The competition aims to expand the capacity of composting and 'added;-value' organic product manufacturing by encouraging tenders for new and expanding facilities. WRAP has not set the amount available, as it is waiting to assess the applications first before allocating any funds.
Will need match funding since the level of WRAP funding will not exceed 30% of the successful projects' eligible costs. The deadline for applications is October 3, 2003 and the approved projects are expected to become operational in 2004.
Anne O'B;rien, head of organics at WRAP, said: “This capital support competition is an effective way of stimulating the rapid development needed and we see this as a flagship project for WRAP’s new organics programme.”
Ms O'B;rien was appointed by WRAP in July 2003 to head its organics programmes, which is part of WRAP's wider remit given by the government in response to the Strategy Unit's Waste Not Want Not report (see letsrecycle.com story). WRAP has a target to increase reprocessing capacity to manufacture an additional 150,000 tonnes of high quality composted products.
Ms O'B;rien added: “Composting is generally a high volume, low margin business and there are clear financial barriers to achieving the expansion necessary to meet the requirements of the Landfill Directive.”
In order to be eligible for the funding, proposals must meet criteria set by WRAP. Applicants must either be small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) or the project must be located in a National Regional Assistance (NRA) area. The successful applications will also need to demonstrate secure sources of feedstock material and end markets for the products.
For more information and to download the application documents go to WRAP's organics website.
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