Tire-Derived Aggregate Grant

The Tire-Derived Aggregate (TDA) Grant Program is administered by the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle). CalRecycle is the state agency tasked with managing California’s waste streams and advancing waste reduction, recycling, and product reuse. The TDA Grant Program is one of several initiatives under CalRecycle’s tire management programs aimed at reducing landfill disposal of waste tires, deterring illegal dumping, and promoting the market use of recycled tire products. This program supports the use of Tire-Derived Aggregate in civil engineering applications. TDA is produced from shredded waste tires and is used as a substitute for traditional lightweight aggregates. It offers various engineering advantages including being lightweight, free-draining, and cost-effective. The program’s overarching goal is to promote TDA as a practical and economical engineering solution while contributing to environmental sustainability. Applicants may submit projects in five primary categories: mechanically stabilized TDA for retaining walls; stormwater mitigation such as infiltration galleries; applications in slope stabilization, landslide repair, and embankment fill; vibration mitigation under rail lines; and aggregate replacement projects in landfill settings, excluding use as daily or intermediate cover. However, projects at the same location and facility completed within the past three years are not eligible. Eligible applicants include a wide range of California-based public and private entities. These include local governments, special districts, Joint Powers Authorities (JPAs), public school districts, state agencies, higher education institutions, for-profit businesses with an operational presence in California, eligible nonprofits registered under certain federal IRS codes, and qualifying Tribal entities. Each category must meet specific documentation and compliance criteria as detailed in the grant guidelines. The maximum award per grant is $375,000, and funds must be used specifically for direct costs related to the TDA portion of a project. These costs can include materials, transportation to the initial site (excluding contractor markup or secondary transportation), installation, necessary engineering and design work, and certain geosynthetic materials required for the TDA application. Application materials for the Fiscal Year 2025–2026 funding cycle must be submitted by July 17, 2025. All applications must be submitted online via the CalRecycle Grants Management System (GMS). Updates and funding notices are posted on both the CalRecycle Funding page and the California Grants Portal. For more information, applicants are encouraged to contact CalRecycle directly at tiregrants@calrecycle.ca.gov.