Waste Prevention Grant Application

Waste Prevention Grant Application
What Are Wake County Waste Prevention Grants?
The Wake County Solid Waste Management Division is offering up to $10,000 for projects that divert waste from South Wake Landfill! The Solid Waste Division protects the public health and safety of Wake County residents by providing quality solid waste and recycling services that are efficient, cost effective, and environmentally responsible. The Division’s vision is to be a solid waste industry leader that serves our community with innovative and fiscally responsible solutions for waste, recycling and waste diversion to improve the quality of life and protect the environment.

South Wake Landfill accepts garbage generated by Wake County’s businesses and 1.1 million residents. It is the only open landfill in Wake County that is permitted to accept municipal solid waste. South Wake Landfill began accepting garbage in 2008 and is projected to reach capacity in 2040. For the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2023, South Wake Landfill received 530,741 tons of waste.

Eligibility Requirements
- For-profit, not-for-profit, and educational organizations are eligible to apply.
- Applicants must be based in or have operations in Wake County, NC.
- Projects should be planned for completion within a 12-month period. Wake County will consider extensions of up to an additional 12 months on a case-by-case basis.
- The proposed project must have a measurable impact on reducing waste sent to South Wake Landfill through strategies including, but not limited to, waste prevention, reuse, recycling, repair, or composting. Projects should also include education and communication strategies, but projects exclusively focused on raising awareness are not appropriate for this grant program.
Funding Structure
- The minimum grant award is $1,000 and the maximum is $10,000.
- Funds will be distributed on a cost reimbursement basis and grantees will be required to provide receipts. The division will consider requests for advance payments on a case-by-case basis.
- Grantees must register as a vendor with Wake County and sign a contract before any grant funds will be disbursed.
- Grantees must submit quarterly reports adhering to a template and timeline provided by Wake County.
Ineligible Uses of Funds

Waste Prevention Grant funds may not be used for any of the following purposes:
- Labor costs, except to the extent described in the application
- Bank or loan fees
- Fellowships, scholarships, or endowment funds
- Legal fees
- Ongoing waste hauling fees (e.g. garbage, recyclable materials, food scraps)
- Payment of organizational overhead
- Repayment of existing debt or pre-existing tax liens or obligations
- Subsidization of existing contracts
Evaluation Criteria

All submitted proposals received by the deadline will be evaluated on the following criteria:
- Project Conception: Is the proposal clear and comprehensible?
- Project Structure: Are the goals of this project specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound? Have objectives been clearly defined?
- Organizational Capacity: Does the applicant clearly state who will be responsible for executing the goals? Is the organization qualified to implement the project?
- Relevance: Does the project address fast-growing or hard-to-handle waste streams such as food scraps, textiles, single-use plastics, construction debris, or hazardous waste?
- Innovation: How will this project move the needle on landfill waste diversion? Can the lessons learned from this project be replicated in other companies or communities?
Expectations for Grant Recipients
- Recipients will be listed on the Wake County website and named in media releases.
- Recipients will be required to share drafts of recycling signage and other communication materials produced with grant funds with Wake County Solid Waste staff to ensure coherence with the county’s solid waste program guidelines.
- Recipients must accept a site visit from Wake County Solid Waste staff to check progress toward project goals.
- Proposed projects must be in compliance with all federal, state and local statutes, rules and regulations, including, but not limited to, zoning, labor and transportation laws.
- Grantees are encouraged to work with Wake County on shared outreach opportunities such as media releases and cross-posting on social media platforms.
Application Process
- Applicants are encouraged to contact the grant program manager with questions before submitting a completed proposal.
- Proposals will be evaluated by a committee of solid waste subject matter experts.
- The grant committee may ask for additional information to clarify questions raised during the evaluation.
- The grant program manager will use the review committee’s evaluation to present recommendations for funding.
- The Wake County Solid Waste Division Director will make final funding approval.
- There is no appeals process for proposals that are not approved for funding.
- The number and size of grants awarded depends on the quality of proposals received.
- All proposals submitted become the property of Wake County Solid Waste Division and will not be returned.
- Funds awarded are public funds and any information submitted or generated is subject to public disclosure requirements.
Timeline
- Proposals will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. on Friday, November 15, 2024.
- All applicants will be notified of the results of the grant review process by Friday, December 6, 2024.
Additional Terms

