Trusted Messenger Initiative Grant Solicitation

Trusted Messenger: Public Health Initiative webpage banner with photos of people shaking hands and talking in a medical setting on a blue and yellow background

Saint Paul — Ramsey County Public Health is looking for local community organizations to be a part of the Trusted Messenger Initiative. Trusted Messengers are local organizations who partner with public health to give residents better access to accurate, culturally specific, and linguistically appropriate public health information and healthcare services that align with the community’s needs. Trusted Messengers reach populations that are most affected by health inequities. Since 2022, this initiative has created a network that focuses on community voice and shared power.

Saint Paul — Ramsey County Public Health is continuing this initiative and anticipates awarding approximately 10 grants, up to $36,000 each, to support activities through June 30, 2025.

The following are not requirements, however these people or organizations are encouraged to apply:

Those who have never contracted with Ramsey County before.
Ethnically and culturally diverse, women-owned or veteran-owned organizations.
Organizations with less than 50 employees.
Organizations serving not only Ramsey County but also adjacent counties including Dakota County.

Eligibility

Purpose

The purpose of these grants is to generate and grow innovative ways to deliver a variety of public health services, resources and information.

Grant proposals could also benefit another county or multiple counties in addition to Ramsey County. This is not a requirement for applicants, but supports the goal to broaden the reach of this initiative. The vision for the Trusted Messenger Initiative is to center even more community voices that have a key role in building public health capacity across Minnesota.

Focus and scope of services

Saint Paul — Ramsey County Public Health will partner with local organizations to enhance, expand and financially support the Trusted Messenger Initiative. Note: each priority area describes key points of Trusted Messenger and public health collaboration.

Each organization must only submit one application and can only select one priority area below.

1. Healthy Communities: The applicant collaborates to increase awareness and access to culturally informed public health information and programs which include healthy aging, Hmong health, sexual violence services, adolescent health, and child and teen checkups. Extra effort is made to reach racially and ethnically diverse communities, immigrant families and new Minnesotans who face the greatest health inequalities, language barriers, and/or may be isolated from county and other community services.

2. Women, Infants, and Children (WIC): The applicant collaborates to increase WIC program awareness and referrals of pregnant and postpartum women and their children so they may receive healthy food, nutrition education and lactation support. Extra effort is made to reach people early in pregnancy and multigenerational African American populations.

3. Family Health and Home Visiting: The applicant collaborates to promote equity in birth outcomes for racially and ethnically diverse communities, especially African American, Native American, Latino/x and immigrant populations. Extra effort is made to support families, fathers and other caregivers, to navigate care before and after birth and to increase cultural and community connections using a holistic approach.

4. Clinical Services: The applicant collaborates to increase awareness and access to vaccines and immunizations, tuberculosis care, sexual and reproductive health services such as HIV and STD testing and treatment, syringe services, wound care, naloxone training and outreach for people using drugs.

5. Environmental Health: The applicant collaborates to find creative ways to increase participation in food scraps pick-up, household hazardous waste drop-off and electronics recycling programs, especially within racially and ethnically diverse communities. They also increase awareness of the Environmental Service Center, the future “one stop shop” for recycling and waste collection.

6. Climate Action: The applicant collaborates to increases awareness of climate change and its impacts on health as well as the county’s resources and programs to lessen those impacts.

Expectations

Tasks and deliverables for this contract agreement:

Complete all sections of the application form.
Provide services to or support programming that primarily benefits Ramsey County residents but could also be offered in other targeted counties.
Complete up to four Trusted Messenger Reflections (reports) or surveys to communicate shared experiences and feedback to Saint Paul — Ramsey County Public Health. Information given will become the property of the county.
Collaborate with Saint Paul — Ramsey County Public Health to develop content or resources that are culturally and linguistically appropriate for community.
Collaborate on or revise proposed Trusted Messenger activities or workplan per feedback from public health program staff as needed. Complete activities within the grant timeline.
Participate in regular meetings, technical assistance calls and other gatherings organized by the program coordinator.
Submit accurate monthly invoices for reimbursement. All financial transactions must have supporting documentation.
Monitor subcontractors you hire if subcontractors are part of the approved scope of activities.
Provide community outreach and outcomes information to the program evaluator and work together through the term of the grant, as needed.

Below are examples of information that may be included in reports, but are not limited to:

Number of Ramsey County residents, and those from other counties, served by age, race, ethnicity, location, zip code, etc.
Description of services provided by your agency or organization.
Description of county services that residents were linked to.
Stories of successes, barriers or challenges.
Stories of impact to the lives of residents that participated in this initiative (e.g., resident testimony, staff relationships, connections to services, etc.)

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Evaluation criteria

A review team of county staff and community members will evaluate and score applications based on the following criteria and points:

Evaluation Criteria	Points
Proposed programs or services	15
Agency description and capacity	10
Community served and geographic area	5
Community engagement: expansion and innovation	15
Proposed budget	5
Total	50

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Schedule

Milestone	Date
Solicitation posted.	July 15
Information session to discuss the work to be performed, and answer questions.* Zoom Link Contact [email protected] before the event to request an interpreter or specific accommodations.	July 25 12 p.m.
Information session to discuss the work to be performed, and answer questions.* Zoom Link Contact [email protected] before the event to request an interpreter or specific accommodations.	Aug. 1 3 p.m.
Questions due.* (send to [email protected])	Aug. 5 4 p.m.
Anticipated day answers posted on this page.	Aug. 8 (estimated)
Applications must be received by.	Aug. 12 4 p.m.
Anticipated start of contract (contingent on negotiation of scope of work and contractor budget).	Sept. 30

*Questions must be received by the timeline outlined above. Other Ramsey County staff are not authorized to answer questions about this application solicitation except for during the information sessions described above.

Questions asked and final answers from the information sessions will be included in the written questions and answers provided by the county.

Individuals needing an interpreter or individuals with a disability needing accommodation should contact the Procurement Specialist at [email protected].

Trusted Messenger Initiative Grant Solicitation

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Trusted Messenger Initiative Grant Solicitation

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