Regional Planning Grant to Prevent and End Homelessness Request for Proposals (RFP) Application Instructions
July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024 
Application Deadline: Wednesday, April 5, 2023, at 12 p.m. Central Time

Overview
The Minnesota Housing Finance Agency (Minnesota Housing) is accepting applications for the Regional Planning Grant to Prevent and End Homelessness Request for Proposals (RFP).

Up to $350,000 in one-time funding is expected to be made available to support the capacity of Greater Minnesota Continuums of Care (CoCs) and Tribal Nations to create partnerships that build on current strategies and to implement new initiatives to prevent and end homelessness. This one-time funding opportunity is available for the period of July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024.  Funding is contingent upon program appropriations and Minnesota Housing Board approval.

The goals of this grant are to support the planning and implementation activities of CoCs and Tribal Nations to prevent and end homelessness while improving the regional homeless response system and advancing equity and statewide goals to end homelessness. These goals will further the collaborative efforts of multiple stakeholders who are committed to achieving housing, racial, and health justice for people facing homelessness.

Eligible Applicants
Eligible applicants include:
•	Federally recognized Tribal Nations (or Tribally designated housing entities) within the state of Minnesota. NOTE: Minnesota Housing will allow up to one applicant (separately or as a part of a collaborative application) per Tribe or Tribally designated housing entity to apply. 
•	CoCs: A nonprofit or for-profit or governmental entity can apply on behalf of a Greater Minnesota CoC. An eligible applicant must have an official designation from the CoC. NOTE: Minnesota Housing will allow up to one applicant per CoC to apply. 
            
Eligible Planning Activities and Eligible Uses
These funds must be used to support regional planning strategies to prevent and end homelessness. The efforts must be coordinated with HUD CoC grant goals, state homeless programs, and the Minnesota Interagency Council on Homelessness Justice Strategic Plan with a focus on the following five results intended to achieve justice among those who, historically, have been disparately impacted by the housing system: 
1.	Homelessness is prevented whenever possible, and services and supports are provided to ensure no one returns to homelessness. 
2.	A robust crisis response geared towards housing outcomes supports people staying outside, in emergency shelters, and in community.  
3.	People facing homelessness have access to housing options that meet their needs and honors their choice.
4.	Homelessness is treated as a crucial health and public health crisis wherever it occurs.
5.	The state shares power with Indigenous, Black, Brown, Poor, LGBTQIA2S+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, asexual, and Two-Spirit+) people and people who have faced homelessness to strengthen natural supports within community.

NOTE: These efforts are intended to help make the regional homeless response system more equitable and strengthen resources that will help prevent and end homelessness throughout the state. Minnesota Housing understands that other sources of funding may be available to cover the regional planning efforts, but we are not requiring any in-kind or matching funds for the requested funds.

Eligible uses of funds include:
•	Administration Expenses – audit/accounting, human resources, etc.
•	Staffing Expenses – staff (planning coordinator, Coordinated Entry staff, data entry/evaluation staff, etc.) salaries and benefits
•	Other Expenses – stipends for people with lived experiences, technology (including Homeless Management and Information System (HMIS) administrative fees), travel, training, office supplies, marketing/outreach, community meeting expenses, etc. 

Collaborative/Partnership Expectations
The planning activities outlined in this RFP will be best achieved through effective collaboration with community partners in regions throughout the state. Partnerships must include a broad spectrum of perspectives, including people who are experiencing or have experienced homelessness, service providers, including culturally specific providers, local public health agencies, and local emergency managers. Applicants will either already have, or work to create, high functioning groups with established processes and structures so that members can effectively deliver the proposed outcomes. Applicants who are awarded funds (grantees) will be expected to collaborate with other stakeholders in their region(s) and state partners. 

Reporting and Administrative Requirements
Grantees will:
•	Submit quarterly progress and expenditure reports 
•	Submit an annual narrative report 
•	Participate in the state’s monitoring and financial reconciliation process 

Minnesota Housing reserves the right to withhold funds or discontinue funding disbursements if a grantee fails to accomplish the planning activities or fails to comply with the stipulations outlined in the Grant Contract Agreement. Quarterly funding reimbursement will occur upon approval of submitted expenditure reports and will be at Minnesota Housing’s sole discretion.

Equity
All grantees must serve diverse populations, especially populations experiencing inequities and/or disparities in housing. Minnesota Housing expects grantees to work toward decreasing barriers in how populations access the homeless response system in their regions and to work toward increasing positive outcomes for diverse populations, especially people more likely to be impacted by housing instability and people with lived experiences. Grantees will also be required to engage diverse populations and people who have lived experience of homelessness in their planning and decision-making processes. This includes clear and well-developed processes related to governance, data collection and decision making. 

