BAW.NOI.2026. MSE.Pilot.Grant.11-25-25 Final.docx

Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection Address: 100 Cambridge Street, Suite 900, Boston, MA 02114 Phone: 617-292-5500

Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection Address: 100 Cambridge Street, Suite 900, Boston, MA 02114 Phone: 617-292-5500

Maura T. Healey Governor Kim Driscoll Lieutenant Governor

Rebecca Tepper Secretary

Bonnie Heiple Commissioner

NOTICE OF GRANT OPPORTUNITY - DEADLINE OF DECEMBER 9, 2025

Summary of Grant Opportunity: The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) seeks grant proposals to develop an employment social enterprise impact pilot program to provide mattress recycling services, with the overall goal of fostering job security for individuals facing barriers to employment, through the provision of mattress recycling work opportunities.

Grant Opportunity Application and Requirements: The 2026 Mattress Social Enterprise Pilot Grant Application is attached.

Eligible Entities: Applicants must meet all eligibility requirements to be considered for an award.

· Applicant must be a non-profit entity registered in the Commonwealth.

· Applicant shall have a demonstrated history of providing mattress recycling services in the Commonwealth as an Operational Services Division approved state vendor for not less than five (5) years.

· Applicant must propose a program that provides job security for individuals facing barriers to employment through the provision of mattress recycling work opportunities.

· Applicant must have been in substantial compliance with federal and state environmental laws for the past three (3) years.

Eligible Projects: The FY2026 State Budget included a line-item (2200-0107) specifically directing MassDEP to, “…develop an employment social enterprise impact pilot program to provide funding for at least 1 nonprofit entity to provide recycling services with the overall goal of fostering job security for individuals facing barriers to employment through the provision of mattress recycling work opportunities…”

Funding Availability: The maximum grant award is $500,000. MassDEP reserves the right to award one or more grant awards for less than the maximum grant award. Final award amount(s) will be determined through the evaluation and award process. All awards are subject to the availability of appropriations. Grant program funding must be spent by June 30, 2026.

Grant Application Process: The application process is described in the grant application. Questions regarding the grant must be submitted by December 1, 2025. The application deadline is December 9, 2025.

Evaluation Criteria: The evaluation criteria components for MassDEP’s review of applications are specified in the grant application.

Additional Information: Additional information regarding the grant can be found in the attached 2025 Mattress Social Enterprise Pilot Grant Application.

Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection Bureau of Air and Waste 2025 Mattress Social Enterprise Pilot Grant Application

Instructions To apply for a Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) 2026 Mattress Recycling/Employment Social Enterprise Impact Pilot Grant you must follow the instructions below.

Deadline for Questions: December 1, 2025 (via COMMBUYS) Response to Questions Posted on COMMBUYS: December 4, 2025 (approximately) Application Deadline: December 9, 2025

Application Check List:

· Include all required documents – signed electronically and submitted in PDF

· Review the W-9 Form and the Commonwealth’s Terms and Conditions

· Address your application via email to: Greg Cooper at greg.cooper@mass.gov.

Questions and Assistance All inquiries and questions should be submitted through the formal Q&A process on COMMBUYS.

I. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

The FY2026 State Budget included a line-item (2200-0107) specifically directing MassDEP to “develop an employment social enterprise impact pilot program to provide funding for at least 1 nonprofit entity to provide recycling services with the overall goal of fostering job security for individuals facing barriers to employment through the provision of mattress recycling work opportunities; provided further, that eligible applicants shall have a demonstrated history of providing mattress recycling services in the commonwealth as an approved vendor to the department for not less than 5 years…” MassDEP seeks to provide grants to eligible entities to pilot an employment social enterprise impact program involving mattress recycling.

II. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Applicants must meet all eligibility requirements to be considered for a grant. Please review the requirements carefully as ineligible applications will be rejected and will not be evaluated. The Commonwealth makes no guarantee that any grants will be awarded to any applicant.

Applicant Eligibility Requirements

· Applicant must be a non-profit entity registered in the Commonwealth.

· Applicant shall have a demonstrated history of providing mattress recycling services in the Commonwealth as an Operational Services Division approved state vendor for not less than five (5) years.

· Applicant must propose a program that provides job security for individuals facing barriers to employment through the provision of mattress recycling work opportunities.

· Applicant must have been in substantial compliance with federal and state law, including environmental laws, for the past three (3) years.

· If awarded, applicant must submit a W-9 Form and assent to the Commonwealth’s Terms and Conditions (incorporated by reference into the Commonwealth’s Standard Contract Form).

· The maximum grant funding is $500,000.

III. PROPOSAL EVALUATION

The evaluation shall include, but not be limited to: the applicant's capabilities and experience; the technical feasibility of the investment; the program proponent’s financial match; the likelihood of success and continued sustainability of the investment; and the extent to which the program fosters mattress recycling and job security for individuals facing barriers to employment. Based on this evaluation, the proposals will be ranked by merit. MassDEP may require a site visit or interview with the top ranked respondents as part of the evaluation.

IV. GRANT AGREEMENT

Grant Reimbursement and Conditions

· As a condition of receiving the grant, grantees are required to meet their mattress recycling and reuse, and employment social enterprise goals.

