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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 Youth Peer Leader Program is a peer-to-peer engagement initiative designed to:
- Build the capacity of youth and young adults to create supportive peer communities with increased awareness of the 988 Minnesota Lifeline as a trusted resource, encouraging mental health help-seeking behaviors.
- Empower and prepare youth and young adults to serve as peer leaders by facilitating the 988 Minnesota Lifeline Someone to Talk to Youth Peer Leader Program.
- Support youth and young adults to evaluate the effectiveness and success of the program using evaluation resources.
View the complete: 988 Minnesota Lifeline Someone to Talk to Peer Leader Grant RFP (PDF)
Funding and project dates
MDH is seeking proposals for the grant period February 2, 2027, through August 30, 2027. The department will award a total of $90,000, as funds are available. The department will award an estimated total of $15,000 to up to six 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, whichever is later.
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, universities, Tribal colleges, community colleges, young adult groups, young-adult serving organizations, 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 Someone to Talk to Peer Leader Grant.” All answers will be posted within two business days at 988 Minnesota Lifeline Youth Peer Leader Grant Request for Proposals (RFP) Q&A.
Please submit questions no later than 4:30 p.m. Central Time, on Monday, November 30, 2026.
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 MDH, 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 host a one-hour webinar meeting to assist applicants in preparing an application.
All prospective applicants are encouraged to attend the information meeting, but attendance is not required. The questions and answers from the one-hour webinar will be posted at 988 Minnesota Lifeline Youth Peer Leader Grant Request for Proposals (RFP) Q&A
The question-and-answer session will not be recorded.
Friday October 30, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. Central Time
Click here to join RFP information meeting
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 (PDF) 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 Peer Leader program is for youth or young adults 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.
Scope of work
- The prioritized population must be youth in high school (grades 9-12) during the duration of the grant for Track One applications.
- The prioritized population must be young adults age 18-24 years during the duration of the grant for Track Two applications.
- Describe the need and readiness utilizing community data to identify the geographic area of focus, i.e., city, county, school district. As an example, the Minnesota Student Survey Data Reports and Analytics 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 tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, February 9 and Wednesday, February 10, 2027 in St. Cloud, MN.
- Project leads will be expected to recruit a minimum of 5-7 youth or young adults to participate in the program.
- Project leads will provide support to participating youth or young adult leaders to ensure ability to attend and engage during all onboarding sessions. If participating virtually, youth or young adults must have the ability to use a microphone and camera.
- Project leads will provide support including any printing, materials, and technology needed and ensure that each participating youth or young adult delivers a minimum of five peer-to-peer presentations.
- Project leads will provide support to youth or young adult leaders in distributing the post-presentation survey link to participants immediately following each presentation.
- One project lead must attend a minimum of one of each youth leaders’ peer presentations for Track One high school aged youth. Project lead attendance at Track Two young adult leader presentations are on an as-needed basis.
- Must establish system for payment/reimbursement of youth or young adult leaders as consultants/speakers after attending the following meetings and trainings:
- Changing the Narrative on Mental Health and Suicide, Community Helper training, and 988 Minnesota Lifeline Role Play.
- Facilitator training for 988 Minnesota Lifeline – Someone to Talk to Youth Peer Leader program.
- Peer presentations.
- Project leads will complete monthly reports due at scheduled monthly meetings and one annual report due at the conclusion of the project.
Application and deadline
All applications must be received by MDH no later than 4:30 p.m. Central Time, on Friday, December 18, 2026.
Applications must be submitted electronically through the Minnesota Department of Health - Office of Injury and Violence Prevention's Online Portal
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 mail, delivery, computer, or technology problems.
Acknowledgement of application receipt. The Office of Injury and Violence Prevention Online Grant Portal will send an automated email to the user who submitted the application to confirm the submission of your application. Additionally, the application status will change from “Draft” to “Submitted” on the Applicant Dashboard and record the date the application was submitted. If the application is still in draft status by the application deadline, you will no longer be able to edit or submit the application.
If you do not receive an automated email confirming submission, or encounter any other issues with the online application, please contact health.suicideprev.mdh@state.mn.us. We encourage you to submit in advance of the deadline to allow time to address any technical issues.