Federal grant programs / Environmental Protection Agency

Source Reduction Assistance (66.717)

Also known as SRA Grants

• Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$3.5 million
• Grant awards43
• Typical award$61,232
• Awarded in FY 2025$790,215
• Size rank1,688 of 1,823
• Type of assistanceProject grants

Key findings

• Annual funding fell from $972,362 in fiscal 2021 to $790,215 in fiscal 2025.
• It is the 1688th largest of 1,823 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
• The 20 largest recipients received 81% of the money.
• Awards went to recipients in 18 states and territories.

What the program funds

The goal of the Source Reduction Assistance (SRA) program is to award grants that support research, investigation, study, demonstration, education, and training using source reduction approaches (also known as “pollution prevention” and herein referred to as “P2”). P2 means reducing or eliminating pollutants from entering any waste stream or otherwise released into the environment prior to recycling, treatment, or disposal. This program provides applicants the opportunity to utilize hands-on practical P2 tools, information, and/or innovative P2 approaches to measurably improve the public health and the surrounding environment, by reducing the use of hazardous substances, reducing toxic pollutants, supporting efficiencies in reducing resource use (e.g., water and energy), and reducing business expenditures and liability costs. In FY 2025, SRA will continue to fund activities that promote practical source reduction practices, tools, and training on P2 approaches to measurably improve human and environmental health by reducing the use of hazardous substances, reducing toxic pollutants, reducing resource use (e.g., water and energy), and reducing expenditures and liability costs to businesses, non-profit organizations and/or communities.

From the federal Assistance Listing. Read the full listing on SAM.gov.

Open opportunities

No opportunity under this program is open or forecast on Grants.gov right now. Programs often post once a year, so the funding history below shows what to expect.

Rules from the program listing

Who can apply

Eligible applicants for purposes of funding under the grant programs administered under this Assistance Listing announcement include: the fifty states, the District of Columbia, the United States Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, any territory or possession of the United States, local governments, city or township governments, independent school district governments, state controlled institutions of higher education, non-profit organizations (other than institutions of higher education), private institutions of higher education, community-based grassroots organizations, and federally-recognized tribes and intertribal consortia. For certain competitive funding opportunities under this assistance listing, the Agency may limit eligibility to compete to a number or subset of eligible applicants consistent with the Agency's Policy for the Competition of Assistance Agreements.

What the money can and cannot pay for

EPA is interested in supporting P2, source reduction, and resource conservation projects that will provide an overall benefit to the environment by preventing pollutants at the source. Source reduction projects can include but are not limited to: 1) improving facility and institutional operations that reduce hazardous material use and exposure, 2) reformulating and procuring products to reduce toxics, 3) providing direct technical assistance to businesses and other organizations, 4) encouraging green product design and manufacturing, 5) conducting outreach, 6) collecting and analyzing P2 data, and 7) integrating P2 concepts into state, regional and tribal environmental multimedia programs. Grant activities must be consistent with the grant guidelines of the statutory authorities listed for this program. The statutory authorities are listed in this assistance listing and in the applicable Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). SRA assistance agreements must carry out activities within the terms of the EPA's statutory authorities. The statutes authorize the agency to award grants or cooperative agreements using methods of: research, investigations, experiments, education, training, surveys, studies, and/or demonstration of innovative techniques. SRA assistance agreement activities must relate to gathering or transferring information or advancing awareness.

Continue reading on SAM.gov

Matching requirements

This program has no statutory formula. EPA requires a minimum 5% match of the total allowable project cost. For example, the Federal government will provide 95% of the total allowable cost of the project, and the recipient will provide the remaining 5%. The match may be issued in the form of cash and/or in-kind contributions, e.g., donated services, charges for real property and equipment, or the value of goods and services directly benefiting the EPA-funded project.MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

Deadlines

For competitive awards, deadlines will be specified in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).

Award range and average, in the agency's words

Awards are issued in the range of $40,000 - $250,000 with an average award size of approximately $106,000.

Examples of funded projects

Fiscal Year2016: As of this CFDA update, FY 2016 - FY 2017 SRA award selections are undergoing review. Examples of SRA grant awards issued in FY 2016: EPA funded amount: $259,000 (over a two year funding period). The grant recipient will partner with the Western NY Sustainable Business Roundtable and others to provide technical assistance in P2 to western NY businesses. The grant recipient will focus its outreach on food manufacturing facilities. The grant recipient and its project partners will conduct assessments at two manufacturing facilities and will provide ten workshops to participating companies. Case studies and best management practices will be shared with businesses throughout western NY. EPA funded amount: $60,000 (FY 2016). The grant recipient will provide tech assistance to small (10-20) and large (2-6) businesses to communities in Minneapolis to identify sources of air emissions (using Toxic Release Inventory data and permit reviews); develop strategies to reduce air releases into surrounding neighborhoods; and initiate efforts to implement reduction options. City of Minneapolis' resources will be used for analyzing public business records and air monitoring data as a source for financial assistance to encourage project implementation. EPA funded amount: $129,000 (over a two year funding period).

Continue reading on SAM.gov

Quoted from the program's federal Assistance Listing. The notice of funding opportunity is the official source for each competition's rules.

Who usually wins

Nonprofits received 51% of the money, colleges and universities 29% and state and local governments 18%.

By state

No state received $1 million or 10 awards from this program, so it has no state pages.

Award amounts are federal obligations reported to USAspending.gov for fiscal 2021 to 2025; see how our data works.