California’s Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) is accepting applications for the FY 2026–27 Recycled Glass Processing Incentive Grant Program, Cycle 3 (RGP3). This is a competitive applicant grant for expanding in-state processing of furnace-ready recycled glass cullet for new beverage containers, not a government procurement contract.
Individual applicant award: $1,000,000 to $4,000,000. CalRecycle reports $8,782,179 in total funding for this cycle; that total is not the amount available to one applicant. Applicants must contribute an eligible 100% match at least equal to the grant amount. Other CalRecycle grant funds cannot provide this match.
Restricted eligibility: Applicants must already be California-certified beneficiating glass processors. Eligible organizations are private for-profit businesses and qualifying 501(c)(3), (c)(4), (c)(6), or (c)(10) nonprofit entities, excluding private schools. Projects must expand furnace-ready glass cullet processing at California locations. The application is submitted by one eligible entity; a consortium is not an eligible direct applicant. Businesses and nonprofits must satisfy the specified California registration and good-standing requirements.
Eligible uses: Qualifying glass-processing equipment, related software and technology, supplies, installation or facility retrofits, directly related personnel, and necessary employee training. The controlling procedures restrict unrelated overhead, land acquisition, general operating costs, vehicles, permit fees, insurance, travel, and other ineligible expenses. The grant operates primarily on reimbursement after grant-funded costs are incurred and documented, with a portion of each payment held until closeout; special advance-payment provisions are conditional.
Application deadline: November 5, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. CalRecycle’s revised October 2026 guidelines specify this exact deadline through the online Grants Management System (GMS). The guidelines do not expressly label its time zone; applicants should confirm the portal’s clock. Customer support ends at 4:00 p.m. on the deadline day. A second deadline, November 27, 2026, applies to outstanding authorization documentation and adoption of an Environmentally Preferable Purchasing and Practices Policy. The agency’s cycle webpage retains an outdated September 2025 sentence, but its date table, updated guidelines, and deadline notice identify November 5, 2026.
How to apply: Use a CalRecycle WebPass to sign in to GMS, select RGP3 FY 2026–27, complete the applicant, project, budget, location, contact, and certification sections, and upload the required project proposal, work plan, equipment cost quotations, authorizations, and other listed supporting documents. Projects are expected to document increases in recycled cullet processing; eligible project costs begin only after the agency’s Notice to Proceed. The grant performance period ends April 1, 2029.
Official sources: Current CalRecycle RGP3 Notice of Funds Available; revised October 2026 application guidelines and instructions; procedures and requirements. Information researched and checked October 29, 2026. Applicants should review the official latest amendments, terms, and GMS record before submitting.