2024 Food Waste Reduction Grant
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

N.C. Department of Environmental Quality
Division of Environmental Assistance and Customer Service
The purpose of this grant program is to help local governments, non-profits, and businesses reduce theamount of wasted food being disposed of in landfills. The Division of Environmental Assistance andCustomer Service (DEACS) administers the Food Waste Reduction (FWR) Grant through the Solid
Waste Management Outreach Program.
With the release of this Request for Proposals (RFP), DEACS is seeking proposals that request grantfunding to support food waste reduction through the expansion of food donation networks or compost
operations, including collection and hauling. Applicants should carefully read this entire RFP prior to
submitting a proposal.
Contact:

Christine Wittmeier
Grant Funding: Up to $40,000 for Standard Projects
919-707-8121
Up to $60,000 for Priority Projects
christine.wittmeier@deq.nc.gov
Cash Match:
20% of grant award

Proposals Due: October 25, 2023 by 5:00pm

Project Period: February 1, 2024 – January 30, 2025

What Types of Projects are Eligible?:
Grant funds must be used to develop food waste reduction infrastructure by expanding food donation
networks or composting operations, including collection and hauling. Excess food donation occurs
through food banks, food pantries, or nonprofit organizations in which packaged food, prepared foodand/or produce is distributed to households or individuals in need. Composting operations occur atpermitted or exempt compost facilities and include the collection of food scraps from generators ordesignated drop-off sites.

Priority Project Grants – Eligible for up to $60,000 in grant funding

Priority Project Grants support investments in public food recovery and organics diversion programs thathave been determined by DEACS to be of particular importance to growing and expanding efficient andeffective waste reduction and organics recycling services throughout North Carolina.
2024 FWR Priority Projects include:• Edible Food Recovery Projects: Projects that result in edible food destined for the landfill being
recovered and distributed to people.
• New In-State Compost Infrastructure: Construction, expansion, or renovation of organics
recycling facilities and/or hauling operations that are new or have been operating for less than
five years and accept food waste from outside sources.

Standard Project Grants – Eligible for up to $40,000 in grant fundingStandard Project Grants include any projects that increase the tons of wasted food diverted from landfill
disposal but fall outside of the 2024 priorities.
1Eligible and Ineligible Expenses
Examples of approved uses of FWR Grant funds include refrigeration systems, freezers, food preparationequipment, kitchenware, vehicles, site development costs, construction of facilities to handle wasted food,equipment or vehicle purchases, carts, buckets, and equipment installation costs.
Examples of Grant Projects:• Purchase carts for curbside food scrap collection;• Purchase a wheel loader to improve efficiency and capacity of food scrap management at acompost facility;• Establish a drop-off site for residential or commercial food scraps;• Build an aerated-static pile for food scrap composting;• Purchase a truck or vehicle to collect edible food for donation or food scraps for composting;• Expand or improve storage, preparation, or refrigeration space to support edible foodrecovery and redistribution; or• Construct a concrete pad to improve efficiency and capacity of food scrap management at acompost facility.
Grant funds may not be used for employee salaries, land acquisition costs, administrative expenses suchas overhead, utility costs, studies or work performed by consultants, contracted collection costs, and/or
payment for other contracted services such as payment to a vendor for operating a collection program.
Projects that develop or expand food waste reduction infrastructure may also use grant funds to print anddistribute related educational materials such as signage, handouts, mailers, or magnets. Please note that
education-only projects are not eligible for funding under this grant program.
DEACS offers readymade compost education materials to inform residents and businesses about
composting. Any design template can be customized for a grantee.

How Grant Funds WorkAll FWR Grant funds are distributed on a reimbursement basis. Purchases must be made during the grant
contract period and requests for reimbursement can be made after the grantee has completed and paid for
grant purchases. DEACS will continue to reimburse grantees until 90% of the award amount has been
expended, withholding 10% of funds until receipt of an approved final report.

Available Funding

Applicants can submit grant proposals for a maximum award of $60,000 for priority projects or $40,000
for standard projects.

Cash Match

FWR grant winners must provide a cash match equal to or exceeding 20 percent of the requested grantfunding. For example, a grantee requesting a $10,000 grant must provide at least $2,000 of matchingfunds for a total project cost of $12,000. In-kind contributions will not be accepted in lieu of cash match.
To calculate the necessary cash match for any grant project, determine the total budget associated with the
project and then use the following equation: total project budget ÷ 6 = required cash match.

