Minnesota Environmental Assistance (EA) Open Grant Program

Minnesota Environmental Assistance (EA) Open Grant Program is sponsored by Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. Provides financial assistance for the development of environmentally sustainable practices in Minnesota through voluntary partnerships and goal-oriented, economically driven approaches to pollution prevention and resource conservation.

Closed: Statewide environmental assistance grants | Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Closed: Statewide environmental assistance grants The MPCA offered approximately $250,000 in grant funding to help Minnesota governments, businesses, institutions, and organizations address two specific needs: reuse materials to reduce waste reduce toxic chemicals in hair products This program's primary goals are to reduce waste generated in Minnesota, reduce greenhouse gases emitted by manufacturing new items, and eliminate toxic chemicals and metals from hair products to protect human health and the environment.

Closed: The application deadline was June 15, 2026. Please submit questions about this grant to grants. pca@state.

mn. us with the subject line “FY26-28 EA Grant” no later than 4 p. m.

on Thursday, June 4, 2026. MPCA employees cannot legally answer questions about this grant opportunity. 22471: environmental assistance grants info session The MPCA held a virtual meeting to discuss this grant opportunity, the SWIFT process, and answer questions from participants.

(49 min.) Eligible applicants include Minnesota not-for-profit and non-profit organizations, community-based organizations, for-profit businesses, institutions (e.g., hospitals, colleges/schools, etc.), political subdivisions of the state (including counties, cities, towns, etc.), State agencies, and Tribal governments. Multi-organizational collaboration is encouraged.

Eligible projects.

Examples of eligible projects include, but are not limited to: Developing and implementing a program and/or system which increases reuse of household items, consumer goods, and/or building materials, such as: starting a city-operated curbside collection program for bulky item reuse establishing a community-wide “curbside set-out day” for neighbors to swap items before collection implement recurring swap events for items such as tools, lumber, décor, and small furniture/appliances creating a community reuse room or store at a municipal building, church, or standalone facility to exchange materials for home improvement projects, furniture, appliances, lumber, tools, office equipment, lawn equipment, etc. repairing and/or reupholstering furniture for resale deconstructing buildings, building materials, and/or furniture for material reuse opening/expanding/improving a retail establishment, swap space, virtual database/hub, or otherwise connecting people to reused goods (e.g., tools, home/office furniture, doors/windows, hardware/light fixtures, countertops, appliances, solar panels) starting a local-government-run waste diversion and reuse programs to collect, store, and redistribute salvaged building materials and/or household goods including salvaged or used building materials and/or household items in construction or renovation projects to avoid the need for new products and materials coordinating and overseeing micro grants along with technical assistance to help organizations set up reuse programs Addressing the issue of toxic chemicals in synthetic hair products and hair braiding, extensions, and/or straightening products by creating an effective information campaign directed toward affected communities about the potential harms of exposure to these chemicals.

Projects may involve: identifying the specific toxic chemicals frequently used in hair braiding, extensions, and/or straighteners and their relative toxicity and concentrations identifying the brands with the highest amount of toxic materials detailing the health and environmental impacts of the chemicals using culturally relevant communication strategies providing information about safer, non-toxic alternatives to using chemical hair braiding, extensions, and/or straighteners, and working with businesses to use less toxic hair products Ineligible projects.

Examples of ineligible projects include, but are not limited to: projects seeking funding for general operating expenses that are not directly related to the project projects seeking funding for environmental compliance remediation projects limited to individual benefit or do not have a broad community impact projects that do not meet the eligibility specifications identified in this RFP for this grant round projects that focus on a single building, unless it’s directly tied to one of the listed preferred projects (see More information ) that will offer reuse benefits to the broader community projects that only result in deconstruction of a single building are not eligible waste reduction and reuse projects focused exclusively on surveys or research without demonstrated collection, repair, and/or reuse of materials toxic products projects focused exclusively on surveys or research without a broader implementation phase (e.g., a community education/communication component) projects focusing on other management methods besides waste reduction and reuse (such as recycling, composting, waste-to-energy, anaerobic digestion, landfilling, etc.) The MPCA anticipates awarding a total of approximately $250,000.

Grant awards are between $25,000-$150,000 per applicant. Grantees are required to provide a 20% match toward the project's total cost. Any money you spend before the grant contract is signed is not eligible for reimbursement by the grant and cannot be counted as your match.

This program's primary goals are to reduce waste generated in Minnesota, reduce greenhouse gases emitted by manufacturing new items, and eliminate toxic chemicals and metals from hair products to protect human health and the environment. Reuse projects.

Reuse of materials in Minnesota has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants, reduce the demand for resource extraction, and reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills. These strategies extend the useful life of existing materials, which supports the local economy and increases access to products and services.

This grant round will prioritize projects that establish self-sustaining programs for collecting large or bulky household items, such as furniture, lumber, tools, building materials, and appliances. Reducing toxic hair products.

Synthetic braiding, hair extension, and hair straightening products can contain harmful chemicals such as lead and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), leading to health problems including kidney damage, developmental delays, and cancer. These products are most frequently used by people of color, leading to disproportionate health impacts in some communities.

This grant round will prioritize projects that create and use multi-lingual communication materials to share information about toxic chemicals in hair products and safer alternatives.