ReFED Catalytic Grant Fund

Enriched Impact Investor · Found: 2026-03-11 11:10

Recoverable financing fund offering up to $20M to reduce food waste and promote circular economy. Open to nonprofit and for-profit organizations. Rolling applications with periodic cycles announced on website.

Source: https://grantfund.refed.org/how-to-apply

Funding Details

Funder

ReFED Catalytic Grant Fund

Funding Goal

Reduce food loss and waste across the U.S. food system through catalytic grants that unlock additional capital and scale high-impact solutions, with thematic open calls targeting areas such as food recycling, methane reduction, on-farm produce loss, consumer behavior, and restaurant waste.

Funding Amount

Minimum $100,000 per grant over approximately a two-year period; fund capacity reported up to $20M total. Individual grant amounts not explicitly stated on the page. (100.000 € – 20.000.000 €)

Deadline

2026-05-15 (Rolling)

How to Apply

1. Submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) by the open call deadline. 2. Selected applicants are invited to submit a Full Application (~Feb). 3. Independent Review Committee evaluates full applications (~March). 4. Grant Fund Selection Committee selects finalists (~April). 5. Grantees notified (~May). Full cycle takes approximately 4–6 months.

Target Region

United States

Contact

ReFED, Inc. | 122 S. Michigan Ave., Suite 1390-L74, Chicago, IL 60603 | Contact form: https://refed.org/contact | Media inquiries: https://grantfund.refed.org/contact#media-inquiry

Last Checked

2026-03-11 16:19

Application Checklist

Eligibility

• Confirm your organization type qualifies: benefit corporation, for-profit, public-private partnership, 501(c)(3) nonprofit, or fiscally-sponsored project
• Verify your organization operates in the United States or has a plan to expand to the U.S.
• Confirm you can deploy a minimum of $100,000 within approximately two years

Project Scope

• Align your initiative directly with the current open call's thematic focus area before applying
• Demonstrate catalytic potential: show how the ReFED grant would unlock additional capital or impact beyond what is otherwise possible

Required Documents

• Prepare a Letter of Intent (LOI) — preview available at the linked Google Doc — and submit by the announced deadline
• Prepare evidence of team's lived experience and relevant expertise for the full application phase

Constraints

• Monitor the ReFED website for new open call announcements, as calls open periodically with new thematic focuses

Summary

The ReFED Catalytic Grant Fund is a competitive grant program administered by ReFED, a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused on data-driven food waste solutions. The fund supports organizations of all sizes — from early-stage startups to established nonprofits and for-profits — with catalytic grants designed to unlock additional capital and drive outsized impact in food waste reduction. Each funding cycle is organized around a specific thematic open call identified through ReFED's research and data analysis. The fund operates through a series of rolling open calls, each with a distinct thematic focus. Past calls have addressed consumer food waste, restaurant waste, and on-farm produce loss ("Maximizing the Harvest"). The most recent open call, "Minimizing Methane Through Food Waste Solutions," targeted food recycling infrastructure and methane reduction in beef and dairy supply chains; its application period is now closed. New open calls are announced periodically on the program website. Eligible applicants include benefit corporations, for-profit companies, public-private partnerships, 501(c)(3) nonprofits, and fiscally-sponsored projects. Applicants must be operating in the United States or seeking to expand there, and must be able to deploy at least $100,000 over approximately a two-year grant period. The application process includes a Letter of Intent (LOI), followed by a full application reviewed by an independent committee, taking approximately four to six months end-to-end. Selection is based on three criteria: initiative impact potential, catalytic potential (i.e., the grant's ability to unlock further capital or advance impact beyond what would otherwise be possible), and team and implementation capacity. ReFED rates four stars from Charity Navigator and holds a Platinum Seal from Candid, signaling strong organizational accountability.

Historical Context

The fund has run multiple past open calls: "Consumer Food Waste," "Restaurants," and "Maximizing the Harvest" (on-farm produce loss). The most recent call, "Minimizing Methane Through Food Waste Solutions," closed in January 2026 with grantee announcements expected by May 2026. The program operates on a rolling thematic cycle with each call informed by ReFED's ongoing research.

Why it was added

Impact investor/blended finance for plastic waste

Similar Programs

← Back to list