(Letter from PA Department of Environmental Protection) Grant Pre-Application Document for Non-Profits
Good morning everyone,
I am thrilled to announce that the second solicitation of the Food Recovery Infrastructure Grant (FRIG) is OPEN. The deadline for this solicitation of FRIG applications is March 17, 2023 at 11:59pm. This grant was announced in the December 3, 2022 PA Bulletin: Pennsylvania Bulletin (pacodeandbulletin.gov). The intent of the Food Recovery Infrastructure Grant is to reduce the amount of fresh, safe, and wholesome foods currently entering the waste stream.
Please forward this e-mail to ALL Municipalities in your Counties. I am also asking our Local Government Liaison to share this information with their municipal contacts in order to get the word out as much as possible. I encourage all to spread the word to any not-for-profit entities or food wholesalers/retailers who work with not-for-profit entities who may be eligible for this grant to let them know of its availability.
This grant will support section 501(c)(3) not-for-profit agencies operating programs within the Commonwealth that provide food to the public (i.e. food shelters, soup kitchens, food banks, etc.) who partner with retailers/wholesalers, grocery stores, agricultural organizations, farms, or cooperatives of foodstuffs operating in the Commonwealth to capture and serve safe and wholesome foods before they become a waste. If you have questions about the eligibility of a potential applicant, please let me know.
Not-for profit entities eligible to apply for this grant must demonstrate the following:
- The organization’s not-for-profit status
- The financial stability of the organization
- The organization must have an existing food utilization/distribution program
- The experience of the organization in operating a program
- The current and potential sources for foodstuffs under the proposed program
- The ability to operate the expanded/enhanced program for the length of the grant demonstration period (3 years after final reimbursement payment)
This grant program can assist these non-for-profit agencies with the costs of equipment necessary to prepare, transport, and serve food acquired from retailers/wholesalers, grocery stores, agricultural organizations, farms, and cooperatives. The maximum grant award cannot exceed $50,000. Examples of eligible equipment include:
- Refrigerators
- Freezers
- Refrigerated/non-refrigerated box trucks
- Cargo vans
- Stoves
- Ovens
- Pallet jacks
- Microwaves
- Dollies
- Hand forklifts
- Shipping and installation costs for eligible equipment
A pre-application meeting is mandatory for this grant. Interested applicants should schedule a pre-application meeting with me sooner rather than later. We can schedule in-person or virtual pre-application meetings, whichever is more convenient for the applicant. I encourage Municipality and County Recycling Coordinators to be present for pre-application meetings. A copy of the English version of the pre-application document is attached.
Applications must be submitted through the Department of Community and Economic Development’s electronic single application (ESA) website: https://www.esa.dced.state.pa.us/login.aspx. If anyone has questions about how to complete the on-line application, please call the DCED Customer Service Center at 1-800-379-7448.
Additional information about the FRIG, including a step-by-step instruction guide for completing the on-line FRIG application, a link to the DCED ESA website, the FRIG pre-application document, etc. can be found at the DEP Financial Assistance website: Financial Assistance (pa.gov).
Special consideration will be given to those applicants identified in Environmental Justice (EJ) Areas. DEP identifies an EJ area where 20% or more individuals live at or below the Federal poverty line, and/or 30% or more of the population identify as non-white minority based on data from the United States Census Bureau and the Federal guidelines for poverty.
The DEP website will be updated with FRIG application documents translated into Spanish. Language translation accommodations or services are available should an applicant require them. Please call (717) 787-7382.
Again, applications must be submitted no later than March 17, 2023 by 11:59pm. Applications submitted after the deadline will not be accepted.
Please contact me with any questions and to schedule pre-application meetings.
Thank you,
Jess
Jessica Shilladay | Regional Recycling & Planning Coordinator
Department of Environmental Protection
Southcentral Regional Office
909 Elmerton Ave. | Hbg, PA 17110
Phone: 717.705.4735 | Fax: 717.705.4930