Funding Opportunities about Wasted Food
Wasted food is a growing problem in our modern society and an untapped opportunity. In 2019 alone, EPA estimates that about 66 million tons of wasted food were generated in the food retail, food service, and residential sectors, and most of this waste (60 percent) was sent to landfills. EPA estimates that more food reaches landfills and combustion facilities than any other single material in our everyday trash, constituting 24 percent of the amount landfilled and 22 percent of the amount combusted with energy recovery in 2018.
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EPA Grants
Every year, EPA awards more than $4 billion in funding for grants and other assistance agreements. From small nonprofit organizations to large state governments, EPA works to help many visionary organizations achieve their environmental goals. With countless success stories over the years, EPA grants remain a chief tool to protect human health and the environment.
Visit the EPA grants webpage for more information.
EPA specific funding opportunities for reducing wasted food are listed below. We will update this page with any future opportunities specific to wasted food.
Consumer Recycling Education and Outreach Grant Round Two
On September 16, 2024, EPA announced an exciting funding opportunity as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This funding opportunity is focused on consumer recycling education and outreach. For this second round of REO funding, EPA is focusing on preventing the generation of wasted food and increasing its recycling through composting. The program provides $39 million to fund one cooperative agreement that includes three projects:
- Developing and implementing a national consumer wasted food reduction campaign.
- Expanding the market for and sales of compost.
- Increasing education and outreach to households on composting.
Apply by December 20, 2024.
Visit the Consumer Recycling Education and Outreach webpage for more information.
Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling (SWIFR) Grants for Tribes and Intertribal Consortia
EPA is excited to offer the second round of SWIFR grants for Tribes and intertribal consortia! These grants will provide approximately $20 million in awards ranging from $100,000 to $1.5 million each. The entities eligible to apply under this announcement are federally recognized Tribes, including Alaskan Native Villages and former Indian reservations in Oklahoma. Intertribal consortia are also eligible to apply. The deadline to apply for the SWIFR Grants for Tribes and Intertribal Consortia is March 14, 2025. EPA will host two live informational webinars on this funding opportunity that will be recorded and available for later viewing. For the full details, please visit EPA’s SWIFR Grants for Tribes and Intertribal Consortia webpage.
Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling (SWIFR) for Communities
EPA is excited to offer the second round of SWIFR grants for communities! These grants will provide approximately $58 million in awards ranging from $500,000 to $5 million each. The entities eligible to apply under this announcement are political subdivisions of states and territories. The EPA considers counties, cities, towns, parishes, and similar units of governments that have executive and legislative functions to be political subdivisions of states. The deadline to apply for the SWIFR Grants for Communities is December 20, 2024. For the full details, please visit EPA’s SWIFR Grants for Communities webpage.
EPA Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program
EPA has selected 11 Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmakers (i.e., Grantmakers) that will receive $600 million to serve as pass-through entities nationwide through the Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program (EJ TCGM) cooperative agreements.
The Grantmakers will provide subgrants to community-based nonprofits and other eligible subrecipients for assessment, planning, and project development activities. Grants may address a wide range of environmental issues and consist of a variety of project types including (but not limited to): improving food access; stormwater issues and green infrastructure; mitigating climate and health risks; workforce development that helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollutants; environmental justice training for youth; and climate resiliency and adaptation.
- Tier 1 grants are for assessment projects up to $150,000; Tier 2 grants are for planning projects up to $250,000; and Tier 3 are grants for $350,000 for project development. In addition, $75,000 will be available for capacity-constrained community-based organizations through a noncompetitive process under Tier 1.
- EPA Regions 2, 3, 8, and 10 are now open and accepting applications.
Applications for Tier 2 (two-year) planning grants and Tier 3 project development grants are due December 30, 2024. Applications for Tier 1 assessment grants and Tier 2 (one-year) planning grants are due April 30, 2025. Learn more about this funding opportunity.
EPA President’s Environmental Student and Teacher Awards
EPA’s is requesting applications for the 2025 President’s Environmental Youth Awards (PEYA) and Presidential Innovation Awards for Environmental Educators (PIAEE). PEYA recognizes outstanding environmental stewardship projects from students in Grades K–12 that promote environmental awareness and encourage community involvement. PIAEE recognizes outstanding Grade K–12 educators who employ innovative approaches to environmental education and use the environment as a context for learning for their students.
Projects eligible for the awards can apply to a variety of environmental topics, including (but not limited to):
- Climate change.
- Environmental justice.
- Food waste.
- Lead in drinking water.
- Litter in oceans and waterways.
- Recycling.
- Agricultural practices.
- Using STEM in environmental education.
Application Deadline: January 15, 2025.
Application and eligibility information is available on EPA’s PEYA webpage and EPA’s PIAEE webpage.
Grants.gov
All EPA grants and other federal grants can be found on Grants.gov. Additionally, all EPA grant applicants must use Workspace to submit applications through Grants.gov.
Other Federal Agency Grants
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program
The Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program is designed to increase the availability of local foods in schools and connect students to the sources of their food through education, taste tests, school gardens, field trips, and local food sourcing for school meals. The USDA is accepting applications and will award up to $12 million to plan, develop and implement farm to school projects. This year, the award is split into three separate solicitations:
- Implementation Grant: The purpose of these grants is to improve access to local foods through comprehensive farm to school programming that includes both local sourcing and agricultural education efforts.
- State Solicitation Grant: The purpose of these grants is to promote agricultural education and increase the amount of local food served in eligible child nutrition program (CNP) operators by funding state agencies to support and grow farm to CNP efforts in their states.
- Turnkey Grant: The purpose of these grants is to simplify the proposal-writing process by providing pre-designed activities to simplify applications for frequently proposed farm to school project – in particular, “Action Planning”, “Agricultural Education”, and “Edible Gardens” projects.
Apply by January 10, 2025. Learn more about this program and how to apply.
Non-Federal Agency Grants
ReFED Catalytic Grant Fund: Maximizing the Harvest
On-farm produce loss is a major contributor to food waste, with U.S. farms generating more than 17 million tons of surplus food in 2023 alone. This surplus—nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables—represents a missed opportunity to reach its original intended consumer, all while millions face hunger. ReFED’s Catalytic Grant Fund is seeking innovative technologies, solutions, and initiatives that can boost the harvest of this surplus, maximize its value, and establish new market opportunities while increasing profitability for farmers.
Letters of Intent to Apply are due January 21, 2025. Learn more about this funding opportunity.