Rubberized Pavement Grant Program 2025

The Rubberized Pavement Grant Program for Fiscal Year 2025–26 (Cycle TRP18) is administered by the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle). This program is authorized under Public Resources Code Sections 42872, 42872.1, and 42873. It aims to support the recycling of California-generated waste tires into marketable products by promoting the use of Rubberized Asphalt Concrete (RAC) in two specific paving project types: Hot-Mix and Rubberized Chip Seal. The overarching goal is to reduce landfill disposal of tires, prevent illegal tire dumping, and stimulate sustainable markets for crumb rubber materials derived from end-of-life tires processed within California. CalRecycle seeks to encourage first-time or limited users of rubberized pavement to adopt these recycled-content surfacing materials. Eligible projects include RAC Hot-Mix and Chip Seal paving efforts applied to roadways, Class 1 bikeways, greenways, and disability access pathways within public parks. All projects must be publicly accessible, located in California, owned and maintained by the applicant, and utilize only California-processed crumb rubber that meets the specified performance and material standards. Eligible applicants for this cycle include local governments (cities and counties), regional park districts, special districts, Joint Powers Authorities (where all members are otherwise eligible), qualifying Tribal Entities, and California state agencies. State agencies are eligible only for Class 1 bikeways, greenways, and park disability access projects. There are restrictions based on prior grant awards; entities that have received eight prior grants for either chip seal or hot-mix projects are no longer eligible for those respective categories. Funding for FY 2025–26 totals $6,571,315. The maximum award is $375,000 for individual applicants, $525,000 for regional applications, and $750,000 for Tribal Entities. RAC Hot-Mix awards are based on tiered reimbursement rates ($11–$30/ton for non-Tribal applicants, doubled for Tribes), depending on the applicant’s geographic tier and number of past awards. Chip Seal projects are funded at flat rates of $0.50 or $1.00 per square yard (doubled for Tribal Entities). A minimum of 2,000 tons of RAC Hot-Mix (1,000 tons for Tribal applicants) or 40,000 square yards of chip seal (20,000 square yards for Tribes) is required per project type. Grant reimbursement will not exceed the amount agreed upon in the final award documentation. The application period begins on July 30, 2025. Questions can be submitted until August 21, 2025, with responses posted online by August 28, 2025. The final application deadline is September 11, 2025, submitted through CalRecycle’s Grants Management System (GMS). Authorization documents (e.g., Resolutions, Letters of Commitment) and Environmentally Preferable Purchasing and Practices (EPPP) Policies are due by October 21, 2025. Grants are expected to be awarded in December 2025. The grant term ends on April 1, 2028, by which date all projects must be completed and final reports submitted. Questions should be directed to tiregrants@calrecycle.ca.gov. For application help, contact grantassistance@calrecycle.ca.gov or call (916) 341-6809. Applications must be certified and include supporting documentation, such as a Project Summary & Calculation Sheet, application certification, and required authorizations. Applications that fail to meet eligibility or documentation requirements will be disqualified.