RFP_HLTH_Community-led, Mental Health & Wellbeing

Minneapolis Health Department is requesting proposals for culturally specific, community-led mental health and wellbeing supports at the South Minneapolis Community Safety Center, with proposals due August 17, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. Central Time and a pre-proposal virtual conference on July 16, 2026.

Eligible applicants are nonprofit organizations, community-based organizations, tribal organizations, faith-based entities, culturally specific service providers, and grassroots collectives with fiscal sponsors that demonstrate experience working with BIPOC communities, youth, or immigrant/refugee populations and strong grounding in culturally responsive practices. The City anticipates awarding between one and four contracts.

The RFP seeks non-clinical, innovative, community-driven approaches to mental health, healing, wellbeing, and community safety with emphasis on historically underserved youth and communities. Proposed services should include culturally grounded approaches such as mental wellbeing skills building, peer support groups, community healing dialogues, and culture and identity-based activities. Applicants must demonstrate trauma-informed practices, staffing plans emphasizing lived experience, and culturally responsive evaluation methodologies. The contract term is one year (December 1, 2026 through November 30, 2027) with options to extend for two additional years at the City's sole discretion.

Total funding available is up to $500,000. Eligible expenses include administrative costs (capped at 15% of direct project costs), personnel and facilitation costs, materials and supplies, minor space renovation, and programming expenses directly supporting service delivery. Administrative costs, lobbying activities, electronic devices or technology not directly supporting service delivery, and duplicative services funded through other City contracts are ineligible unless City-approved.

Evaluation criteria include quality and cultural responsiveness, demonstrated qualifications and lived experience of staff, organizational capacity and readiness, cultural community connection, participant engagement and trauma-informed practices, evaluation and sustainability approach, budget reasonableness and cost effectiveness, Small & Underutilized Business participation, and insurance coverage. Questions are due July 21, 2026, with responses posted by July 28, 2026. Submissions must include a completed proposal cover sheet, project narrative responses, anticipated project budget, proof of insurance, company financial information, and letters of recommendation, combined into a single PDF through the City's eSupplier Portal. Contractors must carry workers' compensation insurance with minimum limits of $100,000 per accident and commercial general liability of $2,000,000.