Green Event Grant Program
Goal and Purpose of the Grant
The Green Event Grant Program was created to help off-set potential increased costs for events that seek to reduce their impact on the environment through separate collection of recyclable and compostable materials at their events. The program was implemented in January 2010 by approval of the City of San Jose’s City Council after review of evaluation and recommendations resulting from the two-year Zero Waste Event Pilot Program. The intent of the Green Event Grant is to increase the number of San Jose events that divert waste from landfill through recycling and compost collection, helping move the City closer to its Green Vision Goal of Zero Waste.
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Who is Eligible to Apply for a Green Event Grant?
Event organizers conducting an event on public property (City-owned street, park, facility or site, etc.), with a daily attendance of at least 1,000 attendees or higher that is open to the general public is eligible for financial assistance for qualifying expenses under the Green Event Grant Program. In exchange for grant funding, events are required to meet the following requirements.
Please note: The reporting and recycling requirements, and some of the product requirements, must be met by all events of at least 1,000 attendees regardless of a grant award.
- Meet all City special events reporting requirements.
- Material Management (Clean up) Plan due 30 days prior to event
- Material Diversion Report due within 10 days following event
- Templates and forms available online
- Require use of products that meet Zero Waste Event Product Requirements
- Ban use of expanded polystyrene at the event
- Use paper cups and service ware for containers less than 7 oz.
- Use #1 plastic cups for beverages 7 oz. and larger
- Use compostable and paper food service ware
- Use a product compliance policy to incentivize participation
- Collect glass, metal, plastic and cardboard from vendors and attendees in separate, blue labeled containers for recycling
- Collect oil and grease for recycling (if applicable)
- Assign or hire a person to manage materials onsite. This person must attend a free Material Management Training workshop offered by ESD on a quarterly basis.
- Send all event trash and compostables to a processing and recovery facility in lieu of landfill and provide weight tags/information to ESD within 10 days of event conclusion
- Provide an exhibit space at the event for environmental education
- Apply for Zero Waste or Green Event Certification (automatic with grant application), and promote the event using the certification logo
- Include educational information about the Zero Waste program on event website, in program materials, and in stage announcements.
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How Much Funding is Available?
A total of $80,000 per year is available for events under this grant program. Individual event grants will vary, they will be based on estimated budgets and provided on a reimbursement basis on actual qualifying receipts and invoices submitted and approved. Funding under this grant program can only be used to cover the qualifying expenses below. ESD will check for compliance and proper use of funding at event.
Qualifying expenses for funding requests & use
- Cost of staff or hired person to manage materials at event
- Cost of staff to collect and sort recycling and compostables*
- Cost of staff to set-up and teardown eco-stations*
- Coupons for purchase of compostable utensils
- Must be used to purchase BPI certified compostable utensils or food service products from City approved vendor
- Limited to $100 per vendor booth
- Number of coupons provided will be based on the total number of vendors at event for distribution to and use by the event food vendors.
- Additional and separate debris box (dumpster) services for compostables and/or recyclables storage and proper removal of the aforementioned materials
- Based on prior year’s debris box (dumpster) service
- Sponsorships may be available. Please contact your service provider.
- Cost of oil and grease collection (if applicable)
- Cost of sorting and recovery of organics at approved recovery facility
* If a different service provider than SJ Conservation Corps (SJCC), who provides event services under City contract at no cost to events. Cost of alternative service provider must be comparable to SJCC costs.
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Benefits to Grant Award Recipients
- Use of City eco-stations
- San Jose Conservation Corps recycling services & collection equipment (as needed)
- Savings due to landfill avoidance
- Free technical assistance
- Recognition as a San José Certified Green Event
- Grant application can be used to apply for Green Event Certification
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How will Grant Awards be Decided?
Grants will be awarded on a first come, first serve basis for event applicants that meet all submission and expense requirements until available funding is depleted each year. Representatives from the Zero Waste Event Team and Environmental Services Department management will review application requests for applicant eligibility and appropriateness of the funding amount requested. ESD may contact grant applicants for one-on-one budget review, consultation and/or revision as needed before awards are made.
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Grant Evaluation & Reporting
A representative from the Zero Waste Event Team will monitor event planning and evaluate the event to ensure Event Organizers have met all the requirements as outlined in the “Who is Eligible to Apply for a Green Event Grant.” If these requirements are met, events will receive reimbursement for pre-approved qualifying expenses upon receipt of the following information:
- A final budget with related receipts or invoices for qualifying services provided within 15 calendar days following an event (not to exceed estimated budget submitted with application or revised budget approved by ESD)
- A completed Diversion Report or weight tags/information for all materials (waste, recycling, compost) removed from the event
- A reimbursement check will be mailed to event within three weeks of receipt of all required materials
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How do I Apply? Who do I Contact for More Information?
The Green Event Grant application is now available on the City of San José’s Grant database, Web Grants. Anyone that would like to apply for grant funding from the City of San José must apply using this application. All applicants must have a user id and password to log-in. Once assigned an id and password log-in and click on “Funding Opportunities”. Look for the grant titled, “Green Event Grant”. Complete all the required sections of the application form and submit using the submit function in that application. Applications will not be accepted in any other form or submission method. Upon successful submission of your application, you will receive a confirmation email business days. Applications not received 90 calendar days or more prior to the event may not be eligible to receive funding. Contact us for questions regarding eligibility.
Apply Online for a Green Event Grant
If you do not have Internet access, please contact the Zero Waste Events & Venues Team to make alternative arrangements for submitting your grant application:
City of San José Environmental Services Department
200 E. Santa Clara Street, 10th Floor
San José, CA 95113
greenevents@sanjoseca.gov
408-975-2532
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