The 2023 Investment and Innovation grant cycle is now accepting proposals for program and capital grants.
Donor Name: Metro
State: Oregon
City: Portland
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 02/28/2023
Size of the Grant: $50,000 and $500,000
Grant Duration: 24 months
Details:
Investment and Innovation grants support efforts to prevent waste and reduce waste through reusing, repairing, recycling, or composting in greater Portland.
The Investment and Innovation (I&I) grant program aims to reduce environmental and human health impacts associated with products consumed in the Metro region, and promotes a solid waste system that benefits communities of color and other marginalized groups. The program funds for profit businesses, not-for-profit organizations, and colleges and universities to develop and sustain efforts to reduce disposal of materials through waste prevention, reuse and repair, and material recovery (including recycling and composting).
The grants help reduce greenhouse gas emissions that drive climate change and emissions of toxic particulates—impacts which disproportionately burden communities of color. At the same time, the program supports efforts to advance racial equity in the solid waste system, including by expanding services and employment opportunities for underserved communities and reducing harms from facility operations. The I&I program advances progress towards achieving multiple goals of the 2030 Regional Waste Plan and Metro’s Strategic Plan to Advance Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.
I&I program objectives
Projects funded by I&I grants are intended to:
- Reduce harmful environmental and health impacts by reducing the amount and toxicity of waste associated with products consumed in the Metro region.
- Advance equity by creating benefits from the solid waste system for marginalized groups including career opportunities, expanded access to waste-related services, and reduced harms from garbage and recycling operations; and by developing the capacity of businesses and organizations in the solid waste system to create more equitable workplaces.
- Build system resilience by strengthening, improving and increasing the capacity of the region’s waste prevention, reuse/repair, and material recovery infrastructure and workforce.
- Catalyze innovation by encouraging projects that test or expand new strategies.
Focus Areas
Metro encourages proposals in three priority focus areas: Reuse and repair; food waste prevention and rescue and transition to reusable service ware/packaging; and recycling infrastructure. Proposals for projects that qualify for these focus areas are automatically awarded additional scoring points.
Funding Information
A total of up to $2 million will be available for the 2023 grant cycle to fund both program and capital grants.
- Program Grant: This solicitation is for program grants between $10,000 and $100,000 for new or expanded projects or programs, or for ongoing work so long as the impacts of the work align with the I&I purpose and objectives.
- Capital Grant: This solicitation is for capital grants between $50,000 and $500,000 for investments in equipment, machinery and/or facility infrastructure.
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants are encouraged to submit their highest priority proposal for funding. If multiple applications are submitted, staff may request that applicants indicate the priority of their requests. Applicants and projects must meet all of the following criteria to be eligible for I&I funding:
Applicants must:
- Be one of the following:
- Be in compliance with all applicable local, state, and federal laws, rules, or other requirements applicable to its operations, including any regulatory, licensing, or franchise requirements of Metro and other regulators, in all jurisdictions where the applicant conducts business.
- Demonstrate a clear commitment to integrating diversity, equity and inclusion principles into its grant project and/or internal structures and operations.
- If applicable, secure all relevant permitting, licensing, approvals, waivers and other authorizations for the grant-funded project at the time of full proposal submission, or have these processes substantially completed with a plan for completion included in the proposal.
- For-profit business and college/university applicants: demonstrate matching funds to share in the cost of the project.
Projects must:
- Align with the I&I purpose and demonstrate clear, quantifiable impacts that will advance one or more of the I&I program objectives
- Impact the regional solid waste system, as opposed to a single business or organization. Projects that only impact a single organization or business will not be competitive. For example, grants will not be awarded for equipment for food waste prevention efforts at a single restaurant.
- Examples of how a project can “impact the regional solid waste system” include (but are not limited to): Investments in new technology or infrastructure that will improve ability to sort and process comingled recyclables; Projects to significantly reduce the amount of waste generated across multiple sites or large campuses; Creation or expansion of opportunities in the garbage and recycling system for underserved communities such as jobs, career ladders, or expanded services; Applied research that could lead to systemic improvements in the regional solid waste system.
- Take place within Metro’s jurisdictional boundary or, if the project will take place outside Metro’s jurisdictional boundary, significantly advance I&I program objectives for the Metro region.
- Take place within a 24-month grant term, including completion of all project activities and expenditure of grant and match funds. The grant term begins upon signing the grant contract (anticipated August or September 2023). Grant recipients may request a longer grant term for extenuating circumstances.
- Be described in a complete proposal using the process described in this handbook, and submitted online through ZoomGrants.
For more information, visit Investment and Innovation Grants.
