Program grants
Program grant applications were due October 11. For more information, read the program grant handbook.
Capital grants
Pre-proposals were due July 12. The grant review committee invited 17 pre-proposals to the full proposal stage.
Oregon has a long history of leadership when it comes to preventing, recycling and reducing waste. Metro is in a unique position to invest in and support innovation in the local reuse and recycling economy and help businesses and communities succeed.
In December 2017, the Metro Council created the Investment and Innovation grant program to support for-profit businesses and nonprofit organizations involved in reducing waste through repairing, reusing, recycling, composting or making energy from the stuff that is discarded in the greater Portland area. The main goal of the program is to strengthen local efforts to reduce waste, make better use of the waste that is produced, and help foster economic opportunities for people who have historically been left out of the garbage and recycling system, particularly communities of color.
The program:
- Offers grants to for-profit businesses and nonprofit organizations involved in reducing, reusing, recycling, composting or recovering energy from materials that may otherwise be discarded as waste
- Focuses on strengthening the greater Portland area's reuse, repair and recycling systems, as well as on reducing environmental and health impacts in the local manufacture and use of products
- Helps achieve the goals of the 2030 Regional Waste Plan, the blueprint for improving the greater Portland area's garbage and recycling system
- Advances Metro’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts by investing in projects that benefit communities and workers in the garbage and recycling systems, and increases access for historically underserved residents.
- Supports two types of grants:
- Program grants between $25,000 and $75,000 each that can support personnel costs, operations and equipment associated with new or expanded programming, awarded on a rolling basis
- Capital grants between $50,000 and $750,000 each for larger investments such as machinery or other facility infrastructure, awarded annually
- Awards capital grants through a competitive solicitation process and recommendations by a review committee
- Requires that grant awards be matched with cash or in-kind contributions from the recipient
- Produces annual reports on the program’s activities with a full program review at the end of the first three years
In December 2018, Metro awarded nearly $2.5 million to 14 local businesses and nonprofit organizations to reduce waste in the greater Portland region and help generate more benefits from the area’s garbage and recycling system. Metro’s funding was matched by nearly $2.4 million in other cash or in-kind support.
2018-19 Investment and Innovation grants
In 2019, Metro anticipates awarding up to $6 million in Investment and Innovation grants. The capital grants will have a strong preference for projects focused on recycling infrastructure improvements and processing of food waste.
The deadline for applications for 2019 capital grants was 4 p.m. on Friday, July 12. Applications for program grants will be received and evaluated on a rolling basis starting in July. Metro is hosting workshops for each of the two types of grants to provide more information to prospective applicants. More information is available from the documents provided below.