The deadline for the Circular Economy Development Center has been extended to February 10, 2023. An updated schedule is posted below.

In July 2020, the Colorado state legislature passed SB20-055: Incentivize Development Recycling End Markets, which tasked the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (the department) to convene stakeholders to help shape the structure and governing guidance for a Recycling Market Development Center, to support the development and growth of end market businesses in Colorado. The final report was submitted to the Colorado General Assembly on July 1, 2021, and can be reviewed here. 

In response to this report, the Colorado state legislature passed HB22-1159: Waste Diversion and Circular Economy Development Center in June of 2022 to establish a Circular Economy Development Center in the state. As outlined in statute, the department will contract with a third-party administrator to operate the center on or before July 1, 2023. 

The Request for Proposals (RFP) is available on the Colorado VSS System website. The purpose of this RFP is to solicit responses from qualified offerors for the creation and administration of a circular economy development center to grow existing markets, create new markets and provide necessary infrastructure, system logistics, and marketing to create a sustainable circular economy for recycled commodities and compost in Colorado. This solicitation is open to for-profit, non-profit, universities and higher learning institutions, governmental entities, or a team of bidders with a combination of the above entities.