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EPA SWIFR program with three funding tracks for states, territories, Tribes, and political subdivisions to improve recycling infrastructure.
Three SWIFR tracks; two closed.
Choose the SWIFR track that matches your organization type.
Two tracks are currently closed while states and territories are in non-competitive allocation.
If you are a nonprofit or business, you cannot apply directly but may partner as a subrecipient or contractor.
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Sign in to save this grantThe Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling Grant Program operates as three separate funding tracks, each with its own eligibility rules and current status. Two of those tracks are closed right now. The EPA does not run one universal application. States and territories move through a non-competitive allocation process.
Tribes compete through Grants.gov when a NOFO is open. Political subdivisions have no active window at all. Before you read a single award figure or eligibility line, you need to know which door you are standing in front of and whether it is open.[1]
The three tracks do not share a single deadline, a single portal, or a single award range.
The state and territory row follows EPA’s 2026 guidance. The Tribal row follows the Tribal NOFO and track page. The Political Subdivision row follows EPA’s current closed-track page.[2][3][4]
Only government and Tribal entities can lead a SWIFR application. Nonprofits, businesses, and individuals cannot. That is a hard gate, but it is not a dead end.[5]
If you run a private recycling facility, an environmental nonprofit, or a technical consulting firm, you still have a path in. The eligible government or Tribal applicant can hire contractors or designate subrecipients to execute project components. The money flows through the eligible entity, but the work can involve diverse partners.
Do’s
Don’ts
Still unsure which track fits? The eligibility tool below asks about your organization type first, then routes you toward the right pathway or explains why direct application is not available. Eligible routes move toward the application submission modal. Unsure routes move to expert consultation. Ineligible routes pivot to related grants or the subrecipient path.
EPA will not fund project activities that include landfill construction, incineration, or waste-to-energy. The agency makes one narrow exception for anaerobic digestion. This exclusion list catches applicants who assume any waste management or recycling-adjacent activity qualifies. SWIFR targets mechanical recycling, composting infrastructure, and end-market development. It does not fund disposal infrastructure or chemical conversion processes.[6]
Landfill construction or operation Incineration or burn units Waste-to-energy or biofuels except anaerobic digestion Chemical or thermal recycling Environmental cleanup
Required Steps
Does your project idea touch any of these excluded activities? If yes, you may need to redesign the scope or pursue different funding. Our assessment team can review your project concept for disqualifying errors before you invest weeks in application development.
A single Tribal award can reach $1.5 million, while prior Political Subdivision awards have gone as high as $5 million. States and territories receive base allocations around $300000 to $500000 plus formula-based supplements. Exact FY2026 state-by-state amounts remain unpublished. The total program received $275 million across fiscal years 2022 through 2026 under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.[7]
Past selectees demonstrate the program’s scale. The City of Kansas City, Missouri received $5000000 for recycling infrastructure. Chicago secured $4999988 for similar work. The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe in Akwesasne, New York was awarded $1500000.[8]
These recipients were confirmed through official grant program records.
Grant recipients
Who received this grant
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Funded
City of Kansas City
$5000000
Grant Awarded
Solid Waste Infrastructure Recycling Grant Program
Funded
Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe
$1500000
Grant Awarded
Solid Waste Infrastructure Recycling Grant Program
No match is required, and EPA explicitly rejects voluntary cost share. Many applicants assume match makes a proposal stronger. SWIFR does not. Adding voluntary match can complicate your submission instead of improving it.[9]
Match is not required and voluntary cost share is not accepted. Do not include matching funds or cost share in your application budget. Tribal applicants should not include cost share in the budget narrative. EPA will not accept voluntary matching funds for SWIFR awards.
Important Note
Expert Tip
Beyond the match rule, successful applicants must navigate Build America, Buy America Act requirements for construction projects, Davis-Bacon prevailing wage rules, and National Environmental Policy Act compliance. Those rules add layers of documentation and oversight.[10]
States and Tribes do not use the same portal, the same forms, or the same timeline. Political Subdivisions currently have no portal at all.
Two different processes serve two different active or preparatory tracks. Tribal applicants use Grants.gov when a NOFO is open. States and territories use an EPA regional workplan process, not Grants.gov.
