Recycling Business Development Grant

The Recycling Business Development Grant is administered by the North Carolina Recycling Business Assistance Center within the Division of Environmental Assistance and Customer Service under the Department of Environmental Quality. The program is designed to strengthen the state’s recycling economy by supporting private sector recycling businesses that can increase diversion of materials from landfills and create economic value. The funder prioritizes projects that contribute to the goals of the statewide solid waste and materials management plan, emphasizing infrastructure expansion, improved processing efficiency, and development of end markets for recyclable materials. The primary purpose of this grant is to provide financial assistance for capital investments that enhance recycling operations. Eligible uses of funds include expenditures on equipment, facility improvements, and infrastructure necessary to increase capacity or efficiency. However, the grant explicitly prohibits use of funds for land acquisition, salaries, operational costs, marketing, or contract processing services. All funding is distributed on a reimbursement basis, requiring recipients to document expenditures with receipts, vendor information, and photographic evidence of completed work or purchased equipment. Applicants may request funding up to a maximum of seventy five thousand dollars, with a required cash match of at least fifty percent of the requested amount. This match must be in the form of direct expenditures or available funds committed to the project. The program allows flexibility in award size, but reserves the right to reduce requested amounts during the review process. Funding is contingent upon availability of state resources and compliance with all program requirements. The grant period is expected to run for one year, beginning March first and ending February twenty eighth of the following year, unless an extension is formally approved. Eligibility is limited to private sector recycling businesses and nonprofit organizations operating in North Carolina that collect, process, or recycle materials into value added products. Applicants must meet regulatory compliance requirements and may be subject to verification by state agencies prior to award. Additional eligibility conditions apply to certain sectors, such as electronics recyclers, which must hold specific certifications and registrations. Entities with outstanding compliance issues or listed on state funding suspension lists are not eligible to receive funding. The application process requires submission of a complete proposal package including a project narrative, budget, timeline, vendor quotes, and business documentation appropriate to the applicant’s status. Start up businesses must provide a full business plan, while existing businesses must submit a business status report. Additional required forms include certifications related to taxes, conflicts of interest, and debarment status. Applications must be submitted electronically via email as a Word or PDF attachment by the specified deadline, and incomplete applications will not be considered. Proposals are evaluated based on a structured scoring system totaling one hundred points. Criteria include business planning, project feasibility and cost effectiveness, alignment with infrastructure or market needs, impact on waste reduction, and relevance to identified priority project areas. Priority projects may receive additional scoring consideration if they address specific infrastructure gaps such as material recovery facility upgrades, battery recycling, or construction and demolition waste processing. The application deadline for the most recent cycle was November twentieth at five pm Eastern Time, with award notifications anticipated in January of the following year. The grant is offered on a recurring annual basis, and selected applicants must comply with post award requirements including contract execution, quarterly reporting, site visits, and submission of a final report. A portion of the funding is withheld until final reporting requirements are met, ensuring accountability and completion of project objectives.

Ensure strong business planning and clearly demonstrate economic impact and waste diversion; align project with identified priority areas; provide complete documentation to avoid disqualification