Wake County Solid Waste Management Division reserves the right to revoke any grant for which a contract is not executed due to delays on the part of the grantee. Funded projects must be initiated within six months of execution (signing?) of the contract or the grant contract can be terminated and any remaining funds will revert back to Wake County.

Wake County reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to waive minor irregularities in submittal requirements, to request modifications of the proposal, to accept or reject any or all proposals received, to grant full or partial funding of any request, and/or to cancel all or part of this grant solicitation at any time prior to awards. Wake County Solid Waste Management will not be liable for any project costs incurred prior to the legal execution of the contract, unless mutually agreed upon in writing.
Applicant Name*
Type of Organization*

BusinessNonprofit organization:Government agencyOther
Year established*
Address*

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityState

ZIP Code
Name of Person Completing This Form*

First NameLast Name
Title*
Email*
example@example.com
Phone Number*
Please enter a valid phone number.
Project Name*
Project Summary: In 50 words or less, describe what you want to do if funded by this program.*
Amount Requested from Wake County*
Total Project Budget*
Geographic Area Where Project Will Occur (e.g., Rolesville, Raleigh, all of Wake County)*

Proposal Description
Organization Overview: Briefly describe the mission and primary activities of your organization. What is your geographic area of operations? What are the primary sources of financial support for your organization?*
Statement of Need: What is the issue that you seek to address? What type of waste are you targeting? How will you keep that waste from entering South Wake Landfill?*
Project Evaluation: How will you measure the success of this project? Who will be responsible for monitoring it? *
Project Sustainability: How might you continue this initiative after the 12 months of grant funding ends? If your project includes ongoing costs such as recycling collection fees, how will you fund them after the grant money has been depleted?*
Project Partners: If applicable, how will your organization work with other companies or institutions to complete this project? List all partnering organizations by name.
Capacity: Describe your organization’s history, experience or accomplishments on projects similar to the one you are proposing. Has your organization successfully managed other grants?*

Project Accountability: Using the table below, list the major goals and objectives you plan to accomplish if funded. Identify the person who will be accountable for each deliverable.*

	Goals	Deliverables	Name & Title of Responsible Person
January–March 2025
April–June 2025
July–September 2025
October–December 2025

Product Budget

Use the table below to list project expenses and specify how requested funds will be used. If purchasing waste collection bins or other equipment, please include the vendor’s name, model name, and quantity needed. If requesting assistance with labor costs, specify the hourly rate and number of hours needed.*

	Type (e.g., labor, equipment, postage)	Brief description, including quantity	Source (e.g., website or vendor name)	Cost ($)
1
2
3
4
5
Total Project Costs

If the funds requested do not constitute full support for your project, please list other sources of funding in the table below. Indicate whether funds are committed or anticipated. *

	Source Name	Amount ($)	Anticipated or Committed?
1
2
Total Project Costs

Letter of Support
Each applicant must submit a letter of support from someone who is not related to you by blood or marriage. Examples of acceptable references include past or current clients, or organizations that have collaborated with your organization. Please limit the letter to two, 8 ½” by 11” pages in PDF (preferred) or Word format.

Cancelof
Certification*

In submitting this application, I attest that I have read and understood the terms and requirements for release and use of the grant funds. I certify that the information contained in this proposal is true and accurate to the best of my knowledge and belief.
Name*

First NameLast Name
Signature*

Clear
Date*

MonthDayYear
Date
Please verify that you are human*
Should be Empty:

Waste Prevention Grant Application

What Are Wake County Waste Prevention Grants?

Proposal Description

Product Budget

Letter of Support