The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) has launched the Colorado NextCycle program and now is accepting letters of intent. 

The Colorado NextCycle program provides modest grants, technical coaching and data to assist selected teams in refining an end market business proposal for recovered/recycled material, which can be submitted in the 2019 CDPHE grant cycle.

Cross-sector teams composed of manufacturers, secondary material processors, compost operators, venture capitalists, incubators, universities or other creative thinkers can download a “jump kit” and review instructions.

The letters of intent will be accepted through December 14. The program’s Technical Advisory Committee and department representatives will review the letters and select the finalists to move forward into the Colorado NextCycle program. Names of selected teams will be announced in January 2019.

The program is open to applicants based anywhere in the U.S. or internationally. Applicants outside the state are encouraged to use NextCycle to explore the possibility of a Colorado location.

“Colorado needs strong regional infrastructure and robust end markets to form a more sustainable domestic recycling economy. Colorado NextCycle is the tool to spur some of the development,” said Eric Heyboer, the department’s recycling grant program administrator, in a statement.

Colorado NextCycle is funded through existing department funds and facilitated by Resource Recycling Systems, a sustainability and recycling consulting firm with an office location in Boulder, Colo. Additional external financial partners and investors interested in supporting and extending the state’s investment in NextCycle should email [email protected].