2024 Long COVID Grants: RFP Questions and Answers
All questions regarding the 2024 Long COVID Network & Capacity Building Grants: Request for Proposals must be submitted in writing to health.longCOVID@state.mn.us with the subject line “RFP Question.” Questions and answers will be posted below within seven business days of receipt.
Please submit questions no later than 4:30 p.m. Central Daylight Time (CDT) on Friday, March 22, 2024. To ensure that all applicants have access to the same information, questions submitted after the March 22 deadline will neither be answered nor published to the website.
Q: This RFP is for three years. If I’m awarded $75,000, is that $75,000 each year or $25,000 per year?
A: Applicants should request an annual award amount which will be the same for each year of the grant period. For example, if an applicant requested and was awarded $75,000 per year, they would receive that amount each year, totaling $225,000 over the three-year grant period.
Q: Can there be a relationship between our agency’s current and ongoing COVID Community Coordinator (CCC) project and the project that results from this RFP? Is there anything we need to be mindful about in this area?
A: We welcome proposals that build upon existing efforts, including other MDH-funded projects. Applications should clearly delineate the proposed activities under the Long COVID grant from those in existing grant agreements or contracts. If the proposal includes sustaining any current activities, there must be a clear rationale for how they are specifically furthering the long COVID grant outcomes listed in the RFP. We also appreciate projects that demonstrate or plan toward sustainability beyond MDH funding.
Program staff will ensure that internal reviewers are not reviewing applications from MDH grantees they currently oversee or work with.
Q: Is it required to have one person be the entire 0.5 FTE contact person, or is it preferred? We ask because we see two staff members contributing to both work activities and the administration of this grant.
A: It is preferred, but there must be at least one staff person who is a consistent, primary liaison between MDH and the grantee organization, meaning they are readily available and always included in communications. At least 0.5 FTE (20 hours per week) total staff time must be dedicated to the project activities, including for regular meetings with the grant manager and participation in the grantee network. If an organization chooses to divide that time among more than one staff member, staff roles and responsibilities should be clearly defined and consistent across the grant period.
Q: For past COVID grants like vaccination-specific grants, content produced could be much broader but still qualify for funding as long as there was a mention or reminder about vaccines. Will the same be the case for long COVID grants or will there be a more narrow interpretation for this grant and entire segments will have to be specifically about long COVID?
A: All segments should include the context of long COVID relative to the broader message and with the goal of furthering the grant outcomes. We do want organizations to think broadly about the many systemic intersections including disability, health inequities, risk factors, preventive factors, etc., but a key priority is helping people understand what long COVID is and why it is an ongoing concern. Applications are strengthened by the extent to which they further one or more of the grant objectives.
Q: When it comes to scoring submissions, will MDH be awarding extra points for preferred vendors?
A: There are no points in the scoring criteria for using “preferred” vendors in the Targeted Group/Economically Disadvantaged/Veteran-Owned (TG/ED/VO) Directory. However, we do score based on engagement with and/or subcontracting with organizations that serve and represent communities who have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 and long COVID, which may or may not include vendors from the TG/ED/VO list.
Q: Can you please define what you mean by “related conditions”?
A: “Related conditions” means conditions associated with or sequelae of long COVID, including but not limited to myalgic encephalomyelitis or chronic fatigue syndrome, known as ME/CFS, dysautonomia, and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, also called POTS. These are related conditions that have overlap with long COVID, meaning some people with long COVID may meet the diagnostic criteria for one or more of those related conditions, but not everyone with long COVID will have those conditions.
Q: If we don't have our organization’s 2023 taxes done before the submission deadline, what financial information should we submit for the Due Diligence Review form?
A: Use the most recent information available.
Q: Do people who apply have to live in Minnesota? Can they live in other states, and how do you supervise these things?
A: Applicants do not have to live in Minnesota, but grant activities must be conducted in Minnesota. If activities are virtual, they must be serving or involving people in Minnesota. The grant application includes questions about how the applicant intends to collaborate with local organizations or communities, as well as the applicant’s awareness of existing activities or impacts locally or in the state of Minnesota, which helps us assess the applicant’s intentions to make an impact in our state.
