WRAP opens the bidding for composting funds

Set up to help businesses and organisations develop new or existing composting facilities, the scheme will offer up to 30% of the total costs of new land, equipment and infrastructure.

” There's a real need to divert more biodegradable waste from landfill and a good demand for compost.“
– Michelle O'Reilly, WRAP
WRAP has not revealed the total amount of funding available, saying that doing so could influence the bidding process.

However, hopes are that the successful projects will increase UK composting capacity by 23% compared to 2004/5 levels, working with three previous Organics Capital Support Programmes.

Michelle O'Riley, capital grants manager for the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), said: “There's a real need to divert more biodegradable waste from landfill and a good demand for compost, thanks to initiatives like the British Standard PAS 100 that give reassurance of product quality.

“By providing financial assistance towards the costs of plant, equipment and infrastructure through the Capital Support Programme, WRAP aims to deliver an additional 450,000 tonnes of processing capacity across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.”

Criteria
Applicants must prove that their projects are a capital investment using proven technology. They must create compost that meets BSI PAS 100: 2005 standards, for which there is a clear end market.

Projects must also expand compost capacity using at least some source-segregated municipal organic waste and be operational by the end of March 2008.

The scheme, which was launched at the end of May, is open to all types of composting business and organisation. Applicants will be assessed by a panel of WRAP representatives and experts before negotiating possible grants.

Key criteria in winning funding include the financial robustness of the proposal and the projected sales.

The value for money of each project – especially how much biodegradable waste will be processed against the level of support requested – will be of particular consideration.

Jack Moody Ltd
Previous capital funding from WRAP last year helped garden waste composter Jack Moody Ltd to become one of the largest composting sites in the UK.

590,000 from WRAP helped to build an in-vessel composting facility at Hollybush Farm in Shareshill, Wolverhampton.

The project created capacity for an extra 30,000 tonnes of compost per year by enabling the company to process kitchen waste in addition to garden waste.

To apply for the capital support programme, visit www.wrap.org.uk. The closing date for applications is 12 noon on Monday, August 7.