· MassDEP reserves the right to require the grantee to refund, in whole or in part, the grant funds if MassDEP determines that the grantee's success and level of effort is not satisfactory, or if the grantee moves the operation outside of Massachusetts. Success will be measured primarily by whether the grantee meets its goals and milestones as specified in the application. Therefore, it is important that applicants propose goals that are realistic, accurate, and achievable.

· Depending on the application submitted, some grant reimbursement schedules may include a performance-based component.

Reimbursement Schedule All awarded grants will be reimbursed via scheduled payments as agreed upon in a grant agreement. All reimbursable work must be completed by June 30, 2026. A final report must be submitted within thirty (30) days of the end of the grant.

Other General Terms and Conditions MassDEP and program-specific terms and conditions will be outlined in the grant agreement. In addition, all Grantees will be required to submit a W-9 Form and agree to the Commonwealth’s Terms and Conditions (found on the website for the Office of the Comptroller) prior to the issuance of an award and execution of a grant agreement, and are subject to the following terms and conditions:

· Grant Amounts – The maximum grant award is $500,000. MassDEP reserves the right to award one or more grant awards for less than the maximum grant award. Final award amount(s) will be determined through the evaluation and award process. All awards are subject to the availability of appropriations.

· Site Visits – MassDEP staff reserves the right to visit successful applicants during the contract period to review program progress and assess compliance with all grant terms and conditions.

· Reimbursement – All grant funds are distributed on a reimbursement basis. Requests for reimbursement must include proof that funds were spent for the budgeted items and include a copy of the paid receipt for the purchased equipment or work completed under the grant program. Purchases made before a grant agreement is signed by both MassDEP and the grant recipient will NOT be reimbursed. All purchases and performance pursuant to the grant award shall be completed on or before 5:00 pm on June 30, 2026. Final invoices and supporting documentation must be submitted to MassDEP within 30 days of performance, and no later than July 31, 2026.

· Ownership of Equipment or Resources - All equipment or resources purchased with grant funds through this program shall remain the property of the grantee.

· Publications – All documents and publications associated with a grant agreement shall be submitted to MassDEP in electronic format in Microsoft Word and as a PDF file.

· Tax Compliance - Through the submission of an application, all applicants affirmatively attest to their compliance with applicable tax laws.

SECTION ONE: APPLICANT, ACTIVITY AND MATERIALS INFORMATION

1.1 Applicant Information

Non-profit Organization Name:

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Contact Name & Title:

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Currently Registered with Secretary of State |_| Yes |_| No

If yes, under what name Click here to enter text.

Phone Number: (xxx) xxx-xxx Click here to enter text.

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Mailing Address, Zip Code

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E-mail Address:

Web Site:

Title of the Program and Brief Summary

Total Current Jobs at the Applicable Facility(ies):

Estimated New Jobs Created by Grant Program:

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Click here to enter a date.

The following information will be completed by MassDEP staff:

Date Application Received ________________________ Date of Acknowledgment to Applicant _________________________ Proposal Number _________________________

SECTION TWO: PROGRAM TIMELINE, MILESTONES, AND BUDGET

2.1 Program Timeline

Please consider your program scope and insert appropriate program tasks, milestones, significant activities, and the estimated material throughput in tonnage associated with the program timeline. Add approximate implementation dates below. Add rows to the table below, as needed.

Note: Program must be completed by June 30, 2026.

Examples of program tasks include “order equipment,” “install equipment,” “submit invoices to MassDEP for reimbursement,” “monitor performance and measure improvements,” “submit draft reports to MassDEP,” and “submit final reports to MassDEP.”

Dates provided above are estimated and subject to change in order to correspond with the official start date provided in a successful grantee’s final grant agreement.

2.2 Budget

Please complete the proposed budget. While matching funds are not required, grant proposals will be ranked higher in the review process when matching funds are offered. The maximum award is $500,000.

Item(s): Item(s) (listed individually) requested Grant Funds: Funds requested of MassDEP by the Grant Applicant Match Funds: Funds pledged by the Grant Applicant Other Funds: Funds pledged to the program by outside public or private sector parties Total Funds: Sum of Grant Funds, Match Funds and Other Funds

Item(s)

TOTAL BY CATEGORY

SECTION THREE: Pilot Program In a separate attachment, fully describe in writing the proposal for which you are seeking grant funds. Applicants shall respond to all items listed below. This section shall not exceed four pages (two double-sided pages). Any additional documentation or attachments do not count toward the page limit.

Program Narrative

· Describe the organization, its work, and overall goals and objectives.

Purpose of the Grant

· Describe the goals and scope of the program and expected benefits.

Operation

· Detail the location and activity proposed. Include all information pertinent to meeting the eligibility criteria as outlined in Section II above.

Impact

· Estimate how many additional tons of mattresses, if any, will be recycled annually by the proposed program.

· Estimate the expected increase in the social impact value of the employment effort.

· Identify all anticipated benefits of the program.

Qualifications

· Describe and document the relevant experience, qualifications and skills of the organization and the principals that would be involved in the grant-funded activity (resumes may be attached).

Feasibility

· Identify any barriers or additional steps for the program to proceed.

Jobs

· Estimate the number of new jobs created by the program.

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