Contact Info
Diabetes and Health Behavior Unit
Last Updated: 06/05/2026
The Minnesota Department of Health requests proposals to support community-based solutions for healthy food access and diabetes prevention and management. This Request for Proposals (RFP) will fund projects to address barriers to accessing healthy foods or understanding and accessing nutrition information, education, or support services.
Eligible applicants may include, but are not limited to:
Selected organizations must primarily and intentionally serve people who experience food and nutrition insecurity, with an emphasis on reaching populations at higher risk of prediabetes or diabetes and hospitalization/morbidity risk, including at least one of the following populations:
Review the RFP, including attachments and submission requirements. Applications must be submitted by email to: health.diabetes@state.mn.us. All applications must be received by MDH no later than 4:30 p.m. (CT), July 1, 2026.
Community-Led Solutions Request for Proposals (PDF)
All questions regarding this RFP must be submitted by 4:30 p.m. CST on June 15, 2026, by email to health.diabetes@state.mn.us.
Question: Could you clarify the expected amount per grantee?
Answer: MDH anticipates awarding two to three grants over the 21-month grant period. Two to three grantees will be awarded $25,000 at a minimum, annually. The maximum annual grant amount per grantee is $37,500 annually.
Question: To clarify, we don’t have to directly provide evidence-based programing, but can take pieces from evidence-based programing and provide that to our community?
Another question to clarify further related to diabetes classes- We must increase awareness, enrollment and retention of classes that exist? I heard that we don't need to run it ourselves, but we need to provide information on those that exists? I saw one place this is listed as a must, and another seemed to be a could be, but should at least be related to diabetes.
Answer: Organizations do not have to directly be providing Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) and/or Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support (DSMES). The promotion, enrollment and retention of DPP and DSMES programs is a requirement from CDC. Diabetes education does need to be included in the application but can take many forms. Some examples include:
Question: Can the grant application include time to explore ways to partner if thinking of bringing different orgs to work together and create a workplan?
Answer: Yes. You are required to complete a Year 1 workplan and it can include time for partner engagement and strategy development. We would encourage keeping this time to no more than six months of Year 1. Year 1 workplans should outline a timeframe for development of partnerships.
Question: Is there a preference between urban or rural programs?
Answer: This funding opportunity is intended to serve people who experience food and nutrition insecurity, with an emphasis on reaching population and communities disproportionately impacted by prediabetes and diabetes, including those living in Greater Minnesota. The full list of priority populations include:
Question: Can you clarify the systems change of FOOD RX proposals- we can work on building FOOD RX, but funding could not be used to support any food boxes through FOOD RX?
Answer: Funding cannot be used for direct purchase of food. Funding can be used for staff time for development of strategies to promote Food Rx initiatives.
Question: I was unable to attend the webinar live. Is there a recording I can watch?
Answer: The webinar was not recorded, but slides are available to view here: Community-Led Solutions for Healthy Food Access and Diabetes Prevention and Care Webinar Slides (PDF). All of the questions asked during the webinar and the corresponding questions have been posted on this page. You can submit any other questions you have by June 15 to health.diabetes@state.mn.us.