Multifamily Recycling Grant Program
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

N.C. Department of Environmental Quality
Division of Environmental Assistance and Customer Service

The purpose of this grant program is to assist with the implementation, expansion, and improvement ofmultifamily recycling programs in North Carolina. The Division of Environmental Assistance and Customer
Service (DEACS) administers the Multifamily Recycling Grant program through the Solid Waste
Management Outreach Program.
With the release of this Request for Proposals (RFP), DEACS is seeking proposals that request grant funding
to help initiate or expand multifamily recycling programs within the state. Applicants should carefully readthis entire RFP prior to submitting a proposal. Please address any questions about this grant program to
Elise Traywick at (919) 707-8135, elise.traywick@deq.nc.gov.

Multifamily Recycling Grant Program Project Parameters

DEACS plans to offer grants through the Multifamily Recycling Grant Program for the duration of funding
availability. The intent of this grant program is to fund projects that help build lasting capacity to recycle
traditional household materials (paper, cardboard, metal cans, glass and plastic bottles and containers)
from multifamily residences. Generally, a multifamily property is defined as a housing structure that
includes five or more dwelling units although local definitions and service provisions may vary. Examples ofmultifamily properties may include but are not limited to: apartment buildings, condominiums, retirement
communities, and off-campus student housing.
The Multifamily Recycling Grant Program will support projects that create NEW access and/or NEW
recovered tonnage from multifamily residences. Grant funds may be used to purchase typical equipment
needs to start or expand multifamily recycling such as carts, dumpsters, collection vehicles, concrete pads,
recycling corrals and education. Grant funds may also be used to fund positions or labor to manage or
implement multifamily programs.
Grant funds will only be awarded to projects that will collect all or most of the traditional household
recyclable stream, which includes: mixed paper; cardboard; steel cans; aluminum cans; glass bottles andjars; and plastic bottles, tubs, jugs and jars. Any exclusions to this list must be identified with an explanation
for why a particular material cannot be accepted in the recycling program.
Eligible grant applicants include recycling businesses or non-profits that collect and/or haul recyclables,
local governments, colleges and universities for off-campus housing, public housing authorities, multifamily
property owners, or multifamily property management companies.
An education component to the project is required. The education component must include the following
elements, at a minimum:• Labeling to clearly mark recycling containers and distinguish them from trash containers.
• Clear signage on or at all recycling containers about accepted materials.
• Education delivered to every unit at program launch and at least once annually thereafter whichmust include an accepted recyclables information card and may include additional materials (e.g.,
postcard, brochure, door-hanger, magnet, flyer, tote).
1••For new programs, reasonable advanced notice to residents informing them of forthcoming
program launch.
Plan for how the grantee will implement measures to limit or reduce contamination. Examples
include education, signage, and monitoring practices.

DEACS offers readymade designs for educational materials as part of Recycle Right NC outreach suite. Any
design template can be customized for a grantee. Graphic design services are offered at no cost, but
printing and distribution is the responsibility of the grantee. Grant funds can be requested to help cover
the cost of printing and distribution.
The use of DEACS outreach materials is preferred, but projects can utilize others including The Recycling
Partnership (TRP) or locally created materials. Locally created education materials should be submitted indraft form as part of the grant application and all components must be reviewed and approved by DEACS
before printing and distributing.
Education-only projects are not eligible for funding under this grant program. Proposed projects must
introduce new access to recycling for community members.
In general, approved grant applications will be funded in the order in which they were received. Grant
contracts will only be initiated once all application requirements are met. Applications will be accepted on
an ongoing basis.

Grant Amounts and Cash Match Requirement:

The maximum amount of grant funding available per Multifamily Recycling Grant project is $250,000. Thereis no minimum funding requirement for project proposals.
Required Cash Match for Local Governments, Colleges and Universities, and Public Housing Authorities
Local government, college and university, and public housing authority grant winners must provide a cash
match equal to or exceeding 10 percent of the requested grant funding. For example, a grantee requestinga $50,000 grant must match at least $5,000 with local funds for a total project cost of $55,000.
• Distributions from the $2 per ton Solid Waste Disposal Tax may be used to cover cash match
requirements. In-kind contributions will not be accepted in lieu of cash match.
Required Cash Match for Recycling Businesses, Non-profits, and Property Owners or Managers
Recycling businesses, non-profits, property owners, and property manager grant winners must provide acash match equal to or exceeding 20 percent of the requested grant funding. For example, a grantee
requesting a $100,000 grant must match at least $20,000 with private funds for a total project cost of$120,000.

