2026 Seed Awards Program

The NextCycle Michigan Seed Award Program provides small-scale funding and support to early-stage projects focused on keeping materials out of landfills. Funded by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), these awards are designed to help businesses, public sector entities, solid waste authorities, tribal governments, universities and colleges, and nonprofits get a jump-start on launching or scaling solutions that fill gaps in Michigan's circular economy.

Eligible applicants include public, private, tribal, institutional, and nonprofit organizations. Applicants do not have to be involved in other aspects of the NextCycle Michigan program to qualify. Proposed projects must be located in and/or demonstrate potential to address materials generated in the state of Michigan. Eligible project scopes include material reuse, repair, recycling, organic material recovery, or incorporating recycled/recovered material content into new products.

Applications are submitted online during designated application windows. The program is currently not accepting applications, and prospective applicants are encouraged to monitor program updates and sign up for announcements regarding future application cycles.