Mow Down Pollution Weld County Grant

Program Eligibility 

• Organizations hereinafter referred to as the “applicant” must adhere to all the following criteria to be eligible for program funding. Any failure to comply with the criteria listed below may result in a request to return grant funding to the RAQC.  

• ​​Eligible Entities: 

  • Landscaping businesses 

  • Local governments 

  • School districts 

  • Parks and recreation departments 

  • Public Works 

  • Other public or private entity as approved by the RAQC. 

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• Applicant is representing a legal entity. If the applicant is applying as a for-profit landscaping business, the business must be in Good Standing with the Colorado Secretary of State’s office. 

• Business or entity must operate and be registered in at least one of the following localities (these localities are based on proximity to a state enforcement action site which provided the funds for this project and may include some localities outside of the Weld County area): 

  • Berthoud, Brighton, Briggsdale, Eaton, Evans, Firestone, Fort Collins, Fort Lupton, Frederick, Garden City, Greeley, Hudson, Johnstown, Keenesburg, Kersey, LaSalle, Lochbuie, Longmont, Loveland, Mead, Milliken, Platteville, Severance, Timnath, Wellington, and Windsor 

• Unincorporated areas in the region will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.  

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• This program requires a 30% match from applicants who recycle gas-powered landscaping equipment upon receipt of new electric powered lawn and garden equipment. Unless otherwise approved by the RAQC Program Manager, this recycling requirement must be met.  

  • Exceptions can be made for businesses or entities that are already fully electric. 

• All information submitted must be true and accurate; misrepresentation may result in denial or repayment of funds. 

 

Application Requirements 

• Contact information 

• Colorado Certificate of Good Standing if a registered business 

• A list of equipment in your landscaping fleet 

• Estimate of how many days per year and hours per day you operate your landscaping equipment 

• A quote for the intended equipment to be purchased from your vendor of choice that includes: 

  • The name of your business or organization   

  • Name of vendor   

  • The equipment details including the SKU, unit price, and price after any discounts applied    

  • Retail total    

  • Total after discounts applied   

  • RAQC grant portion request (70% of total after discounts and pre-tax) 

  • Customer cost share (30% of total after discounts + any tax) 

 

Award Limits & Requirements 

• Businesses and public entities are eligible for awards of up to $20,000. 

• Minimum purchase amount needs to be at least $2000 after discounts and award is applied. 

• A 30% match is required. Applicant agrees they will match dollars for equipment as reflected in their application.   

• The RAQC will not fund projects retroactively (i.e. equipment may not be purchased prior to application submittal to the RAQC and prior to receiving a Purchase Order (PO) from the RAQC. 

• No more than 50% of total purchase can be batteries or accessories. 

• No more than 50% of total purchase can be spent on any one piece of equipment. 

•  No-use policy: if the grant award is not redeemed within 45 days of receiving your grant award letter, grant award will be surrendered to be used by other eligible grant applicants. 

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Eligible and Ineligible Expenses  

• Battery-electric riding/walk-behind mowers, blowers, trimmers, hedge trimmers, chainsaws, pruners, batteries, and other equipment reasonably related to lawn/landscape maintenance (subject to RAQC manager approval). 

 

Ineligible Expenses 

• Taxes. Applicant is responsible for any state, or sales tax associated with the equipment purchased. 

• Fees (e.g., delivery fees)  

•  Extended warranties or service plans  

•  Discounts (reimbursement is based on the final paid price) 

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Vendor Selection 

• The Mow Down Pollution program is partnered with Ace Hardware. If you are working with Ace Hardware, RAQC will reimburse the Ace Hardware store directly for the grant-funded portion after your match is paid, and all documents are submitted. Your grant award will be applied to your purchase at the Point of Sale (POS).    

• If you choose to work with a different vendor, you will pay for the entire purchase at the POS including any taxes and fees. RAQC will reimburse your grant award to you directly after your match is paid, and all documents are submitted. 

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Purchase Order 

• RAQC will issue a Purchase Order (PO) that shows your approved award amount (up to 70% of costs, with a maximum of $20,000).  

• Do not purchase any equipment before the PO date. Costs incurred before PO issuance will not be reimbursed.  

• You will have 45 days from the date on the PO to complete your purchase. If you do not purchase within that timeframe, your PO may be canceled.  

• The PO will be available to view on your grant account portal  

 

Reimbursement Process – if working with a vendor other than Ace Hardware 

• To be reimbursed, all claimed eligible costs and final invoicing must be provided in a legible format. 

  • If documents are illegible, confusing, or incorrect in any manner, the project will not be funded. It is the responsibility of the applicant if they are being directly reimbursed to ensure that the documents are clear. 

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You will send the following to mowdownpollution@raqc.org and accounting@raqc.org in one email: 

• Itemized invoice that includes: 

  • The name and address of your business or organization  (this is where payment will be sent to) 

  • Name of vendor   

  • The equipment details including the SKU, unit price, and price after any discounts applied – the equipment on the invoice must match the equipment on the PO.     

  • Retail total    

  • Total after discounts applied   

  • RAQC grant portion request (70% of total after discounts and pre-tax)  

  • Customer cost share including tax (30% of total after discounts) 

• Receipt from the POS from chosen vendor 

• Proof of recycling  

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• You will be connected to our payment processing system Bill.com and will need to create an account. 

• Payments are sent within 45 days of the invoice being received.  

 

​Recycling Certification  

• Awardees must recycle the agreed-upon number of eligible gas-powered equipment items, as specified in the Purchase Order and based on the number of items identified for recycling in the approved application. 

  • Exceptions may be approved by RAQC program administrators on a case-by-case basis. 

• In most cases, proof of recycling must be submitted before reimbursement is finalized.  

•  RAQC reserves the right to revoke awards or seek repayment if applicants fail to recycle as certified. 

• No resale, donation, or return to service of this equipment is allowed. 

 

Application Review and Scoring 

• Applications are reviewed and scored using standardized selection criteria.  

• A minimum score of 65% is required for award eligibility. Applications below this threshold will not be funded unless RAQC determines an exception is justified.  

•  Scores are based on geographic proximity to the area impacted by the enforcement action taken by CDPHE, operating hours, and demonstration of maximum emissions reductions through the retirement of gas-powered landscaping equipment.  

• RAQC reserves the right to reject applications that do not meet eligibility, completeness, or scoring standards. 

• RAQC staff will review the application and determine award eligibility within two weeks unless further information is requested or missing from the original application. 

 

Operation/Reporting 

• Applicant agrees to operate the equipment for a minimum of 2 years in the program area. 

• Applicants must work with the RAQC to share data on the funded equipment usage.  

• The applicant agrees to complete a questionnaire to provide feedback on their experience with the program.  

• Information shared may be used for promotional purposes by the RAQC. 

 

Fraud, Misrepresentation & Enforcement  

• Any falsification, misrepresentation, or fraudulent documentation (e.g., false recycling claims, fake invoices) may result in:

  • ​Immediate cancellation of the award 

  • Repayment of all disbursed funds  

  • Legal action by RAQC 

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General Provisions  

• RAQC reserves the right to deny an applicant an award for any reason. 

• Any failure to comply with these Terms and Conditions may result in cancellation of the award and/or a request to return grant funding to RAQC. 

• Applicant agrees to allow photos of new equipment or recycled equipment to be used for RAQC program outreach, marketing, and reporting. 

• By submitting an application, applicants agree to adhere to all program requirements and certify that all information provided is true and accurate.