Opioid Settlement Funds Grant Program

The Bremer County Opioid Settlement Funds Grant Program is administered by the Bremer County Board of Supervisors and the Bremer County Health Department as part of a broader effort to address the opioid crisis at the local level. The program is funded through opioid settlement funds allocated under national agreements with pharmaceutical manufacturers, distributors, and related entities. These funds are governed by the Iowa Opioid Allocation Memorandum of Understanding, which establishes approved remediation uses and spending requirements. The county has structured this grant program to ensure that awarded funds are used in alignment with these guidelines and to maximize impact on opioid-related outcomes within the community. The purpose of the grant is to support projects that directly contribute to opioid abatement in Bremer County. Funded initiatives must align with the approved remediation uses outlined in the Iowa Opioid MOU, with a minimum of seventy-five percent of awarded funds required to be allocated toward Schedule A Core Strategies and no more than twenty-five percent allocated toward Schedule B Approved Uses. This requirement ensures that the majority of funding is directed toward evidence-based interventions that have been identified as high-impact strategies for addressing opioid misuse and its consequences. Priority is given to projects that address core strategy areas, including the distribution of naloxone or other FDA-approved overdose reversal medications, expansion of medication-assisted treatment and other opioid-related treatment services, development and enhancement of warm hand-off programs and recovery support services, and implementation of prevention programs. These focus areas reflect statewide priorities and are intended to guide applicants in designing projects that align with both local needs and state-level opioid abatement strategies. The program is open to a broad range of applicants, including government entities, nonprofit organizations, for-profit organizations, and other groups that serve populations within Bremer County. Applicants must demonstrate that their proposed project benefits residents of the county and aligns with the required remediation strategies. The program encourages collaboration and allows applicants to include partners, vendors, and contractors as part of their project team, provided that roles, responsibilities, and qualifications are clearly defined. The application process requires submission of a complete set of materials by the stated deadline. Applicants must submit a grant application form, certification and conditions document, and a detailed project narrative. The project narrative must include sections covering the project description, goals and objectives, outcomes, and a comprehensive project plan with associated costs and timelines. Applicants are also required to provide detailed information about key personnel and partners, a budget justification narrative outlining cost categories such as salaries, subcontracting, and other expenses, and a sustainability plan describing how the project will continue after grant funding ends. Evaluation of applications is conducted using a grant scoring matrix, with proposals assessed based on their alignment with program priorities, clarity of project design, feasibility, and expected outcomes. Applicants must also provide detailed budget breakdowns by project goal to support required reporting obligations, as the county must submit annual reports on the use of opioid settlement funds. The program allows for an administrative cost of up to 2.5 percent of opioid-related expenditures, provided that total project costs do not exceed available funding. Applications must be submitted by email to the Bremer County Health Department by 4:30 PM on May 29, 2026. This submission method serves as the official intake process, and applicants are responsible for ensuring all required documents are included. For questions or assistance, applicants may contact the program administrator via the provided email address. The program operates within a structured annual funding cycle and is designed to support ongoing opioid abatement efforts within the county.