Grant Project Planning:

Available funding is limited, and it is anticipated that the Multifamily Recycling Grant Round will be highly
competitive. For this reason, it is important that projects seeking grant funding be well thought out andwell planned, and that applicants follow the instructions in this RFP when preparing proposals by providing
all information as outlined in the Required Proposal Format section.
In addition to the required education components outlined on page 1, applicants are encouraged toconsider the following best management practices. Implementation of some or all of these elements will2

improve the competitiveness of the grant proposal and increase the likelihood of success with themultifamily recycling program. Recommendations include:• Directional signage within the multifamily complex to direct residents to recycling containers.
• Education reinforcement with reminders 4-6 weeks into program initiation.
• Continued education reminders on a schedule more frequent than once per year, such as quarterly.
• In-unit containers, paired with education, for storage and transportation of recyclable materials
from residential units to recycling containers.
• Local champions to garner support and reinforce program parameters.
• Coordination between local government staff, property managers and recycling haulers to provide
unified recycling messaging and inform one another about program changes.
Eligible entities preparing proposals for a Multifamily Recycling Grant are strongly encouraged to contact
Elise Traywick at (919) 707-8135, elise.traywick@deq.nc.gov to discuss potential grant projects prior to
submitting a grant proposal.

Use of Grant Funds:

Examples of approved uses of grant funds include equipment purchases, site development costs,
educational materials, and salaries for staff or contracted workers to manage or implement the proposed
expansion of multifamily recycling. Grant funding may only cover the cost of salaries during the duration of
the grant contract period. It is the responsibility of the grantee to continue to fund positions beyond theduration of the grant.
Grant funds MAY NOT be used to cover the operational costs of the recycling program such as overhead orfees for recycling collection or processing.
If you have questions about eligible uses of grant funds, please contact Elise Traywick at (919) 707-8135 orelise.traywick@deq.nc.gov.

Eligible Entities:
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Local governments, defined as counties, municipalities, councils of governments and solid waste
authorities in North Carolina, are eligible to apply for funding from the Multifamily Recycling Grant
Program.
Recycling businesses and non-profits that collect and/or haul recyclables from multifamily properties
are eligible to apply for funding from the Multifamily Recycling Grant Program.
Multifamily property owners or managers are eligible to apply for funding from the Multifamily
Recycling Grant Program. For the purposes of this grant, eligible entities include companies that own
or manage one or more multifamily property. Local ordinances may define the number of dwelling
units for a property to be considered multifamily.
Colleges and universities are eligible to apply for funding from the Multifamily Recycling Grant
Program for recycling efforts at off-campus housing locations.
Public housing authorities are eligible to apply for funding from the Multifamily Recycling Grant
Program.

Conditions on Submittals:••

Only one proposal per eligible entity will be accepted.
Multi-party initiatives such as joint projects involving two or more applicants where each applicant
contributes towards project funding are encouraged. Any group participating in a multi-party
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project proposal may not submit additional proposals. Applicants may partner with organizations
not eligible for grant funding, so long as the primary applicant meets eligibility requirements.
Applications will not be accepted from local governments that have not submitted the required
Solid Waste and Materials Management Annual Report for the most recent fiscal year.
Applications will not be accepted from companies on the N.C. Office of State Budget andManagement’s Suspension of Funding List due to failure to complete applicable financial reports forany previous North Carolina state agency grant.
Applicants with previous or current DEACS recycling grants are eligible to apply as long as any open
grants are in good standing and expected to be completed on time.

Grant Project Period / Funding Period:

Successful grant applicants will be required to enter into a grant contract with the N.C. Department ofEnvironmental Quality (DEQ). The resultant grant contract period will be one or two years, depending on
the grant applicant’s preference. Grantees must expend funds within the contract period unless the grant
contract end date is extended by written agreement between the applicant and the DEQ. Extensions are
possible but not guaranteed. All purchases associated with grant funds must be made within the grant
contract period. Any purchases made prior to the start of the grant contract or after the end date of the
grant contract will not be eligible for reimbursement.

Proposal Due Date:

Proposals will be received by DEACS on a rolling basis; there is no due date.

How to Submit Proposals:

Grant proposals must be submitted by email to elise.traywick@deq.nc.gov. Receipt of all acceptableproposals will be acknowledged by e-mail. If you do not receive a confirmation, contact Elise Traywick at
919-707-8135 as soon as possible. It is the responsibility of anyone submitting a proposal to contact DEACS
if they do not receive a confirmation. Please submit electronic versions of proposals as Microsoft Word
(preferred) or Adobe (PDF) files.

