Food Scrap Management Grant Opportunity Release date: March 1, 2014 Grant Purpose: This funding opportunity aims to confront and provide solutions for two astounding concepts: 1) Food waste is currently the single largest type of material entering our landfills, and 2) Americans throw away up to 40% of their food. This project ties into a great opportunity in New Mexico working with businesses to properly divert food waste to become food for the hungry or to be composted into soil. Available Funding: $18,750 Application Deadline: April 3, 2014 Notification of Award: May 1, 2014 Project Time Frame: May 15 September 15, 2014. All monies must be spent and final reimbursement request submitted by September 15 th. Eligible Entities: Businesses, nonprofits, solid waste authorities and municipal/governmental entities that will serve Las Cruces, Albuquerque, Rio Rancho and Santa Fe by providing food scrap collections to food scrap generators. Eligible entities that may apply will be the actual entity collecting the food scraps. Eligible Communities to Provide Service To: Las Cruces, Albuquerque, Rio Rancho and Santa Fe Eligible Grant Funding: Monies are available to support the expansion of food scraps collections in the communities of Las Cruces, Albuquerque, Rio Rancho and Santa Fe, to include pilot projects launching food scraps collections. Fundable equipment or services will be supported by receipts/invoices and may include: 48-gallon or 64-gallon wheeled and lidded collection containers, tailgate lifter or tipper to safely raise collection containers onto a vehicle, cart tipper for onsite management, personal protection safety equipment, brochure design, web design, as well as brochure printing. If items are needed to accomplish project goals that are not described in the above list, you may apply for this item as outlined in the budget, but please include a paragraph after the budget justifying the need for that item. NMRC is unable to fund the purchase of vehicles or staff/labor/personnel costs. Short-term rental of a vehicle (such as box van or pickup) during the project time frame to launch a program will be considered with justification of need and plan to cover costs after grant. NMRC intends to develop and distribute to all food scraps collection entities in targeted communities the following items: Food Scrap Management Sorting and Resource Guide, Sorting Posters, Sorting Stickers. NMRC recommends recycled-content products as a preference in your purchasing. NMRC may choose to partially fund grant proposals.
Reimbursement Guidelines: Grants will be reimbursed by submittal of reimbursement request along with paid receipt or vendor invoice showing work is completed or equipment delivered. Supporting evidence of work completed or items received may be requested with photo or item documentation. Reimbursement requests can be submitted once per month during the grant funding time frame. Payment turnaround will be as fast as possible, not to exceed 10 business days. Final reimbursement must be made by September 15 th, 2014. No reimbursements will be made after that date and unspent monies will rescind. Grant Requirements: Recipients will be encouraged to enroll their customers in the national EPA Food Recovery Challenge. More information can be found at http://www.epa.gov/foodrecoverychallenge/ Application Guidelines: Grant applications should be submitted electronically in either Word or.pdf format to sarah@recyclenewmexico.com by 5 PM MST on Thursday, April 3, 2014. We recommend you email the application before the deadline to allow time to receive confirmation by email that the application was received.
Application Name of Business/Entity: Contact Person Name: Phone Number(s): Email: Amount Requested: New Mexico Business CRS Number (for business applicants): Federal Employer Identification Number (for non-profit and governmental applicants): Which Eligible Community Will You Be Serving? Describe Your Business and Entity in Relation to Food Scraps Collections: Please address the following in narrative format within 1,000 words: Summarize the history of your entity and general services provided. Does your entity provide other services or functions? What is your entities philosophy in regard to food scrap management and ensuring food gets donated first? Describe public and private partnerships involved in this project. Describe existing customer base and food scrap tonnage diverted in 2013 (if available). Project Narrative: Please address the following items in no more than 3 pages. Describe your project plan and timeline to use/develop the requested equipment and supplies. Discuss each item that you have outlined in the budget and provide more detail on its use or development. Describe your project s goals. Describe your partnership with a local composting facility and the facility s ability and experience handling food scraps to be composted. Include the name and location of the facility, as well as NMED composting facility certification process. The facility must be registered or prove it is in the process of registering with the New Mexico Environment Department: Solid Waste Bureau to ensure the facility meets best practice guidelines to safely manage food scraps at its facility. Please attach in the Appendix the composting facility s registration certification from NMED or a letter from NMED noting that an application is in process. If a new or pilot program, provide details on launch time frames, how the pilot will work, total estimated start-up costs and other near-term expectations.