Q: Can organizations apply even if they have received multiple contracts and grants from MDH?
A: Yes. We will consider the overall distribution of resources to ensure representativeness from different communities and to ensure that all grant objectives are addressed, but having existing or previous contracts and grants from MDH would not make an organization ineligible. Please note that it is the policy of the State of Minnesota to consider a grant applicant’s past performance before awarding subsequent grants to them.
Q: Is there a mental health criteria consideration for this grant? Our organization provides mental health recovery for the Hispanic community.
A: There are not specific criteria related to mental health, but organizations offering mental health support are welcome to apply. People with long COVID may have needs related to mental health such as adjusting to a new disability, seeking peer support, navigating mental health resources, or experiencing worsening of pre-existing mental health conditions. However, it is important that the organization does not suggest that post-COVID conditions are explained by anxiety or implied to be psychosomatic.
Q: Are you requiring a minimum application of $75,000? And does it have to be three years?
A: The annual award range of $75,000 - $150,000 is an estimate and suggestion. Organizations may apply for less or more if they wish. Applications should be for the entire three-year grant period. Year 1 may be a planning/assessment year that informs the work plan for Years 2 and 3.
Q: Can organizations request a different amount for each year?
A: No. Organizations must request the same amount for all three years of the grant period.
Q: For COVID grants, media was treated as “other” which meant production costs were submitted as a lump sum rather than having to break out the detailed costs for production. Will that be the case for this grant as well? For example, we may have multiple contractors like an audio engineer, photographer, and many others. In the past, we have put it through as “production” under “other” since we may also have multiple people working on it internally. So it was just the cost of the segment rather than having to break it up since there are a lot of line items on it and it would be cumbersome to track to that level.
A: In-house staff/employees would be listed in the Salary and Fringe section of the budget with a description of their role, FTE for the project during Year 1, and salary and fringe. Contractors must be identified if known and are listed separately in the Contractual Services section of the budget, which calls for the name of the contractor if known, a description of their service or scope of work, the timeframe, and the total amount you expect to pay them during Year 1. Indirect Costs, which are the expenses of doing business that cannot be directly attributed to a specific program or line item, are also a separate section. Indirect costs are capped at 10% of the budget or a grantee’s federally negotiated indirect cost rate.
Q: We created a series of radio stories about COVID-19 vaccination through another MDH grant, which we think could be good tools for awareness-building and outreach around vaccination and preventing Long COVID. We'd like to apply for funding to update these resources to both strengthen the story narrative to Long COVID and make them evergreen. Is there room in this grant for a narrowly scoped and relevant project?
A: All segments should include the context of long COVID relative to the broader messaging and with the goal of furthering the grant outcomes. We do want organizations to think broadly about the many systemic intersections including disability, health inequities, risk factors, preventive factors, etc., but a key priority is helping people understand what long COVID is and why it is an ongoing concern. Applications are strengthened by the extent to which they further one or more of the grant objectives.
Q: Can an organization be a lead applicant in one proposal and a partner organization in another?
A: Yes, this is allowed. However, organizations should ensure that they will have the capacity to carry out the proposed activities in both applications in the event that both proposals receive funding.
Q: Is it required that we register with the Minnesota Secretary of State's office, as we do not reside in Minnesota? We do not have a location or office there and our principal office will be in North Dakota and work will be conducted virtually. We have provided this service with the Minnesota Department of Health in the past and did not have to register with Minnesota before.
A: For this grant opportunity, lead organizations are required to have active status with the Minnesota Secretary of State’s Office. This helps program staff confirm the legitimacy of organizations, support Minnesota-based businesses and non-profits, and ensure that activities will benefit people in Minnesota. Organizations based outside of Minnesota may partner with a Minnesota-based organization that serves as the lead, or they may choose to establish an office or chapter that is registered in Minnesota.