COVID-19 Contracts for Diverse Media Messaging and Community Outreach

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has partnered with many experienced and trusted diverse media vendors and community organizations in Minnesota as part of our public health response to COVID-19. Our relationships with diverse media vendors and community organizations have played a key part in ensuring that all who reside in Minnesota and the 11 tribal nations that share its geography – including residents from communities of color, American Indian residents, LGBTQ residents, residents with disabilities, and residents with limited English proficiency – have access to needed, culturally relevant resources and have the opportunity to be fully informed with culturally relevant, linguistically appropriate, accurate, and timely messages related to COVID-19.

Since our COVID-19 response work began in 2020, MDH has partnered with more than 180 different diverse media vendors, community-based organizations, and tribes. Information about our current and previous contractors can be found in the links below:

• Current COVID-19 Community Coordinator Contractors
• Current COVID-19 Community Engagement and Diverse Media Grantees
• 2020-2022 Community Engagement Contractors (PDF)
• 2020-2022 Diverse Media Contractors (PDF)

For examples of the work done in partnership with our contractors, please visit the COVID-19 Examples of Contractor Materials page.

Previous funding opportunities

COVID-19 diverse media P/T contract requests for services

These requests for services asked vendors to propose a plan for media services to help MDH in getting culturally relevant, linguistically appropriate, accurate, and timely messages related to COVID-19 to communities of color, American Indian communities, and LGBTQ communities in Minnesota. Media services include formats like online and social media, radio, television, and print. Vendors were encouraged to use methods that are adaptable to quickly changing information and explore alternative methods of communication that are effective while people maintain social distancing.

• Request for Services issued in April 2020 ($670,000 in funding distributed to 18 vendors)
• Request for Services issued in May 2020 ($800,000 in funding distributed to 17 vendors)
• Request for Services issued in December 2020 ($1,500,000 in funding distributed to 30 vendors)
• Request for Proposals issued in October 2021 ($1,250,000 in funding distributed to 28 vendors)

COVID-19 community engagement P/T contract requests for services

These requests for services asked community-based organizations and tribes to propose a plan for culturally relevant, linguistically appropriate, and timely community engagement activities to aid the state in increasing community understanding of and participation in COVID-19 testing, vaccination, and other important public health activities. Organizations and tribes were asked to learn about community questions and needs related to COVID-19; work with the State and its partners to address those community needs; and connect communities to information and resources. The primary audience(s) for community engagement included people of color, American Indians, Minnesotans with disabilities, and/or LGBTQ Minnesotans.

• Request for Services issued in May 2020 ($1,550,000 in funding distributed to 39 vendors)
• Request for Services issued in December 2020 ($1,500,000 in funding distributed to 41 vendors)
• Request for Proposals issued in October 2021 ($1,250,000 in funding distributed to 26 vendors

COVID-19 community engagement and diverse media grant request for proposals

• Request for Proposals issued in December 2022 (approximately $7,500,000 in funding distributed to 63 grantees)

Image credit goes to MDH contractor American Indian Community Housing Organization for their work with native artists to create posters that share health messages through an indigenous lens. Posters may be downloaded and printed from the American Indian Community Housing Organization website.

Video credit goes to MDH contractor Girls are Powerful, which launched a communication and wellness campaign focused on community building through empowerment, self-care and wellness activities throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.