Diverse populations include:
•	Cultural, racial, and ethnic communities
•	Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, asexual, and Two-Spirit+ (LGBTQIA2S+) communities 
•	People with disabilities 
•	Veterans 
•	Other populations who are identified by the region 

Review Criteria
This is a competitive application process. Applications will be reviewed and scored by a review committee comprised of Minnesota Housing staff, other state agency staff, and community reviewers with knowledge of homeless programs. Recommendations will be presented to the Minnesota Housing board for approval. Minnesota Housing’s award decisions are final and not subject to appeal.

Proposals will be evaluated based on the following:
The application must be completed properly and submitted by the deadline via the submission method noted below; late applications will not be reviewed. The following threshold criteria must be satisfied for an application to be considered:
•	Must be an eligible applicant as defined in the Eligible Applicants section.
•	The application includes all required application checklist items and is submitted by the published deadline via the submission method (listed on pp. 7).
The following competitive criteria will be used to score applications that satisfy the threshold criteria: 
Project Design and Planning Activities – 50 points 
A competitively written application will clearly:
•	Describe how specific actions being proposed support efforts to prevent and end homelessness while making the regional homeless response system more equitable 
•	Provide responsive strategies to community needs to address systemic causes of housing disparities and instability
•	Demonstrate collaborative efforts to lead the planning and implementation process to address homelessness through local, state, Tribal, and federal processes
•	Provide specific and measurable outcomes and deliverables
•	Provide a realistic project timeline
Equity – 40 points 
A competitively written application will clearly:
•	Identify and engage communities most impacted by housing disparity and instability in the planning and implementation processes. Broad participation of diverse stakeholders, especially people more likely to be impacted by housing instability and people with lived experience of homelessness, collaboratively help shape the responses that are requested in the application
•	Describe how planning entities represent the demographics of those intended to be served, especially populations who may be experiencing homelessness at disproportionate levels (i.e. cultural, racial, and ethnic communities, LGBTQIA2S+ communities, people with disabilities, veterans, and others who are identified by the region)
•	Describe how planning entities will address and design the system and processes to meet the needs of these populations
NOTE: Recognizing and honoring sovereignty, Tribal Nations will receive automatic points for the Equity section.  
Budget – 10 points
•	Budget is clear, reasonable, detailed, and well-developed
•	Narratives support and explain budget activities

Category	Maximum Score	
Project Design and Planning Activities	50	
Equity	40	
Budget 	10	
Total	100	

NOTE: Funding selections will consider past performance and will not be based solely on the application score. All decisions are at Minnesota Housing’s sole discretion and are not subject to appeal. Additionally, Minnesota Housing reserves the right to request proposal revisions during the due diligence phase, which is after Minnesota Housing board approval but before the Grant Contract Agreement is executed. 

Application Timeline
Date	Activity	
Thursday, February 16, 2023	RFP posted via the Minnesota Housing website and eNews	
Thursday, February 23, 2023	Minnesota Housing holds an RFP information session (more information below)	
Wednesday, April 5, 2023	Applications due by 12 p.m. Central Time (refer to the Submission Instructions section below)	
Thursday, May 25, 2023	Minnesota Housing staff recommends selections to Minnesota Housing’s board	
Friday, May 26, 2023	Selected grantees notified; due diligence phase begins	
Wednesday, May 31, 2023	Mandatory due diligence training for all selected grantees	
Friday, June 23, 2023	Due diligence items preferred due date and can be accepted after this date if needed and approved by Minnesota Housing	
 Saturday, July 1, 2023, or the date signed by both Grantee and Minnesota Housing, whichever is later	Upon Grant Contracts Agreements being fully executed, Grant Contract Agreement term begins. 	
Monday, June 30, 2024	Grant Contract Agreement term ends	

Minnesota Housing will hold an RFP information session on Thursday, February 23, 2023, at 11 a.m. Central Time via GoToWebinar. Register here. After registering, a confirmation email will be sent with information about how to join the webinar.

The information session will provide an overview of RFP content and allow time for questions. Frequently asked questions (FAQs) from the session along with other questions will be posted on or around Thursday, March 16, 2023, and Thursday, March 30, 2023, with a deadline for submission of final questions to Minnesota Housing on Friday, March 24, 2023, at 12 p.m. Central Time.

Application Checklist
Applicants must use the required application form and include all the required information/ documentation. Applicants are encouraged to be clear and concise in the presentation of information. Do not submit materials that are not requested (letter of support, photos, brochures, etc.). Unrequested materials will not be reviewed. 

