Waste and Litter Grant Application Information and Portal Guidance

This information is provided by the Nebraska Department of Water, Energy, and Environment (DWEE) to assist the public and regulated community.

Note: Effective Oct. 1, 2009, any individual submitting any application or form that would derive public benefit from the state must also fill out a United States Citizenship Attestation form. This applies to individuals submitting the forms on their own behalf. If applicable, please fill out the United States Citizenship Attestation form below and submit it with the relevant applications and forms.

Grant Application Overview

Applying for a Waste Reduction and Recycling Incentive Grant or a Litter Reduction and Recycling Grant is an online process.

DWEE encourages all applicants to read the Portal Guide linked below, and the PY2026 Grant Guidance Document  before beginning the application.

If you have questions or need to discuss proposed grant projects, contact ndee.wastegrants@nebraska.gov, or 402-471-2186 and ask for the Waste and Air Grants Section.

Key Dates – Program Year 2026

• Applications open: July 9, 2025
• Deadline: August 20, 2025, at 4:00 p.m. CDT

Please note: Applications can only be created and submitted during the open grant period. Please check back for the open and deadline dates posted on this page.

Link to the Waste and Litter Grant Application: https://ecmp.nebraska.gov/DEE-WGS/Account/Login?ReturnUrl=%2fDEE-WGS%2f

Major updates for 2026 Grant Year:

• Non-Cash Match – Volunteer time will no longer be eligible as a non-cash match
• Personnel pay limit increased to $30/hour
• Warranties will be required on all equipment over $100,000 for a minimum of 7 years.

Note: Cash or non-cash matching funds are not required when applying for a Waste or Litter grant, but will be considered as scoring criteria on the application. Please refer to the Litter & Waste Program Priority System Section in the Grant Application Guidance Document .

Creating an account and requesting authorization

Please refer to the Waste and Litter Grant Application Portal Guide, available for download at the bottom of the page, for guidance on how to create an account and complete an application.

General Information on the applications:

• Applications must be submitted using the online process.
• Maximum request limit: Each application is limited to a maximum of $500,000.
• Scrap Tire applications: Only one project per application is allowed
• Applications will be reviewed and scored based on the submitted application. Please review your application carefully prior to submitting.
• Please use the drop-down lists when the option is available.
• All dollar amounts should be rounded to the nearest whole dollar. Dollar signs, commas and decimals are not necessary and should not be used. Once an application is saved, dollar signs will appear with the numbers you entered.
• Attachments – the application will check for the necessary attachments. Please use the appropriate button for attaching required documents. Documents attached with the supporting documents button are not evaluated as part of the submission but are accepted as part of the submission. Missing attachments will not be accepted after the application period closes.
• Final check: Before submitting, verify that the "Total Grant Amount Requested" field correctly reflects your full request amount.