Climate-Smart Food Systems: Regional Food Coordination Request for Proposals
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has received federal funding through the Minnesota Climate-Smart Food Systems Initiative. Led by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), MDH is collaborating on the Food Sovereignty and Vibrant Local Food Economies initiative, which will establish regional food networks statewide to improve food security, expand local food economies, strengthen food sovereignty, and reduce climate pollution in local food systems.
MDH requests proposals to provide funding to six local public health Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP) agencies to assist in Regional Food Coordination statewide. The primary goals and priorities of the Regional Food Coordination will be to convene Regional Food Networks to build capacity, provide technical assistance, and collaborate with local food systems partners and community members to identify the most impactful opportunities in local and regional food systems to achieve the goals of the MCSFS initiative.
Key dates
Monday, June 9, 2025: RFP posted
Friday, June 27, 2025, at 4:30 p.m.: Last day to submit questions
Friday, July 18, 2025: Proposals due (Note: this is an updated deadline from the original July 11, 2025 date)
Late August 2025: Anticipated awardee selection
Early September 2025: Anticipated grant start date
September 2028: Grant end date
Submit your proposal
Deadline extended:
Proposals must be received no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, July 18, 2025. (Note: This deadline has been extended from its original deadline of July 11, 2025.) Late responses will not be considered. Applications must be submitted by email to health.heathyeating@state.mn.us.
Documents and Forms
- Attachment A: Application Form (Word)
- Attachment B: Budget Form (Excel)
- Attachment C: Grant Application Score Sheet (PDF)
- Attachment D: Applicant Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form (PDF)
- Attachment E: Grant Agreement (PDF)
Questions and Answers
Eligibility and Collaboration
Q. Who is eligible to apply?
A. Only SHIP-funded local public health (LPH) agencies are eligible to apply.
Q. Could more than one LPH SHIP agency apply collaboratively within a region? Must there be a single fiscal agent?
A. The primary applicant could indicate how they are collaborating with another CHB in their region, but there can only be one fiscal agent.
Q. Does the assigned LPH staff person listed in the application have to be a SHIP staff?
A. The LPH agency may identify an additional LPH staff if they meet the preferred skills and qualifications listed in the RFP, however, LPH SHIP must have some involvement in the overall regional food coordination.
Q. Would LPH SHIP be allowed to contract out a portion of the regional food coordination to a local partner?
A. Applicants may contract out a portion of the regional food coordination, however, LPH SHIP staff must be involved in the regional food coordination and other key activities and evaluation requirements outlined in the RFP. Regional Food Coordination could also be divided among multiple LPH staff to alleviate capacity issues for LPH SHIP.
Q. Can you clarify which counties will be in each region?
A. Applicants can indicate which region they represent. Specific counties for each of the six regions will be determined by MDH and will be based on location of qualified awarded applicants. Our goal is to have a statewide reach that align approximately with these six regions: Northwest, Northeast, Central, Metro, Southwest, and Southeast regions.
Q. What will the makeup be of the Regional Food Networks and who will be involved in each region?
Regional Food Coordination and Regional Food Networks must be a collaborative effort occurring at a multi-county, regional level. This will include collaboration with LPH SHIP Coordinators within each region to build off existing community engagement and food systems work. MDH will facilitate collaboration between those providing Regional Food Coordination, and the University of Minnesota Extension’s Regional Sustainable Development Partnership (RSDP), which includes each region’s sustainable ag and food systems workgroups. MDH will also facilitate collaboration with the Region Five Development Commission North Central United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Regional Food Business Center (RFBC). These strategic partners will aid in the formation and facilitation of the RFNs. In addition to collaborating with these organizations and institutions, those providing Regional Food Coordination will be expected to collaborate with a broad network of food systems partners through the RFNs. These collaborative partners include, but are not limited to community-based organizations, hunger relief organizations, farmers market managers, school foodservice departments, farm to school coordinators, farmers, ranchers, aggregators, distributors, buyers, Health Equity Networks, and community members, with an emphasis on low-income and disadvantaged communities.
Q. How is this project related to SHIP work?
A. While this work is separate from SHIP work and SHIP funding, projects and partnerships that result from the Regional Food Coordination and Regional Food Networks could result in a SHIP project.
Climate-smart food systems assessment
Q. How will the Regional Food Coordinators be involved in the Climate-Smart Food Systems Assessment and is there an opportunity for those not granted the Regional Food Coordination funds to participate?
A. MDH will select a contractor to conduct the Climate-Smart Food Systems Assessment through a competitive RFP process. Regional Food Coordinators and partners from the Regional Food Networks will be expected to collaborate on the Climate-Smart Food Systems Assessment. This assessment will be a collaborative process in which the contractor will work alongside the RFNs to identify opportunities to reduce GHG emissions within their regional food systems, culminating in a written report. This assessment process will incorporate facilitation of key RFN meetings, community education and engagement, and serve as a resource and planning tool for Regional Food Coordination and RFNs.
Q. What is the timeline for the Climate-Smart Food Systems Assessment and what portion of the application should address how LPH would incorporate the assessment into the Regional Food Coordination work?
A. This assessment is anticipated to occur during the first year of the Regional Food Coordination efforts. Applicants should indicate in the workplan portion of the application how this assessment will serve as a technical assistance resource to support their Regional Food Coordination work. This can include describing how the applicant’s skills and qualifications related to conducting and/or using assessments will benefit this work.
Outcomes and evaluation
Q. How will success be measured for this grant and what is the evaluation framework?
A. LPH SHIP agencies providing Regional Food Coordination must participate in the evaluation of the activities of the Regional Food Coordination and Regional Food Networks. MDH will work with LPH SHIP participants to assure the evaluation approach meets the needs of the LPH agency, community and MDH. The evaluation plan will measure the outcomes and effectiveness of leveraging Regional Food Coordination to convene and support RFNs to engage with food systems partners and Low-Income Disadvantaged Communities (LIDACs). The evaluation will focus on assessing the convening, capacity-building, and community engagement activities carried out by the Regional Food Coordination, the outcomes of the RFNs, and the implementation of local and regional strategies based on the Climate-Smart Food Systems Assessment.
Budget and timeline
Q. How many RFP’s will be awarded and for what amounts?
A. This funding will support providing grants to up to six local public health SHIP agencies, under which the LPH agency will dedicate a percentage of their FTE for Regional Food Coordination efforts for three years. Each awarded local public health SHIP agency will receive a total of $50,985 per year ($152,955 for three years) for Regional Food Coordination and other eligible expenses listed in the RFP.
Q. What percentage of indirect costs can be covered by this funding?
A. No more than 10% indirect costs can be claimed.
Q. How can these funds be used to compensate community members and how would that be issued?
A. A best practice is to compensate community members for their time. Each LPH agency may use a portion of the overall grant to compensate low-income, disadvantaged community members for their participation in the Regional Food Networks and other community engagement activities. Compensation can come from other eligible funding sources, which can include SHIP funds. Gift cards are an ineligible form of compensation.
Q. Can you provide a few examples of how these funds could be used for Regional Food Coordination activities.
A. Grant funds can be spent on expenses related to convening the Regional Food Networks. These expenses can include, but are not limited to, renting a room for Regional Food Network meetings, printing of materials, and refreshments for Regional Food Network meetings.
Q. How secure is this funding and what are the chances that the funding allotment will change?
A. The Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG) funding contract was signed by the State of Minnesota on October 27, 2024. We have a fully executed grant agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and funds are fully obligated, meaning they are legally committed to our project under the terms of our grant agreement. We are always monitoring for any changes in federal policy that could impact this grant. At this time, we have no indication that our funding is at risk.
Email to health.healthyeating@state.mn.us.