4Required Proposal Format:

The following outline indicates what applicants must include in their proposal for their application to beconsidered complete. Proposals that fail to provide all of the required information or that fail to follow
the following format will be deemed inadequate and may not be considered for funding.
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Project Title•

Applicant Contact Information: to include the following: Name and title of main contact
 Organization
 Address
 Phone number E-mail address•

Date of Proposal Submittal: the date the proposal is submitted to DEACS•

Project Description: Provide responses to each of the following prompts below. Applicants areencouraged to provide a clear project description and consider the Award Criteria as they describe
the project elements.
1. Describe the proposed project and identify specifically what items (and how many) you
intend to purchase with grant funds. Please describe the collection method for recyclables
generated by this effort. What type and size of containers will be used to collectrecyclables? How frequently will recyclables be collected and what type of truck or vehicle
will be used for collection?
2. How does the proposed project create or expand multifamily recycling in the community?
Is the proposed project a new program or an expansion of an existing program? How will
the operational cost of the program be covered?
3. What recyclable items will be collected in the multifamily program? Which material
recovery facility will receive the recyclables for sorting and marketing? How will you
educate residents about the launch of the program and accepted recyclables? What is yourplan for monitoring and addressing contamination?
4. How many multifamily properties or units will be impacted by or have access to therecycling services associated with the proposed project? Please provide an estimated total
number of units that will gain recycling access. Will the project serve all multifamily
residences in the community or a subset?
5. Estimate the number of tons of waste expected to be reduced annually as a result of the
proposed project. Please explain how you came up with the estimate. Grantees will be
required to provide data on the amount of recycling collected as a result of the project.
Required data includes monthly waste and recycling tonnage (or estimates) for the 12month period prior to project launch and monthly waste and recycling tonnage for at least
one year after project launch. Please indicate how this data will be collected.
6. What is the anticipated service life for the items or materials to be purchased with grant
funds? How do you plan to sustain the multifamily recycling program after the grant ends?
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Please address how you will fund operational costs, ongoing education, and replacement
equipment as needed.
7. Describe any partnerships associated with the proposed project. Please include
documentation of support from any partner entities.
8. If funding is requested for personnel expenses, describe the duties and responsibilities ofthe funded position, including time commitment, and how the position is necessary to
implement project objectives.
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Letter of Support: All proposals must include a letter from the recycling material recovery facility(identified in Question 3 above) or the proposed hauling entity stating that the facility is able andwilling to accept the recyclables generated from the multifamily program. The letter should also list
the accepted recyclables.

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Supplemental Requirements: Recycling businesses or non-profit organizations must include
additional information as stipulated in the Supplemental Requirements section.

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Project Timeline: Bulleted list showing project milestones and general implementation dates.
Recommended contract start date is at least 90 days after proposal submittal.

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Project Budget: to include the following: Itemized list of intended expenditures and estimated costs
 Total project cost with breakdown of funding requested from the state and amount ofmatching funds to be provided by the applicant (see Cash Match Requirements)
 Please submit the Project Budget in a table following the example shown below:
Project Elements
Recycling Containers for Multifamily Recycling
Sites

Estimated Cost

Labels for Bins and Signs for Recycling Sites$ 1,000

Program Brochures (Printing)$ 1,000$ 53,000

Project Budget
Total

Total Project Cost

State Grant
Award

Applicant CashMatch

$ 55,000$ 50,000$ 5,000* Note about Project Budgets for local government applicants: state and local sales taxes are notreimbursable expenditures and should not be included as part of grant budgets.

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Supplemental Requirements for Recycling Business and Non-Profit Applicants:

All recycling businesses and non-profits must provide responses to each of the following prompts in theirsubmitted proposal.
1. Briefly describe your company or organization’s history and the recycling services you offer.
2. Do you currently or have you ever managed a multifamily recycling program or provided
multifamily recycling service? If so, please describe. If not, please indicate how your experienceand expertise will ensure success in the multifamily sector.
3. Describe your competition. What are the advantages of your services?
4. Provide your recent financial history in a format following the table below and provide anynecessary additional description or clarification. All financial information will remain confidential.
YEAR

2021

2022

Expenses
Equipment/supplies
Operating expenses
Salaries
Loan payments
Other
Total Expenses
IncomeSales
Other revenue
Total Income
PROFIT OR LOSS

2023
Projected

5. Explain any losses and how your company plans to become profitable in the short term (1-3 years).
Please explain how your company’s finances are sustainable and not dependent on grant funds.

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Grant Selection Process:A selection committee will use the pre-established Award Criteria identified below to evaluate proposals
and make award decisions.

