Prenatal to Five Innovation Fund

The Prenatal to Five (P-5) Innovation Fund, administered by King County's Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) through the Best Starts for Kids initiative, is an open and recurring grant program intended to support community-led, anti-racist innovation projects that benefit children from prenatal to age five and their families in King County, Washington. The fund is supported by Best Starts for Kids 2022–2027 Levy funding and emphasizes equity and social justice as central guiding principles. The initiative aims to address longstanding racial and geographic disparities by prioritizing projects that empower historically marginalized communities. The purpose of the P-5 Innovation Fund is to support community leaders and organizations in designing, developing, testing, and building new or adapted anti-racist approaches to systemic problems that impact families with young children. Projects may include policies, programs, media, products, places, or services that are innovative, community-driven, and tailored to local needs. Example project types include partnership building, community engagement, co-design, small-scale implementations or pilots, infrastructure and capacity development, and storytelling or awareness campaigns. Projects are expected to be implemented within a 6 to 12-month timeframe and may focus on addressing issues such as climate resilience, health disparities, or access to early childhood resources. The RFP is open to a wide range of applicants including community groups, nonprofits, community-based organizations, tribes and tribal organizations, for-profit businesses, and public or governmental agencies operating in King County. Priority is given to smaller organizations and those with leadership and staff who reflect and are rooted in the communities they serve. Organizations are evaluated based on their understanding of systemic racism, readiness to implement proposed activities, and alignment with community needs. Applications are submitted via Microsoft Forms and may include written responses, a video recording, or a virtual interview. A complete application consists of three main components: organization information, narrative responses, and a detailed budget proposal. Proposal assistance and language access services are available to remove barriers for applicants, and interpretation is offered for scheduled information sessions, which are held before each application round. Funding for the P-5 Innovation Fund totals approximately $1,300,000. Proposers may request up to $30,000, or up to $50,000 for pilot-scale activities. An additional $5,000 may be negotiated if needed to fulfill King County’s insurance requirements. Funding is released in three rounds. The second round, currently active, has a deadline of October 3, 2025, at 2:00 PM Pacific Time and offers up to $500,000 in total awards. The third round deadline is September 11, 2026. Each round has a projected notification and project start timeline, with current cycle awards expected to begin in January 2026. Successful applicants are expected to participate in a cohort-based structure that includes onboarding meetings, a welcome gathering, quarterly check-ins, data collection and reporting, and a final feedback survey. Optional individualized support is also available from Innovation Supports Strategy-contracted consultants. All funded projects must align with the scope and goals of the P-5 Innovation Fund, and funded activities must exclude ongoing operating or direct service delivery expenses, political activities, or lobbying. For questions, the primary point of contact is Carline Stephens, the RFP Lead, who can be reached at cstephens@kingcounty.gov. The full RFP, submission link, and additional resources are available through the Best Starts for Kids website and Microsoft Forms platform.

Attend information sessions, use free proposal assistance, use culturally reflective examples, and provide detailed project plans aligned with RFP criteria