The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) has announced a Reduce, Reuse, Repair MicroGrant Program. These grants award up to $10,000 to for-profit and non-profit organizations, regional authorities, eligible municipalities, and schools/colleges, for short-term waste reduction projects (≤1 year). To qualify, projects must focus on reducing waste generation and prolonging the lifespan of products via donation, rescue, reuse and/or repair in Massachusetts. As always, composting and recycling projects are NOT eligible for this grant.

Unlike previous years, applications will no longer be accepted on a rolling basis. MassDEP will accept applications for the 2024 round of awards through a link on this webpage, which will become available on the following dates: April 1, 2024, and October 1, 2024.

2024 Application acceptance periods are as follows:
•    April 1 through May 15, by 5pm ET
•    October 1 though November 15, by 5pm ET

To be eligible for Reduce, Reuse, Repair Micro-Grant consideration, you must be applying on behalf of:

• An organization or business (for-profit or non-profit) that is properly licensed to operate in Massachusetts.
• A regional entity such as a solid waste management district, solid waste/recycling cooperative, or regional planning authority that is recognized as a governmental body under Massachusetts General Laws.
• An individual Massachusetts city or town, or a Massachusetts municipality acting as lead for a multi-community regional initiative.
• Pre-K-12 schools, as well as colleges and universities, both public and private. 

To gain an idea of example projects, award grantees for previous years can be viewed here.

Visit the MassDEP Reduce, Reuse, Repair Micro-Grant Webpage for more information about eligibility and the process of applying.