988 Minnesota Lifeline Youth Peer Leader Grant Request for Proposals

The Minnesota Department of Health (“MDH” or “the Department”) is requesting proposals for organizations engaged with youth to implement the 988 Minnesota Lifeline – Someone to Talk to Youth Peer Leader program.  

The grant program is a peer-to-peer engagement strategy with the following goals:  

• Build youth capacity to create a supportive peer community with knowledge of the 988 Minnesota Lifeline as a resource for support to encourage help seeking behaviors.  
• Empower and train youth as leaders to facilitate the 988 Minnesota Lifeline Someone to Talk to Youth Peer Leader program.  
• Support youth to measure impact and success of the 988 Minnesota Lifeline - Someone to Talk to Youth Peer Leader program utilizing evaluation resources.  

View the complete: 988 Minnesota Lifeline Youth Peer Leader Grant RFP (PDF)

Funding and project dates 

MDH is seeking proposals for the grant period September 1, 2025-August 30, 2026. The department will award a total of $30,000. The department will award a total of $10,000 for up to three grantees.

Funding will be allocated through a competitive process. If selected, you may only incur eligible expenditures when the grant agreement is fully executed, and the grant has reached its effective date. 

Eligible applicants

Applicants eligible to apply in this competitive process include but are not limited to, youth serving organizations, peer driven initiatives, youth collectives, youth advocacy teams, and out-of-school time programs. MDH recognizes the sovereignty of Tribal nations and will only fund non-Tribal projects led in Tribal communities if the applicant has full support of the Tribal government.

Questions and answers

All questions regarding this RFP must be submitted by email to health.suicideprev.MDH@state.mn.us. In the subject line of the email, include the phrase, “988 Minnesota Lifeline Youth Peer Leader Grant RFP Question.” All answers will be posted within two business days at 988 Minnesota Lifeline Youth Peer Leader Grant RFP Questions and Answers.

Please submit questions no later than 4:30pm Central Daylight Time (CDT) on Tuesday, June 3, 2025. 

To ensure the proper and fair evaluation of all applications, other communications regarding this RFP including verbal, telephone, written or internet initiated by or on behalf of any applicant to any employee of the Department, other than questions submitted to as outlined above, are prohibited. Any violation of this prohibition may result in the disqualification of the applicant. 

RFP Information Meeting

MDH will hose a virtual one-hour webinar that will be offered to assist applicants in preparing an application for the RFP. All prospective applicants are encouraged to attend. The questions and answers from the one-hour webinar will be posted at 988 Minnesota Lifeline Youth Peer Leader Grant Request for Proposals Q&A. The question-and-answer session will not be recorded.  

Thursday, May 15, 2025 at 12 p.m. Central Time 

Click here to join RFP information meeting

Meeting ID: 235 780 329 734 7
Passcode: SF7CL64x

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mn@m.webex.com 

Video Conference ID: 115 975 673 5  

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+1 651-395-7448, United States, Minneapolis

Phone Conference ID: 241108090#

Program details

Health equity priority

It is the policy of the State of Minnesota to ensure fairness, precision, equity, and consistency in competitive grant awards. This includes implementing diversity and inclusion in grant-making. The Policy on Rating Criteria for Competitive Grant Review establishes the expectation that grant programs intentionally identify how the grant serves diverse populations, especially populations experiencing inequities and/or disparities.

Eligible projects

The intention of the 988 Minnesota Lifeline – Someone to Talk to Youth Peer Leader program is for youth to share information about 988 with their peers in their communities. Priority will be given to applicants from the priority areas that had greater than 20 youth suicides between 2011-2020, which includes: Beltrami, Sherburne, St. Louis, Anoka, Scott, Dakota, Stearns, Washington, Wright, Olmsted, Hennepin, and Ramsey counties, and Minnesota Tribal nations and communities.  

Successful applicants will ensure the following project goals to:

• Build youth capacity to create a supportive peer community with knowledge of the 988 Minnesota Lifeline as a resource for support to encourage help seeking behaviors.
• Empower and train youth as leaders to facilitate the 988 Minnesota Lifeline – Someone to Talk to Youth Peer Leader program.  
• Support youth to measure impact and success of the 988 Minnesota Lifeline – Someone to Talk to Youth Peer Leader program utilizing evaluation resources.

Mandatory Requirements  

• The prioritized population must be youth in high school (grades 9-12) during the duration of the grant.
• Describe the need and readiness utilizing community data to identify the geographic area of focus, i.e., city, county, school district. The Minnesota Student Survey Data Reports and Analytics (https://public.education.mn.gov/MDEAnalytics/DataTopic.jsp?TOPICID=242) site can be used as a source for data.  
• Applicant agency will identify two team co-leads that will be expected to implement the project.
• Project co-leads will attend a two-day, in-person onboarding meeting on Tuesday, September 30 and Wednesday, October 1 in St. Cloud, MN.  
• Project leads will be expected to recruit a minimum of 5-7 youth to participate in the program.  
• Provide support to participating youth leaders to ensure ability to attend and engage during all onboarding sessions. If participating virtually, youth must have the ability to use a microphone and camera.
• Provide support including any printing, materials, and technology needed and ensure that each participating youth deliver a minimum of five peer to peer presentations.
• One lead must attend a minimum of one of each youth leaders’ peer presentations.  
• Establish system for payment/reimbursement of youth leaders as consultants/speakers after attending meetings and trainings conducted according to the following:
  • Suicide Prevention Changing the Narrative, Safe Messaging, and Community Helper training sessions.
  • Facilitator training for 988 Minnesota Lifeline – Someone to Talk to Youth Peer Leader program.
  • Peer presentations. 

Application deadline and materials

All applications must be received by MDH no later than 4:30 p.m. Central Time, on Friday, June 6, 2025.

Late applications will not be accepted. It is the applicant’s sole responsibility to allow sufficient time to address all potential delays caused by any reason whatsoever. MDH will not be responsible for delays caused by delivery, computer or technology problems.  

Applicants must submit applications via email to health.suicideprev.MDH@state.mn.us with the subject “988 Minnesota Lifeline Youth Peer Leader Grant RFP Application- (Insert applicant organization name)”

Materials and attachments

• 988 Minnesota Lifeline Youth Peer Leader Grant RFP (PDF)
• Attachment A: 988 Minnesota Lifeline Someone to Talk to Youth Peer Leader Grant Application Form (Word)
  • Form A: Budget Detail and Justification
  • Form B: Sample Work Plan
• Attachment C: Application Scorecard and Feedback Form (Word)
• Due Diligence Review Form (PDF)
• Applicant Copy of Conflict-of-Interest Disclosure (PDF)