The MPCA is now accepting applications for grant projects working to expand waste reduction and reuse, rental, and repair efforts around the state of Minnesota. These strategies have the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants, reduce the demand for resource extraction, and reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills. By extending the useful life of existing materials and strengthening trained skill sets in repair, reuse also supports the local economy and increases access to products and services.
Information to help applicants submit proposals can be found on the statewide waste reduction and reuse grants webpage. Applications are due no later than 4:00 p.m. CT on Thursday, March 27, 2025, through the SWIFT Supplier Portal.
Eligible applicants and projects
Eligible applicants include Minnesota not-for-profit and nonprofit organizations, for-profit businesses, institutions (including schools), political subdivisions of the state (including counties, cities, towns, etc.), state agencies, and tribal governments. Multi-organizational collaboration is encouraged.
Examples of eligible projects include:
- Prevent or reduce waste through changes in product design, manufacturing, or production.
- Develop and implement training courses that provide skills-building for product repair or other processes that maintain the value of items to avoid or reduce new production.
- Pilot or establish a new program, process, or system to increase reuse, rental, and/or repair in the organization (can include developing a new position).
- Opening/expanding/improving a retail establishment, swap space, virtual database/hub, or otherwise connecting people to reused goods
- Research or collect surveys that identify opportunities for expanding or strengthening reuse across the state or in specific industries.
- Coordinate and oversee the redistribution of funds awarded to the grantee as smaller grants to other entities along with technical assistance to help resale, rental, and repair organizations improve their operations or pilot new strategies.
To invest in projects that will continue to offer benefits to Minnesotans well into the future, this grant round is prioritizing proposals that will replace single-use items with reusables or help build a trained repair workforce in Minnesota. For this grant round, applications will be scored more favorably if they involve education/outreach, infrastructure and supplies, and/or technical assistance to:
- Transition Minnesota organizations and communities to reusables (i.e., food ware, packaging, etc.) in place of single-use options, including necessary cleaning and maintenance equipment (e.g. dishwashers).
- Provide community repair training, curriculum development, and/or apprenticeship opportunities that help build a sustainable repair workforce in Minnesota, since these careers are inherently local and repair services can offer significant cost savings to Minnesotans.