Reuse Assistance Grant Program

• General Information
  • Eligibility
  • Funding
• Cycle-Specific Information
• Grantee Resources

General Information

The California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB) established the Reuse Assistance Grant (RAG) Program, a reimbursement grant, to provide funding for California local public agencies to promote the reuse of nonhazardous material(s). Assembly Bill 939 (Sher, Chapter 1095, Statutes 1989) established a hierarchy for solid waste management with source reduction as the most preferred option, including reuse. At the October 26, 1999, CIWMB meeting, a funding allocation was approved for a major reuse initiative; a component was funded to encourage California local public agencies to promote and apply the reuse of nonhazardous materials. Reuse is defined as using an item over again in its current form without significant processing that alters its material structure.

Eligibility

Applicants

The RAGs are available to California local public agencies. For the purposes of this offering, a "local public agency" is a city, county, or regional agency that has obligations to develop and implement waste reduction programs pursuant to the requirements of Public Resources Code Section 40900 et seq. Partnerships between local public agencies and private entities (e.g., businesses and nonprofits) are encouraged. Regional partnerships of two or more local public agencies are also encouraged; however, regional participants may not also submit an individual application or be a participant in another regional group. A local public agency may submit only one (1) application.

The applicant--local public agency, whether the applicant for a local public agency/private entity partnership or the applicant (regional lead) for a regional application, is responsible for administering the grant and is accountable for how the grant and matching contributions are expended.

Projects

The RAGs are intended to foster creative and productive projects that reuse a material over again in its current form without any significant processing that alters its material structure. The primary purpose of this grant is to encourage the establishment of long-term systems, infrastructures, projects, and/or facilities that recover materials for reuse that are otherwise destined for disposal in California landfills.

Proposals submitted for funding should include detailed descriptions of projects that are designed to aid local public agencies fulfill their responsibilities in the following areas:

• Material reuse;
• Promoting reuse in local communities;
• Encouraging local public agencies to incorporate reuse activities in their waste reduction efforts; and/or,
• Other innovative and/or ground-breaking reuse projects for both the commercial and public sectors.

Note: Eligible projects are limited to the reuse of nonhazardous materials.

Funding

• Subject to funding availability, the CIWMB allocates approximately $250,000 per year.
• A maximum of 50,000 may be requested.
• This is a competitive grant with a fifty percent (50 percent) or greater matching requirement.

Cycle-Specific Information

Next Cycle

Application materials for the Reuse Assistance Grant, fiscal year (FY) 2008/09 grant cycle are now available.

Past Cycles

View information for past grant cycles under this program: documents including current and previous Notice of Funds Available (NOFA) announcements, frequently asked questions and answers, and project summaries.

Grantee Resources

• Forms

• Sample Progress Report (Adobe PDF, 1.6 MB)

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