COVID-19 Diverse Media Request for Services FAQ - December 2020
Please note that the question and answer period has ended. Final questions and answers have been posted to ensure all applicants have access to the same information prior to the proposal submission deadline.
Last updated 12/23/20 at 3 pm CST.
Question: Are intergovernmental organizations eligible?
Answer: No.
Question: If a contractor received funding from the previous two COVID-19 requests, and executed all their elements successfully, and these similar projects would apply to this RFS, is there any reason they shouldn't include programs or projects they did for the previous RFS?
Answer: Applicants can certainly propose repeating or building on activities that they have successfully executed in prior contracts.
Question: Do you have any generic messages/content prepared for this RFS?
Answer: The State has some ready-to-go messages, such as masking, social distancing, and testing messages, but there will also be many timely messages coming out as the situation evolves, such as timely vaccine messaging. Current content and newly prepared messages will be shared with contractors at least weekly.
Question: Are we able to use generic messages as well as create new content?
Answer: Yes, contractors can share generic messages as well as creating and sharing new content based on information from MDH.
Question: You mentioned this is being recorded and will be posted. Will the slides be posted separately as well? Or, will we have to go through the video to see a particular slide if we want to go back and look at it?
Answer: The slides will also be posted on the RFS webpage once they are made accessible.
Question: When you say contractors are limited to 2 supporting materials, does that include materials indicating past work attached on the proposal?
Answer: Please only include 1-2 examples of past work, submitted as supplemental materials by replying to the automatic confirmation email you receive after submitting your online proposal submission form. The online form itself does not have a space for attaching materials.
Question: If a prior application has been denied, what is the likelihood of being approved if we reapply?
Answer: In past Diverse Media Requests for Services, we received many more excellent proposals than we could fund. If you were not selected in a past round, it does not mean that you did not have strong application. We encourage interested vendors to apply in this round. We recommend that interested vendors pay close attention to the scoring criteria and make sure that their application and work plan/budget are aligned with the scoring criteria. Use the application questions and 1-2 examples of past work to highlight your strongest, most relevant work..
Question: Current diverse media contracts end in December, and these contracts are expected to start in early February, so there is a gap in January. What is the plan to continue to communicate to our community on the vaccines?
Answer: It is unfortunate that we do not have funding to begin these diverse media contracts in January. MDH will seek to address communication needs in other ways during the gap between contracts.
Question: Is there any advice you can give to first-time applicants?
Answer: We recommend that first-time applicants pay close attention to the scoring criteria and make sure that their application and work plan/budget are aligned with the scoring criteria. Use the application questions and 1-2 examples of past work to highlight your strongest, most relevant work.
Question: There are diverse communities within larger racial/ethnic groups. What is MDH doing to address the diversity within East African communities, API communities and other communities?
Answer: MDH has worked with community partners and funded contractors representing diverse communities within larger cultural groups. Through this RFS, we expect to fund a range of media vendors reaching many different communities within the broader priority categories listed in the RFS.
Question: Most of the focus seems to be on written materials; however, many communities need outreach through other methods. What is MDH doing to meet this need?
Answer: Responders are encouraged to propose communication methods that are most effective in their communities, including radio, TV, videos and other forms of media that are not print media.
Question: We applied last time and believed that we had strong supporting documents and the technology, but we were not accepted and a reason was not provided. How do the panelists make their recommendations?
Answer: The review committee will review and score all complete proposals received by the deadline using the scoring criteria in the Diverse Media Score Sheet (PDF). Final selections of contractors are based on this competitive review of proposals, while also ensuring that the final cohort of selected contractors covers a range of communication modalities and geographic areas and reaches the communities in Minnesota listed above. Applicants are welcome to request information on reviewers’ scores and feedback on their previous application(s). Please email health.covidmedia.MDH@state.mn.us if you would like to request this information.
Question: Can a TV or radio station apply?
Answer: Yes.
Question: How will MDH and the review committee know about the full reach of our organization in our community?
Answer: Please include this information in your application and in your examples of past work.
Question: Can individuals apply for the funding?
Answer: No.
Question: How are the review panelists chosen?
Answer: The review committee will include MDH staff, staff of other state agencies, and community partners. We are working to ensure that the review committee includes good representation from the priority communities served by these contracts. Information about the review committee will become public once the review process is complete.
Question: Can you tell us where we go to download the attachments containing the templates for the work plan and budget and examples?
Answer: The work plan and budget template can be found on the Diverse Media Request for Services webpage in the Response Requirements and Submission Instructions section. There is no template for the examples of previous work.
Question: Can you tell me who is managing the communications budget for community outreach and education for all things related to COVID-19, but specifically in the push to educate and persuade the public about vaccinations for COVID-19?
Answer: The contracts resulting from this Request for Services (and the Community Engagement Request for Services) will be managed by the MDH COVID-19 Cultural, Faith and Disability Communities Branch. Once a media vendor is selected, they will work with a contract manager at MDH to finalize the communications work plan and budget. This Request for Services is for media vendors to help MDH in getting culturally relevant, linguistically appropriate, accurate, and timely messages related to COVID-19 vaccines and testing to communities of color, American Indian communities, LGBTQ communities, and disability communities in Minnesota.
Question: Is the limit for a proposal $150,000.00?
Answer: Yes, to ensure that we can have statewide reach in a variety of communities, the upper limit for proposals is $150,000.
Question: Can an out-of-state (registered out of Minnesota but within the U.S.) African media group submit a proposal? Will they be eligible to apply?
Answer: Yes, out-of-state media vendors are eligible. Their application should include enough detail to demonstrate their reach within Minnesota and ability to perform duties within the state of Minnesota.
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