have been completed. This document is generated by the Grants Management System (GMS) once each aspect of the application is completed and the application is ready to submit. The “Print Application Certification” button is located in the Summary Tab. Once your application is completed, you must print the Application Certification, obtain the signature from your signature authority, scan the document to your computer, and upload it to your application in the Documents Tab.

12. If the proposed project requires utilizing the brick-and-mortar infrastructure of a strategic partner, do these agreements need to be established in advance or can generating these partnerships be part of the proposed project itself? What is the guidance here in terms of the application and timing?

The partnership agreements should be established in advance. If the applicant wants to establish facilities or expand existing facilities on property not owned by the applicant, he or she must prove that a legally binding long-term commitment has been executed detailing the approved use of the property for the duration of the grant term. See also the answer to Question Number 36 in the Eligibility Section.

Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Reductions

1. I need help on part 2 of the Scoring Criteria, calculating the amount of emission reductions. We would be reclaiming/reusing lumber. Where do I find the information to calculate the requested reductions in greenhouse admissions?

The Reuse Benefits Calculator Tool is a required application document for all projects that recover lumber, wood flooring, or wood furniture from landfills or through deconstruction for reuse. The tool is located at CCI Quantification, Benefits, and Reporting Materials under the Natural Resources and Waste Diversion heading, Agency/Department name, Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle).