Regional Food Coordination Grant

The Climate-Smart Food Systems: Regional Food Coordination grant opportunity is offered by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) as part of the Minnesota Climate-Smart Food Systems (MCSFS) Initiative. The MCSFS Initiative is funded through a grant awarded to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Climate Pollution Reduction Grants: Implementation Grants. MDH has received a subaward from MPCA to lead the food sovereignty and vibrant local food economies initiative within the larger MCSFS Initiative. The primary objective of this grant is to fund six local public health (LPH) Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP) agencies to support Regional Food Coordination in Minnesota. Each selected LPH SHIP agency will serve as a Regional Food Coordinator for one of six regions: Northwest, Northeast, Central, Metro (seven counties), Southwest, and Southeast. The goal is to enhance food security, strengthen food sovereignty, and foster economic prosperity within low-income and disadvantaged communities (LIDACs) by implementing climate pollution reduction strategies through collaboration with food systems partners and engagement with LIDACs. Eligible applicants are limited to SHIP-funded local public health agencies. These agencies must partner with community members, community leaders, and organizations to form and convene Regional Food Networks (RFNs). The grant encourages a multi-organizational collaborative approach and mandates that applicants have experience in Food Access Networks or similar initiatives, Community Food Assessments, engagement with LIDACs, and a focus on health equity. Agencies must submit a complete application including an Application Form, Budget Form, Grant Application Score Sheet, Conflict of Interest Form, and a Letter of Support from the LPH Director or CHB Administrator. Applications must be submitted by email to health.healthyeating@state.mn.us no later than 5:00 p.m. Central Time on Friday, July 11, 2025. Funding includes up to $50,985 annually for each LPH SHIP agency, totaling $152,955 over three years. The total estimated amount available is $917,730, with six awards anticipated. There are no matching fund requirements. Acceptable expenses include staffing for Regional Food Coordination, compensation for community member participation, and costs related to convening RFNs. Ineligible expenses include donations, taxes (except sales tax), political contributions, bad debts, and contingency funds. Applicants will be evaluated based on organizational capacity, work plan/project narrative, budget justification, and alignment with the goals of the MCSFS grant. A review committee of MDH subject matter experts will assess applications, with award decisions being final and not subject to appeal. Evaluation criteria and scoring details are provided in Attachment C of the RFP. Key dates include the release of the RFP on June 9, 2025, an informational webinar on June 24, 2025, a deadline for questions on June 27, 2025, and the application deadline on July 11, 2025. Notifications of awards are expected in late August or early September 2025, with project start dates anticipated in September 2025 and an end date in September 2028. For questions, applicants can contact health.healthyeating@state.mn.us or call 651-201-5680. More information and attachments are available at the official MDH RFP webpage.

Applicants are encouraged to build on existing Food Access Networks or Community Food Assessments. Strong collaboration with LIDACs and clear community engagement strategies will strengthen the application.