How many businesses do you expect to add as customers for food scraps collections in the next year as a result of receiving this grant? Describe your marketing and outreach plan to gain new clients. Describe your attention to ensuring food health and safety codes are respected with regular pick-ups of materials, nuisance reduction tactics and advisement of best practices to clients. How do you educate your clients about how best to sort materials for food donation as the first option and then food scraps as the next step? What items do you accept in your food scraps collections? What items do you NOT accept in your collections? Do you have a long-term plan for expansion beyond 2014 expectations for this project? Please describe. Budget: Submit a budget outlining items that you are requesting in this grant application. Applicants must identify item with description, cost per item and quantity. Please refer to section on eligible items for funding and recommended budget template. If other items are needed to accomplish project goals, you may apply for this item as outlined in the budget, but please include a paragraph justifying the need for that item. Appendix of Support Information: Please submit the following documents to support your application. Required Documents: 1) Copy of the Composting Facility Registration Form as provided by the New Mexico Environment Department. If compost facility that will be accepting the food scraps is in process for application, please submit a letter from NMED personnel stating that a Composting Facility registration application is in process and submit a copy of that application if possible. **All food scrap composting locations that are accepting food scraps from the public must be registered with the state. The application is free of charge and simply requires the applicant to ensure no nuisances are developed due to the composting process, that the groundwater is not going to be polluted and that facility operators take the Composting Facility Operator Certification Course, which is offered twice a year at a reasonable cost. 2) Food Donation First Commitment Form (this form should be filled out by the applicant and is a simple commitment that the applying food scrap collection entity will advise customers about food donation as a first practice with remaining food waste being sorted for composting. Furthermore, the applicant will advise customers about items being composted that could be sorted for donation.) Optional Documents: Letters of support from project partners
Food Donation First Commitment Letter For Applicant to Complete By signing this form, my entity commits to working to increase food donations to local food banks. As New Mexico has one of the highest food insecurity rates in the nation, this is a top priority in managing food scraps. The New Mexico Recycling Coalition will provide resources so your entity has the best understanding possible regarding which items may be donated and will provide continued support to your entity to continually assess opportunities. This letter serves as a commitment that our organization will advise our clients of all food donation opportunities, including food donations for consumption by humans and animals and food scrap collection for composting. Our entity will connect our clients to a local food bank as needed so that partner can help assess opportunities. Signature Date Printed Name of Owner, Director or Manager
Budget Template Monies are available to support the expansion of food scraps collections in the communities of Las Cruces, Albuquerque, Rio Rancho and Santa Fe, to include pilot projects launching food scraps collections. Fundable equipment or services will be supported by receipts/invoices and may include: 48-gallon or 64- gallon wheeled and lidded collection containers, tailgate lifter or tipper to safely raise collection containers onto a vehicle, cart tipper for onsite management, personal protection safety equipment, brochure design, web design, as well as brochure printing. If items are needed to accomplish project goals that are not described in the above list, you may apply for this item as outlined in the budget, but please include a paragraph after the budget justifying the need for that item. NMRC is unable to fund the purchase of vehicles or staff/labor/personnel costs. Short-term rental of a vehicle (such as box van or pickup) during the project time frame to launch a program will be considered with justification of need and plan to cover costs after grant. NMRC intends to develop and distribute to all food scraps collection entities in targeted communities the following items: Food Scrap Management Sorting and Resource Guide, Sorting Posters, Sorting Stickers. NMRC recommends recycled-content products as a preference in your purchasing. NMRC may partially fund grant proposals. Applicants must identify item with description, cost per item and quantity. Item Description Cost Per Item Number of Items Amount Requested Requested EXAMPLE: 64-Gallon $75/item 40 $3000 Recycled-Content Collection Totes, Wheeled and with Lids (including tax and shipping) EXAMPLE: Graphic $50/hour to include Gross 5 hours $250 designer to create brochure Receipts Tax EXAMPLE: Brochure printing on recycledcontent paper $1.00/brochure 300 $300 Budget Justification If you are requesting items other than outlined in the eligible item list, please provide 1-2 paragraphs per item describing the need for this piece of equipment and how it will be used to the best advantage of your program. If justifying the short-term rental/lease of a vehicle, please describe how your rate structure for collections will be able to cover this cost in the future.