Grants
Explore funding opportunities for food waste reduction, composting, and sustainability initiatives. Find grants, application deadlines, and resources to support your projects.
DEC Municipal Waste Reduction and Recycling (MWRR) State Assistance Program for Capital Projects Grant Opportunity
The MWRR program is a state assistance program for waste reduction, recycling and household hazardous waste (HHW). Funding is provided on a 50% reimbursement rate for eligible costs. Organics management projects are eligible under this state assistance program.
Grants for Recycling Coordination and Education Projects: Awarded on an annual basis. Applications are accepted August, September and October of each year.
Grants for Recycling Capital Projects (equipment and facilities): Applications accepted on an ongoing basis.
ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS:
The following entities within New York State are eligible to apply for these grants:
Counties, Cities, Towns or Villages
Local Public Authorities
Local Public Benefit Corporations (organizations established by State Law)
School Districts, Supervisory Districts & Improvement Districts
Native American Tribes or Nations residing in New York State
DEC is authorized to provide State assistance for projects that further the primary strategy of the NYS solid waste management hierarchy and enhance the municipal recycling infrastructure. These projects reduce the volume or toxicity of materials entering the MSW stream at the point of generation, and/or enhance municipal recycling infrastructure through:
construction of materials recycling facilities
construction of composting facilities
construction of HHW collection facilities
purchasing of recyclables processing equipment
purchasing of recycling containers
purchasing of new recyclables collection vehicles
beverage container assistance project (not-for-profit organizations qualify as eligible entities)
Deadline of Application:
The current Grant Opportunity is open from November 1, 2024 - October 31, 2027.
Please be advised that this grant program is operating under a multi-year waitlist. Awards will be issued upon availability of funding on an ongoing first-come-first-served basis.
Department of Environmental Conservation - Technical Assistance to Manage Wasted Food and Food Scraps
DEC seeks Proposals from qualified organizations, to provide direct support services for enhancing wasted food reduction and food scraps recycling in New York State. The selected Contractor will engage and support actions through outreach, planning, education and technical assistance to food scraps generators, organics recycling facilities, and other interested parties.
DEC anticipates awarding one contract. The term of the award will be five years.
All requests for information pertinent to the preparation and submission of the proposal and the procurement process are to be made by Close of Business on June 15, 2026.
Deadline of Application:
Proposals must be delivered to DEC no later than 11:00 AM on June 30, 2026
Department of Environmental Conservation - Climate Smart Communities Grant Program (Round 10)
The Climate Smart Communities (CSC) Grant program provides grants to cities, towns, villages, counties, Indian Nations, local public authorities, and local public benefit corporations of the State of New York for eligible climate change mitigation, adaptation, and planning and assessment projects.
Funds are available for two broad project categories - implementation and certification. The first project category supports implementation projects related to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (mainly outside the power sector), climate change adaptation, and engineering feasibility studies for flood mitigation and Hydrofluorocarbons. The second supports planning and assessment projects aligned with Climate Smart Communities certification actions.
ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS:
Cities, towns, villages, counties, Indian Nations, local public authorities, and local public benefit corporations of the State of New York Certain political subdivisions such as school districts, boards of cooperative educational services, fire districts, , libraries and similar organizations are not eligible to apply, however, may apply in partnership with an eligible lead municipality. See request for application for details.
Municipalities need not be registered or certified as a Climate Smart Community to apply for a grant.
Applicant municipalities must be registered in the New York Statewide Financial System Grants Management System to be eligible.
Deadline of Application:
The deadline for the 2026 round is July 31, 2026
NYS Pollution Prevention Institute - Community Impact Accelerator Grant Program
The New York State Pollution Prevention Institute (NYSP2I) is now accepting proposals for its new Community Impact Accelerator Grant (CIAG) Program—a funding opportunity designed to support scalable, community-led pollution prevention initiatives across New York State.
The CIAG Program advances awareness, understanding, and adoption of pollution prevention (P2) practices at the local level while supporting implementation projects that can be replicated across organizations and communities statewide. Funded projects are intended to generate measurable environmental and public-health benefits that extend well beyond the direct grant investment.
Projects funded through the program must be designed for replication and statewide impact and align with NYSP2I’s Impact Accelerator Requirements.
Award Amount: $30,000–$50,000
Funding Available: Up to 10 projects will be selected for funding
All proposed activities must align with NYSP2I’s mission and support one or both of the following policies:
The Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA)
The New York State Solid Waste Management Plan 2023–2032 (SSWMP)
Deadline of Application:
The application deadline is 5:00 p.m. EDT on July 1, 2026
Empire State Development - Business Food Waste Mitigation Grant Program (Round 2)
The Business Food Waste Mitigation Grant Program is designed to reduce business-generated food waste in New York State. The program will divert food waste from landfill and combustion facilities thereby advancing a key strategy from NY’s Climate Action Council’s Scoping Plan. Food waste makes up 18% of the total municipal solid waste in New York. Reducing the disposal of food waste is key to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Successful business food waste mitigation projects are those that will expand food waste recycling infrastructure in the State to reduce commercially generated food waste sent to landfill and combustion facilities. The program provides grants to cover costs of equipment purchased for the purpose of building new, or expanding existing, organics recycling facilities to accept food waste from businesses and expanding fleet services to collect commercial food waste destined for recycling.
Deadline of Application:
Application will launch Summer 2026. Deadline TBA
ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS:
Eligible Entities: New York State municipalities and non-profit / not-for-profit organizations undertaking a food waste mitigation project.
OR
New York State municipalities and non-profit / not-for-profit organizations may apply on behalf of a New York State-based business undertaking a food waste mitigation project. In this scenario, the New York State business would be considered a co-implementor.
Eligible Projects include the purchase of machinery and equipment for the purpose of collecting, processing, and recycling food waste from businesses, and the distribution of byproduct(s) such as compost.
Examples of eligible equipment include:
processing equipment (e.g. compactor, dehydrator, depackager, windrow turner, grinder);
management equipment (e.g. forklift); and
transportation equipment (e.g. trucks).
World Wildlife Fund - National Household Wasted Food Prevention Project Community Grants
WWF is administering community grants through the National Household Wasted Food Prevention Project (NHWFPP).
The NHWFPP will develop, launch, and implement a coordinated, nationwide effort to reduce wasted food in households by 10% per capita nationally and by 20% per capita in communities supported through grants by 2030.
The National Household Wasted Food Prevention Project will include:
A national media campaign developed by the Ad Council, and
Community grants administered by WWF in collaboration with WRAP and ReFED.
Both the national media campaign and community grants will focus on changing specific habits and behaviors to prevent wasted food in households. Grantees will design and deliver hands-on programs that build on the impact of the national media campaign to deliver behavior change locally. Grantees will address local barriers through structured interventions tailored to the communities they serve. Community grant activities must have enough depth and reach to make a meaningful impact, with clear measurement and reporting of results.
Applicants should demonstrate a clear local behavior-change strategy that will prevent household wasted food in the local community and describe efforts to locally activate the national media campaign messaging through customized education, support, and outreach to the target audiences. Grant recipients will employ interventions to drive behavior changes in local communities with flexibility to design programs for their community's specific context.
ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS:
Nonprofits; local governments; Tribal governments; educational institutions; and others
Deadline of Application:
September 1, 2026, 5:00 p.m. ET