Important Information
States and territories operate through non-competitive allocation. EPA calculates each jurisdiction’s share using a formula, then notifies them of their allocation. After receiving allocation notice, the eligible state or territory entity submits a workplan and application materials to their EPA regional representative. This is not a public application portal. Individual agencies, nonprofits, or local governments within a state cannot apply directly to EPA. They must work through the designated state entity.[11]
Tribal applicants compete through Grants.gov when a NOFO opens. The 2025 NOFO closed on September 30, 2026, and no new competitive window has been announced. When the next NOFO publishes, applicants will need a heavy document package: SF-424, SF-424A, EPA Key Contacts Form 5700-54, EPA Form 4700-4, and a Project Narrative Attachment Form. The narrative requires a 1-page cover letter, a 10-page proposal, and a 4-page budget table or description. Preparation hours remain UNKNOWN. The application package requires SAM.gov registration, UEI numbers, and detailed project narratives. The Grantaura Dashboard can help track form readiness across these 5+ mandatory forms.[12]
EPA is not currently accepting Political Subdivision applications. Prior rounds awarded up to $5 million per recipient. No reopening date has been announced. Local governments interested in SWIFR funding should monitor the EPA program page for updates but cannot submit applications at this time.[13]
A NOFO is the formal funding notice. For SWIFR, the Tribal path depends on a NOFO being open. If no NOFO is open, Grants.gov preparation is useful. Submission is not.
A subrecipient is not the lead applicant. That distinction matters for nonprofits, businesses, and schools. They may help deliver the project only when an eligible government or Tribal entity leads.
Cost share means matching funds. SWIFR does not require it, and voluntary cost share should not be added to the official request.
By this point, you know which track fits your entity, whether that door is open, and what SWIFR will not fund. The remaining question is what to do next.
Confirm your SWIFR track Confirm current track status Run the exclusion check Avoid adding voluntary cost share
Must Do
If you represent a state or territory entity receiving allocation notice, coordinate with your EPA regional representative immediately. Prepare workplan materials and budget documentation. Application complexity is high. Federal forms, compliance reviews, and narrative requirements demand careful assembly. Our assessment team can review your draft application for disqualifying errors before submission.
Tribal applicants and political subdivisions face closed windows. Use this time to build project narratives, secure partnerships, and complete SAM.gov or UEI registration. When NOFOs reopen, preparation work separates successful applicants from those who scramble at the last minute. Expert consultation can help you develop a competitive project concept and identify potential subrecipients or contractors.
Nonprofits, businesses, individuals, and schools cannot apply directly. Your pathway is partnership. Identify eligible government or Tribal entities working on recycling infrastructure in your area. Pitch your services as a subrecipient or contractor. Alternatively, explore other recycling grant opportunities that accept nonprofit or business applicants directly, such as the Small Business Recycling Grant Program.
Your Grant Assessment fee is non-refundable, but the base assessment fee can be deducted once toward the same grant’s Full Application when you choose the optional checkbox at checkout.
If SWIFR is closed for your track or unavailable to your entity type, do not sit still. Compare related opportunities. They are not replacements for EPA SWIFR, but they may keep the project moving while your main track is blocked.
[1] EPA state and territory, Tribal, and Political Subdivision track pages (S2, S4, S6).
[2] State and Territory guidance December 2025, non-competitive allocation process and timing (S3).
[3] Tribal track page and Tribal NOFO December 2025, status, award range, and Grants.gov pathway (S4, S5).
[4] Political Subdivision track page, current closed status and prior-round award range (S6).
[5] State guidance, Tribal NOFO, and Political Subdivision track materials for eligible applicant types and partner roles (S3, S5, S6).
[6] Tribal NOFO December 2025, excluded activities and project restrictions (S5).
[7] EPA main SWIFR program page, State/Territory guidance, Tribal track materials, and Tribal NOFO for total program funding and award ranges (S1, S3, S4, S5).
[8] EPA recipient page, verified selectees and award amounts (S7).
[9] State/Territory guidance and Tribal NOFO for no-match and voluntary cost-share rules (S3, S5).
[10] SWIFR guidance and NOFO compliance materials for construction and federal compliance requirements (S3, S5).
[11] State/Territory guidance for EPA regional workplan process and allocation mechanics (S3).
[12] Tribal NOFO December 2025 for Grants.gov package, forms, narrative length, budget materials, SAM.gov, and UEI requirements (S5).
[13] Political Subdivision track page for closed status and no active application pathway (S6).
EPA restricts primary SWIFR applications to government and Tribal entities. Nonprofits cannot apply directly, but they may participate as subrecipients or contractors if an eligible lead entity includes them in the application.
No. EPA is not currently accepting applications from counties, cities, towns, or parishes through the Political Subdivision track. Monitor the EPA program page for reopening announcements.
SWIFR does not require matching funds, and voluntary cost share is not accepted. Do not include matching funds in your budget.
This grant page was prepared by the Grantaura editorial team using locked EPA source materials including the official program page, track-specific guidance documents, the December 2025 Tribal NOFO, and the EPA recipient page. All high-stakes claims about track statuses, deadlines, award ranges, and exclusions trace back to those sources. Where evidence is thin or unavailable, we have said so plainly rather than smoothing the gap.
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