Funding Opportunities Related to 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
EPA Specific Grant Programs: The Office of Grants and Debarment establishes and provides national assistance agreement policies, guidance, and training; manages the Agency's assistance agreement competition policies and practices; provides compliance support; administers assistance agreements; and manages the Agency’s Suspension and Debarment program. Visit EPA Specific Grant Programs to read the full list of grant programs.
Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling Grants for Tribes and Intertribal Consortia
The Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling grants for Tribes and Intertribal Consortia is an opportunity authorized by the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act and funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The grants for Tribes and intertribal consortia will provide approximately $20 million in awards for projects focused on improving solid waste management and recycling infrastructure, ranging from $100,000 to $1.5 million per award.
The entities eligible to apply under this announcement are Indian Tribes as defined in 33 U.S.C. 4201 and section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, 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 December 12, 2025. Learn more about this opportunity on our website.
EPA is holding a webinar on October 7, 2025, at 1:00 PM Eastern Time with an opportunity for questions and answers. Registration is open.
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 Grant Opportunities
U.S. Department of Agriculture Funding Opportunities
USDA Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grants
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is delivering on its commitment to support child health and American agriculture by opening applications for the Fiscal Year 2026 Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grants. Through this grant opportunity, USDA will invest up to $18 million in farm to school projects that connect farmers to USDA’s child nutrition programs through local food procurement, agricultural education, school gardens, and more.
Farm to School Grants support projects that: incorporate more unprocessed, locally sourced foods into meals served at school, summer sites, and by child care providers; provide producers with training on procurement requirements and food safety standards to protect child health; integrate agricultural education into career and technical programs to support the longevity of America’s agricultural legacy; and encourage increased consumption of fresh, whole fruits and vegetables.
This grant opportunity is open to state and local agencies, Tribes, child nutrition program operators, small- to medium-sized agriculture producers, groups of agricultural producers, and nonprofits. Detailed information about eligibility and application requirements can be found in the request for applications. Applications close on December 5, 2025.
USDA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative
The National Institute of Food and Agriculture awards Agriculture and Food Research Initiative research, education, and extension grants to improve rural economies, increase food production, stimulate the bioeconomy, mitigate impacts of climate variability, address water availability issues, ensure food safety and security, enhance human nutrition, and train the next generation of the agricultural workforce.
Agriculture and Food Research Initiative-funded projects sustain all components of agriculture, including farm efficiency and profitability, ranching, renewable energy, forestry (both urban and agroforestry), aquaculture, rural communities and entrepreneurship, human nutrition, food safety, biotechnology, and conventional breeding. Agriculture and Food Research Initiative-funded integrated projects must include at least two of the three functions of agriculture knowledge – research, education, and extension – to ensure delivery of science-based knowledge to people, allowing them to make informed practical decisions.
Application deadlines vary by program area. Please refer to the National Institute of Food and Agriculture website and the Request for Applications document (pdf)(1.2 MB) for additional details.