Project Funding Questions & Answers

CIF’s initial priorities are to fund projects to:

• identify and implement municipal blue box recycling best practices as recommended in the Blue Box Program Enhancement and Best Practices Assessment Report;
• implement recycling innovations (e.g., regional MRFs and municipal co-operation, plastics sorting and market development, and others);
• promote recycling programs, communicate results and share knowledge;
• provide administrative support for projects (i.e., for project management, evaluation, implementation and execution support for CIF projects); and/or
• apply emerging technologies to underdeveloped markets.

MIPC has directed CIF to undertake a province-wide material optimization study. This study is expected to be completed in the spring of 2012. MIPC will be giving direction to the CIF following that, concerning how to allocate up to $10M in funding for new projects after that time. For more information, contact CIF Director Andy Campbell at andycampbell@wdo.ca.

Funding priorities for 2012 are available in the current Operations Plan. For more information, go to the Operations Plan webpage.

The 2012 Operations Plan indicates that no new funding will be available until the completion of the Provincial Material Optimization study, which is due in the spring of 2012. New information will be posted as it becomes available.

CIF project support is awarded in two ways. All Ontario recycling municipalities are encouraged to complete an application form to identify new project concepts that will achieve program and local recycling goals.

Project applications need to quantify and demonstrate the potential to achieve these results. Projects that are very similar to previous initiatives (carried out under the CIF or Effectiveness & Efficiency Fund) or those that only study elements of recycling are not likely to receive support. For information to help determine if a project meets the fund’s priorities, please see the CIF Operations Plan.

Taking a proactive approach, CIF staff members also identify strategic areas of interest and develop project concepts that meet CIF goals. Municipalities that take part in CIF-directed projects may receive a greater amount of funding since these initiatives will likely not have been included in their budgets and may have a higher associated risk.

CIF does not provide funding for standalone waste audits or studies/projects that duplicate work and results of projects previously completed (either under E&E Fund or CIF).