Award Criteria:

Applicants are encouraged to consider the following Award Criteria as they develop their grant proposals.
A total of 100 points is available.
1. Demonstration of Need (0-10 points): How does the proposed project address a specificprogrammatic, equipment or infrastructure need for multifamily recycling?
2. Planning (0-25 points): Did the Project Description include all necessary elements as outlined in theRequired Proposal Format? Is the proposal well thought out, well researched and backed by valid
facts and assumptions? Are details of the program clearly planned and outlined with a strategy foraddressing issues and evaluating success? Does the project incorporate recommended multifamily
recycling best management practices?
3. Education (0-15 points): Does the project include the minimum required education components?
Do educational materials utilize images and provide clear and concise information about accepted
recyclables? Does the project include a plan to monitor and address contamination?
4. Waste Reduction Impact (0-30 points): How many new or increased tons are expected to be
recovered from the multifamily recycling program? Does the proposal outline specific and realistic
measurement criteria? How many new access points (number of residential units with access) willbe established through this program?
5. Efficiency and Longevity (0-20 points): Will the program be implemented and operated in an
efficient and cost-effective manner? Does the project make long-term investments that willcontinue to serve the community well beyond the grant period? Does the grantee commit to andadequately plan for sustaining the program for years to come?

If a Proposal is Selected for Funding:Applicants selected to receive grant funding will be notified by DEACS with a formal offer by e-mail. The
applicant must accept or decline the offer. The following will occur once the offer of grant funding is
accepted:• DEACS may work with applicants to revise initially submitted proposals before entering into a grant
contract. Any changes to initial proposals must be approved by DEACS and the applicant and theresultant final proposal will become an attachment to the grant contract.
• Successful applicants will be required to:o Provide their federal tax ID number.
o Register with the state’s e-procurement system using the same address provided in theapplicant’s proposal. To register in the state’s e-procurement system or confirm/update
your existing registration, please visit the following link: http://eprocurement.nc.gov/.
o No Overdue Taxes Certification with notarized signature:https://deq.nc.gov/conservation/recycling-business-assistance/financing/grants/forms
o Submit a Conflict of Interest Policy using the following template or submitting a copy ofyour organization’s existing policy: https://deq.nc.gov/conservation/recycling/programsoffered/grants-local-governments#Forms.
• All applicants, with the exception of local governments, will be required to provide:o Non-Debarment form: https://deq.nc.gov/conservation/recycling-businessassistance/financing/grants/forms
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All applicants selected for funding will undergo a compliance review to ensure that they do nothave an outstanding Notice of Violation (NOV) related to North Carolina solid waste statutes andrules. Any outstanding NOVs must be corrected to the satisfaction of the N.C. Division of Waste
Management (DWM) prior to any grant being awarded. Applicants with outstanding NOVs are
responsible for providing DEACS with information from DWM indicating that the community is incompliance and that the NOVs have been corrected before a grant contract can be initiated.
DEACS will submit a request through the DEQ contract processing system for a grant contract.
Grantees must act to execute the resultant grant contract without excessive delay.

NOTE: Successful applicants that make purchases before a grant contract is signed by both DEQ and the
grant recipient will not be reimbursed.

Other General Terms and Conditions:All grantees are subject to the following terms and conditions. Most of these terms and conditions will beoutlined in the grant contract.
• Publications: all documents and publications associated with a grant contract should be printed onrecycled paper containing at least 30 percent post-consumer content.
• Final reports: a draft final report is required to be submitted to DEACS at least 30 days prior to thecontract end date and a final report is required to be submitted by the contract end date. Finalreports will be expected to evaluate program success and must include data about the amount ofrecycling being collected through the program.
• Extensions / Amendments: no-cost time extensions are possible but not guaranteed for grant
contracts. Grantees seeking no-cost time extensions should submit a request for a time extension
at least sixty (60) days prior to the contract end date.
• Reimbursement: distribution of DEACS grant funds is on a reimbursement basis. Requests forreimbursement can only be made after the grantee has completed purchases associated with the
grant project. Reimbursement requests must be submitted in writing, must include copies of
invoices, and must include proof that the grantee has made payment. Proof of payment may
include copies of canceled checks or other financial reports showing that funds were spent. For
local government grantees, state and local sales taxes are not reimbursable, may not be counted
towards expenditure requirements, and should be excluded from reimbursement requests. The
amount of actual grant payments may be prorated for projects and / or project elements that comein under budget.
• Final 10 Percent of Funds: DEACS will continue to reimburse grantees until 90 percent of the grantaward amount has been expended. The final 10 percent of grant funds will be held until an
acceptable final report has been received by DEACS. The final report must be received andapproved prior to the end date of the contract.

A Final Word on Grant Writing:

Proposals may receive low scores or even be rejected because applicants fail to follow the instructions
outlined in this document. Applicants stand a better chance of success if they include all of the requiredcomponents of a proposal and if they follow the Required Proposal Format. Project Descriptions should beclear, concise, and should demonstrate thoughtful planning. Poorly prepared proposals create uncertainty
about the project goals and intended results. Clear details will provide grant proposal reviewers confidence
about the viability and feasibility of a proposal. Applicants with questions are encouraged to contact DEACS
for more information.

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