2

Contract 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 is one year and is expected to begin
on February 1, 2024, and end on January 31, 2025. All purchases 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.
The grantee must make a good faith effort to complete the project within the year-long contract period.
Extensions are possible but not guaranteed. Requests for no-cost time extensions must be submitted to the
DEACS staff contact at least 60 days prior to the contract expiration date. Upon approval, the contract
end date will be extended by written agreement between the applicant and DEQ. Funds not expended by
the end of the contract period will be forfeited.

Who is Eligible?
All applicants must already manage or plan to manage excess food or wasted food in their operations withthe purpose of diverting material from landfill disposal. North Carolina-based food rescue organizations,
local governments, compost facilities, and compost businesses are eligible to apply for funding from theFWR Grant. For the purposes of eligibility for this grant, the following definitions apply:• Food rescue organizations include food banks, food pantries, and nonprofit organizations thatspecialize in the collection, storage, and distribution of food for households or individuals inneed.
• Local governments are defined as counties, municipalities, councils of governments and solid
waste authorities in North Carolina.
• Compost facilities are permitted or exempt facilities that process organic material from outside
sources to create a usable soil amendment.
• Compost businesses are companies or nonprofit organizations that collect or haul organic material
from outside sources to compost facilities.
Former FWR grantees are eligible to apply. Applicants with an open 2023 FWR grant contract must haveinvoiced for 90% of eligible grant funds by the proposal due date (October 25, 2023). Applicants withother DEACS recycling grants are eligible to apply as long as any open grants are in good standing andexpected to be completed on time.

Conditions on Submittals
•

•
•
•

Only one proposal per eligible entity will be accepted. Grant proposals may combine funding
requests for multiple project elements into one proposal. The available funding limits still apply
and total request may not exceed the grant award amounts noted in the Available Funding section.
Compost facilities must be permitted or exempt from a permit and follow the most recently
adopted NC Compost Rules 15A NCAC 13B .1401-.1410.
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.
Businesses on the N.C. Office of State Budget and Management’s Suspension of Funding Listdue to failure to complete applicable financial reports for any previous North Carolina stateagency grant are ineligible to apply unless removed from the list prior to the proposal deadline.

3How to Submit Proposals:
One electronic copy of the proposal must be submitted. Receipt of all acceptable proposals will beacknowledged by e-mail. Submit electronic documents to Christine Wittmeier atchristine.wittmeier@deq.nc.gov. If you do not receive confirmation, contact Christine Wittmeier at 919707-8121 as soon as possible. It is the responsibility of anyone submitting a proposal to contact DEACS
if they do not receive confirmation. Please submit electronic versions as Microsoft Word (preferred) or
Adobe (PDF) attachments.
Proposal Due Date:
Proposals must be received by DEACS by 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 25, 2023. Any proposals
received after the deadline will not be considered.

Required Proposal Format:
The following list describes what applicants must include in their proposal for it to be considered
complete. Proposals that fail to provide all the required information will be deemed inadequate and notconsidered for funding.
•

Project Title•

Applicant Information
 Name and title of main contact
 Organization
 Address
 Phone number E-mail address Federal Tax ID Number•

Date of Proposal Submittal•

Description of Current Operations: Detailed explanation of applicant’s organization, including: What type of organization is applying?
 Does the applicant currently manage wasted food? If so, please describe current
operations. If not, please indicate how the applicant’s experience and expertise will
ensure success managing wasted food.
 (For haulers) Where does the applicant take the material to be processed? Does thefacility have the capacity to handle additional feedstocks?
 (For compost facilities) What is the applicant’s operational capacity to manage wasted
food?

