The City of Ann Arbor is seeking applications for its Sustainability and Innovations Refrigerant Management Grant.
Donor Name: City of Ann Arbor
State: Michigan
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 10/30/2026
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
“The growing economic, social, political, environmental, and cultural impacts associated with a changing climate are causing immediate and long-term damages to the society, public health, safety, and the overall quality of life. In light of these realities, on November 4th, 2019, Ann Arbor City Council unanimously adopted a Climate Emergency Declaration, stating that climate change is one of the most important issues of the time and that responding to the climate crisis necessitates a mobilization on par with those activated during times of disaster. In passing the resolution, the Council also committed to charting a path for how the entire Ann Arbor community could achieve carbon neutrality by the year 2030.
The Sustainable Refrigeration Grant program aligns with Strategy 5 (Change the Way They Use, Reuse, & Dispose of Materials), Action 6 (Enhance Refrigerant Recycling & Reuse Program) of the A2ZERO Plan. Making refrigeration systems more efficient and switching to less carbon-intensive refrigerants not only reduces greenhouse gas emissions but also improves air quality for Ann Arbor residents, saves money for businesses over time, and lessens the chances that businesses will lose products.
Funding Information
The total amount of grant funding available is $100,000.
Eligibility Criteria
- To be eligible for this program, businesses must have demonstrated the need for and agree to use grant funds to repair leaks in refrigerant systems or to upgrade, replace, or retrofit a refrigeration system or unit that does not currently use refrigerants from the EPA’s Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) to a refrigeration system that is compatible with refrigerants included in the SNAP. Retrofitting can only be requested if the outcome would result in the system being compatible and efficient with a SNAP compliant refrigerant. For a list of SNAP compliant refrigerants.
- Businesses must be independently owned and operated food retailers with 100 or fewer employees and must be located in Ann Arbor. Only small food retailers are eligible to apply for this grant. Small food retailers include any store that sells food items off the shelf. This can include stores with restaurants in them, but not operations that are exclusively restaurants. Examples of businesses that may be eligible for this funding include convenience stores, liquor stores, and small grocers.
- Priority will be given to businesses located in historically underserved communities, as identified by EJScreen tool data.
- Businesses must be able to provide a 15% cash match to the grant to be considered. The maximum amount that a business can request in grant funding for this grant is $33,300, excluding the 15% cash match. All businesses must have been in operation for at least 2 years prior to submitting this application packet. All equipment being replaced or repaired must have been produced in or before the year 2024.
- To be eligible for a system upgrade, the business must provide proof of a Mechanical Permit (or proof that one is being obtained) that will allow the business to execute the upgrade.
- To be eligible, a business must provide its Unique Entity Identifier.
For more information, visit City of Ann Arbor.
