NextCycle Michigan Seed Award Program

The NextCycle Michigan Seed Award Program is a funding opportunity administered by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) under the broader NextCycle Michigan initiative. It is specifically designed to support early-stage projects that address waste diversion and support Michigan’s circular economy. By focusing on keeping materials out of landfills, this program provides financial assistance to entities that are launching or scaling innovative waste management and material recovery solutions within the state. The 2025 Seed Award round runs from June 2, 2025, to July 31, 2025, with a total pool of $300,000 in funding available. Awards will range from $8,000 to $10,000 per project. No matching funds are required, making the opportunity accessible for smaller organizations or startups. The funds are intended to catalyze progress in areas like collection, reuse, recycling, composting, and related forms of material recovery. The types of materials targeted include plastics, textiles, metals, organic waste, food scraps, construction and demolition debris, and batteries. However, projects dealing with tires or electronic waste are not eligible for funding. Eligible applicants include a broad array of organizations based in Michigan. These include businesses, non-profit organizations, tribal governments, universities and colleges, public sector entities, and municipal solid waste authorities. All applicants must be physically located in Michigan. The program encourages a diverse mix of project types, as long as they support material diversion in some direct or indirect way. Grant funds can be used to support a variety of project needs, including the purchase of equipment and supplies (with individual equipment purchases not exceeding the full $10,000 award), prototyping, research and development, contracted services, marketing, event space rental, labor stipends, travel aligned with state travel rates, and project-related surveys. Regular salaries, holiday pay, or similar expenses are not eligible. Labor costs must be reported using hourly tracking. Applicants must submit their proposals through an online portal no later than 5:00 PM Eastern Time on July 31, 2025. Required submission materials include narrative responses to general project questions, a detailed budget, and a work plan using the templates provided in the application portal. The program also offers virtual office hours and one-on-one meetings with facilitators to assist applicants. Key contacts for support include Bridgette and Keira, who can be scheduled for virtual meetings, and general inquiries can be directed to NextCycleMI.Grants@recycle.com. This funding round does not require participants to be engaged in other parts of the NextCycle Michigan Accelerator Program, allowing standalone applicants to apply. Resources such as informational videos, templates, and downloadable packets are provided to guide applicants through the process. The timeline does not mention any interim deadlines, and there is no indication of whether awards will be announced on a specific date. However, given the annual cadence of prior awards, it is expected that a similar cycle will be repeated in future years.

Applicants are encouraged to attend informational sessions, schedule 1:1 office hours, and use available templates for work plans and budgets to ensure alignment with program requirements.