•

Project Description: Detailed description of proposed grant project, addressing each of thefollowing questions: What does the applicant plan to buy during the 12-month contract?
 How will the project affect current operations?
 Will the project improve operational efficiency?
4 What is the projected waste reduction impact? How many tons of wasted food will bediverted from landfill disposal as a result?
 How will the applicant manage contaminants or unacceptable materials? For food rescue
organizations this may be inedible food and for compost facilities this may be nonorganic materials.
 How will the applicant sustain the project long-term?
 How many households/businesses will be impacted by the project?
 What other organizations will be affected by the project?
 (For food rescue organizations) How many extra meals will be generated by the project?
•

Special Requirements for specific applicants:
 New In-State Compost Infrastructure Project Only - Proposals interested in applying for
the New In-State Compost Infrastructure Priority funding that have been operating forless than five years must complete Form A and attach it with the submission.
 Businesses or Nonprofit Organizations
 If you are an existing business or nonprofit organization, please complete Form B
and attach it with the submission.
 If you are a start-up business or nonprofit organization, please complete Form C
AND attach a formal business plan. A business or nonprofit organization isconsidered a start-up until it has been in operation and can show financials for three
years.

•

Project Timeline: Simple bulleted list showing approximate dates for major project milestones.
Timeline should begin on or after February 1, 2024 and project must be complete by January 31,
2025.

•

Project Budget: Submit a table following the example below. Table should include an itemized
list of intended expenditures and estimated costs. Total row should reflect the total project costwith breakdown of grant funds requested from the state and amount of matching funds to beprovided by the applicant. Matching funds must be at least 20% of grant funds. The budget
should match the items described in the Project Description.
Estimated
Cost$ 38,000

Project Elements
Truck and cart tipper
Curbside roll-out compost bins
Educational materials (postcards, brochures,stickers, magnets)$ 18,000$ 4,000

Total ProjectState Grant
Applicant
Cost
Award
Cash Match
Total Project Budget$ 60,000$ 50,000$ 10,000* 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.

•

Quotes: for purchases included in the project budget.

•(Optional) Letters of Support from Partner Organizations
5How are Proposals Evaluated?
A selection committee will use the pre-established criteria to rank proposals and make award decisions.
Applicants must score well in these criteria to receive a grant award:
1. Planning (0-30 points): Did the application include all necessary elements as outlined in theRequired Proposal Format? Is the proposal well thought out, well researched, and backed byvalid facts and assumptions? Are details of the program clearly planned and outlined with astrategy for addressing issues and evaluating success? Does the proposal accurately describe theapplicant’s operations before and after the project’s implementation? Can the project beaccomplished in one year?
2. Demonstration of Need (0-10 points): How does the proposed project address a specificprogrammatic, equipment or infrastructure need to reduce wasted food? How many households orbusinesses will be served by the project? Is there already a compost facility or food recovery
organization accessible to the community?
3. Waste Reduction Impact (0-30 points): How many tons of wasted food will be diverted fromlandfill disposal and how will the food be used in a more beneficial way?
4. Efficiency and Longevity (0-20 points): Will the project provide a valuable service that is worth
the investment? Will the proposed project improve the applicant’s operational effectiveness andefficiency? Does the project make long-term investments that will continue to serve thecommunity well beyond the grant period? Does the applicant commit to and adequately plan forsustaining the program for years to come?
5. Priority Projects (0 - 10 points): Does the project recover landfill-bound edible food forredistribution to people? Does the project construct, expand or renovate a compost facility and/or
hauling operation that is new or has been operating for less than five years and accepts food wastefrom outside sources?

If a Proposal is Selected for Funding
If an applicant is chosen to receive funding, DEACS will notify the applicant with a formal offer by email. The applicant must accept or decline the offer. The following will occur once the offer of grantfunding 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 the resultant final proposal will become an attachment to the grant contract.
• DEACS may award grant amounts lower than the original request in an effort to support as many
qualifying projects as possible.
• Successful applicants will be required to: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 Submit a No Overdue Taxes Certification with notarized signature:https://deq.nc.gov/conservation/recycling/programs-offered/grants-localgovernments#Formso Submit a Conflict of Interest Policy using the following template or submitting a copy ofyour organization’s existing policy that meets or exceeds the language in the following
template: https://deq.nc.gov/conservation/recycling/programs-offered/grants-localgovernments#Forms• Successful applicants, with the exception of local governments, will be required to provide:
6

Non-Debarment form https://deq.nc.gov/conservation/recycling-businessassistance/financing/grants/forms
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 applicant 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.
o••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
on recycled 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 tothe contract end date and a final report is required to be submitted by the contract end date. Finalreports guidelines will be provided to all grantees.
• 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. Successful applicants that make purchases before a grant contract is signed byboth DEQ and the grant recipient will not be reimbursed.
• Final 10 Percent of Funds: DEACS will continue to reimburse grantees until 90 percent of the
grant award amount has been expended, withholding 10 percent of grant funds until receipt of an
approved final report. The final report must be received and approved prior to the end date of thecontract.
• 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.