All of the following checklist items must be completed properly and submitted to be considered for funding: 
1.	 Application (Word version) | (RTF Version)
2.	 Application Signature Page (wet, digital, or electronic signatures will be accepted) 
3.	 Budget 
4.	 Work Plan (Word version) | (RTF version)
5.	 Applicant current financial information* (does not apply to any governmental organizations or Tribal Nations)
*NOTE: Nongovernmental organizations applying for $25,000 or more must supply the following financial documentation depending on the organization’s total gross revenue (refer to the table below):
Documentation	Total Gross Revenue	
Board-review Financial Statements	Under $50,000 (or not in existence long enough to have completed IRS Form 990 or an audit)	
IRS Form 990 and Aging Schedule	$50,000-$750,000	
Certified Financial Audit	Over $750,000	

If you have questions regarding the checklist items, contact the designated point of contact found at the end of this document. 

If an applicant is selected for funding, Minnesota Housing will accept the following due diligence items be submitted by Tuesday, June 23, 2023: 
•	Signed Grant Contract Agreement (provided by Minnesota Housing).
•	Board Resolution: A signed original, or signed and certified copy specific to the Grant Contract Agreement that designates authorized signatories, authority to enter into a contract and that references the requested and/or awarded amount.
•	Designation letter from CoCs’ and Tribes’ planning entities
•	Certificate of Insurance with Employee Dishonesty/Crime Coverage in the amount of at least one-eighth of the total amount of the funding amount.
•	Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) Authorization Form for a new applicant that has been selected, or if the current EFT on file needs updates.
•	Certificate of Good Standing issued by the Minnesota Secretary of State Office within 30 days (a screenshot is also an acceptable form of evidence). This does not apply to any governmental organizations or Tribal Nations.
•	Final approved Work Plan: The selected applicant will be required to complete and submit a work plan on a template provided by Minnesota Housing. The purpose of a work plan is to describe changes to the application as a result of the final award amount and requirements. 
•	Final approved Budget: A final budget reflecting the awarded amount and any allocation or amount changes to the lead entity or subgrantees.

Applicants awarded funding must have all due diligence items submitted and approved, and the Grant Contract Agreement fully executed, which includes both the applicant’s and Minnesota Housing’s signatures, before costs can be incurred and reimbursed or grant funds can be expended. Minnesota Housing will not reimburse costs incurred prior to the execution of the Grant Contract Agreement.

Submission Instructions
Upload application materials to the online Multifamily Secure Upload Tool no later than 12 p.m. Central Time on Wednesday, April 5, 2023, to be considered for funding. Within the Secure Upload Tool, submit items to mhfa.app@state.mn.us. Upload required documents in the original format; do not convert the documents into PDF or other formats except for the signature page of the application. Review the Upload Tool Instructions for more information.

NOTE: Submitted applications are considered final; late applications will not be accepted. Incomplete applications may not be considered unless the omission is deemed immaterial, which will be determined at Minnesota Housing’s sole discretion. Minnesota Housing may request additional information or clarification. The applicant will be responsible for all costs incurred related to applying for this RFP. Award decisions are final and not subject to appeal.

Per the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act, responses submitted by a grantee are private or nonpublic until the responses are opened. Once the responses are opened, the name and address of the grantee and the amount requested is public. All other data in a response is private or nonpublic data until completion of the evaluation process, which for the purposes of this grant, is when all Grant Contract Agreements have been fully executed. After a granting agency has completed the evaluation process, all remaining data in the responses is public with the exception of trade secret data as defined and classified in Section 13.37 of the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act. A statement by a grantee that the response is copyrighted or otherwise protected does not prevent public access to the response.

Contractual Requirements
An applicant awarded funding under this proposal will be required to: 
•	Complete a Grant Contract Agreement with Minnesota Housing outlining the scope of services to be provided. The selected applicants will also be responsible for completing proposal revisions (as applicable), a work plan, and/or other exhibits that will become an attachment(s) to the Grant Contract Agreement. 
•	Maintain financial records for a minimum of six years after the Grant Contract Agreement has ended that document the use of all grant funds. Minnesota Housing, at its sole discretion, may request to review the accounting and documentation of such records at site visits or at other times. 
•	Complete and submit by required due dates all interim and final reports in a template provided by Minnesota Housing. 
•	Have a Conflict of Interest policy and take necessary steps to prevent individual and organizational conflicts of interests. All suspected, disclosed, or discovered conflicts of interest must be reported to Minnesota Housing in a timely manner.
•	Comply with applicable contracting and bidding requirements noted in the Grant Contract Agreement.
•	Comply with all Affirmative Action and non-discrimination requirements noted in the Grant Contract Agreement.
•	Comply with Minn. Stat. §201.162 by providing voter registration services for employees and for the public served by the grantee.

Questions
Questions can be directed to the designated point of contact for this RFP:
Ji-Young Choi at 651.296.9839 or ji-young.choi@state.mn.us.

No other staff are authorized to respond to questions from potential applicants. All questions and answers will be posted to Minnesota Housing’s website.