7

Form A
2024 Food Waste Reduction Grant

NEW IN-STATE COMPOST INFRASTRUCTURE(for compost facilities only)
Please complete this form if you plan to apply for the New In-State Compost Infrastructure priority projectfunding. If you need assistance or have questions, please contact Christine Wittmeier atchristine.wittmeier@deq.nc.gov or (919) 707-8121.

Facility Information:
Yes

Have you read the NC Compost Rules 15A NCAC 13B .1401-.1410?
Have you applied for a compost permit from NC DEQ?
Type of facility:

Type 1

Type 2

Yes
Type 3

No

No
ExemptType 4

Other

Address:
Are you the property owner?

Yes

No

If “No”, has the property owner approved the facility?

Yes

No

Have you contacted the City/County land use planning office to confirm acompost site is allowed on this property?

Yes

No

Is the facility located within the 100-year floodplain?

Yes

No

Is the facility located within a wetland?

Yes

No

Is the facility located on top of a closed disposal area?

Yes

No

Yes

No

If “Yes,” please provide information on the City or County response below:
What is the total property acreage?
What is the acreage of the actual composting area?

What is the distance from the compost boundary to the nearest
residence (feet)?
What is the closest distance to the property line (feet)?
Is the facility located near any wells?
If so, how close (feet)?
1Form AIs the facility close to any streams or bodies of water?

Yes

No

Yes

No

If so, how close (feet)?
Is the facility close to any ditches or berms?
If so, how close (feet)?

Feedstock and Operation Information:
What are the feedstocks? Where are they coming from?

What is the total amount of waste/feedstocks (cubic yards or tons) that is expected to be processed
per month.
cubic yards

tons

What method will be used to process the material?
Windrow

Aerated Static Pile

In-Vessel

Other

If selected “Other”, please describe:
What kind of pad will be used to operate on (soil, concrete, etc.)?

How will the temperatures be monitored and for how long?

What are the planned odor control methods to prevent offsite odors?
Have you contacted the NC Division of Energy, Mineral, and Land Resources(DEMLR) for information on stormwater and process water permits/approval?
How will you manage stormwater runoff?

Will the finished compost be distributed to the public or used onsite?

2

Yes

No

Form B
2024 Food Waste Reduction Grant

BUSINESS PLAN FORM (for EXISTING Businesses / Nonprofits only)

1. Briefly describe your company’s history.

2. What materials will you manage? How will you collect and transport the material?
(The more detailed information provided, the more competitive your proposal will be.)3. Describe your competition. What are the advantages of your product or services?

4. Describe your recent financial history. Fill out the chart below and provide any necessary additional description
or clarification. All financial information provided will remain confidential.
THREE-YEAR EXPENSE AND INCOME CHART
YEAR
2020
EXPENSES
Cost of feedstock
Equipment/supplies
Business rent/lease

2021

Salaries
Loan payments
Other
Total Expenses
INCOME
Sales
Other revenue
Total Income
PROFIT OR LOSS

1

2022

Form B
5. Please describe your company’s financial projections for 2023, summarizing expected expenses and income,profit or losses.

6. 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.

7. Include any additional comments:2Form C
2024 Food Waste Reduction Grant

BUSINESS PLAN FORM (for START-UP Businesses / Nonprofits only)

A business or nonprofit organization is considered a start-up until it has been in operation and can show financials
for three years.
If you are a start-up business or nonprofit organization, please attach a formal business plan AND answer thefollowing questions that address your recycling business plan. Please expand the space as needed to address eachpoint below.

1. Describe the services/products you will offer.

2. What materials will you manage? How will you collect and transport the material? (The more detailed
information provided, the more competitive your proposal will be.)3. Who is your competition? What are the advantages of your product or services?

1

Form C
4. Describe your anticipated expenses and income. Please also include any financing plans, specifying
how much money you can put toward the project, how much grant money is requested, and how muchadditional money you will need to borrow to complete the project. (All financial information provided
below will remain confidential.)

5. Include any additional comments on separate pages.

2