COVID-19 Diverse Media Request for Proposals FAQ - October 2021
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 10/27/21 at 11 am CST.
Question: My organization provides translation and interpretation services for all communities in MN. Can we work in support of the awarded vendors to provide the translation/interpreter service for the media channels in question?
Answer: Media vendors may subcontract with other organizations through this funding. Organizations interested in partnering with a media vendor should coordinate with the media vendor directly.
Question: How does one sign up for the Webinar for this RFP?
Answer: The webinar took place on Wednesday, Oct. 13 from 10-11 am, and the link to register was posted on the Request for Proposals page. A recording of the webinar will be posted on this same page within a few business days of the session.
Question: Will past performance play any part in the decision?
Answer: Yes. Past performance of previous and/or current contractors will be reviewed when making funding decisions.
Question: If you are able to tell us, will it be the same review committee?
Answer: The review committee will not be the same as our last Request for Services review committee. It may 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: Will this campaign be selecting new media platforms not used before for Black-owned TV? Is there any consideration when a TV channel like ours has to compete with larger channels?
Answer: All types and sizes of media outlets will be considered. We encourage both new and current contractors to apply. Final selection of contractors is based on a competitive review of proposals, while also ensuring that the final cohort of selected contractors covers a range of geographic areas and reaches the major racial, ethnic, and cultural communities, LGBTQ, and disability communities in Minnesota.
Question: When do you anticipate announcing the grants that are being awarded?
Answer: Contractors who are selected by the review committee will be notified individually of their award, likely by late November. After contract negotiations are complete and contracts are fully executed, the list of selected contractors will be published on the MDH website. This will likely happen sometime in January. Please note that these will be P/T contracts, not grants.
Question: Was your 2020 COVID Campaign successful? How do you measure the impact of your 2020 COVID Campaign?
Answer: Through these COVID-19 contracts, the state was able to partner with more than a hundred experienced and trusted diverse media vendors and community organizations in Minnesota to provide culturally relevant, linguistically appropriate, accurate, and timely messages related to COVID-19 to many of our communities of color, American Indian residents, LGBTQ residents, residents with disabilities, and residents with limited English proficiency.
As part of this work, our vendors provide regular reports to the State that summarize the work performed, the number of people reached, and the impact the work is having in the targeted communities. Through these reports and surveys, our vendors were successfully able to help aid the state in increasing community understanding of and participation in COVID-19 testing, case investigation, and contact tracing. Furthermore, they able to increase mask wearing, social distancing and successfully increased vaccination rates in many of our diverse communities.
Question: Do you have pre-selected or favorite candidates for the 2021 COVID Campaign? Do 2020 organizations have a greater weight in the selection process?
Answer: There are no pre-selected or favorite candidates. This is a competitive process, and all applicants will be reviewed according to the scoring criteria listed on the RFP website.
Question: Do you have a public place/website where we can see examples from your 2020 COVID Campaign?
Answer: Examples of previous contractors’ work can be found on the COVID-19 Examples of Contractor Materials - Minnesota Dept. of Health (state.mn.us) page. Please note that this page includes examples of work from both community engagement and diverse media contractors.
Question: Where do you add the examples of work?
Answer: Examples of work should be sent as a reply to the confirmation email you receive after submitting your proposal form. Send no more than 2 examples of work.
Question: Is there a separate budget for paid media?
Answer: No; please include all expenses for your proposed media activities in a single budget. We strongly recommend using the work plan/budget template found on the Diverse Media RFP page.
Question: What is the average cost approved for placements typically?
Answer: Costs of placements may vary widely depending on the community reached, the type of media, the geographic reach, etc. Because of this wide variation, we cannot provide an average. However, it is important to note that applicants will be scored on the cost effectiveness of their proposed activities.
Question: Can I use COVID-19 previous media work I did with a previous organization I worked for as part of my past work with this new organization I am working for?
Answer: Please work with your previous employer to determine whether you have permission to share the work. MDH cannot advise on the ownership of your previous work.
Question: If you end up having to re-issue/extend the deadline, and a contractor has the ability to reach the community/communities not represented to the level you would like to see, would you want us to resubmit a proposal with that or those communities still underrepresented?
Answer: If the deadline for the RFP is extended because certain communities are not sufficiently represented and your organization intentionally reaches one of the audiences still needing support, you may re-submit your proposal or submit a separate proposal. Each proposal submitted still needs to be within the funding range.
Question: When will funding decisions be made?
Answer: Funding decisions will be made after the review process is complete, likely in late November. After that, negotiations with selected contractors will begin. The final list of contractors does not become public data and will not be shared on the website until after negotiations are complete, likely sometime in January.
Question: What should the proposal cover? Do you provide all the content?
Answer: The proposal should cover the information listed on the Request for Proposals webpage. MDH will provide content that may be used as is or adapted to reach the target audience of the contractor.
Question: Do you want contractors to be sure to spread the deliverables out to last the entire year?
Answer: Yes. Having deliverables for the entire contract period is expected. Your work plan/budget should show a timeline of those deliverables.
Question: Does in-kind, additional exposure at no additional cost factor into the decision making at all? (e.g. running additional spots that are COVID-related but not part of the contract)
Answer: As stated in the RFP, 20% of each applicant’s score will be based on cost. One of the scoring criteria relates to the cost-effectiveness of their proposed activities (the total cost divided by the total number of people reached). If an applicant wishes to add pro bono media to their work plan/budget, that will factor into that score. Please note, however, that selected contractors will be accountable for and required to report on all activities in their work plan, including those provided at no cost.
Question: How important is it or does it account for points if you partner with other media?
Answer: You don’t have to partner with other media outlets, but if you plan to, please include the partner’s specific activities in the work plan/budget you submit. There are no additional points given for partnering with other media vendors.
Question: Will the informational webinar PowerPoint be available online?
Answer: Yes. It will be posted to the Request for Proposals webpage on the MDH website within a few business days of the live webinar.
Question: Do you check that listed partners actually have an agreement with the contractor? Some may list partners to bolster their chances but may not actually be partnering with the organization they list.
Answer: Applicants are scored on the information submitted in their proposal, work plan and budget. If selected, budgets and work plans are reviewed by State staff before they are approved and may need to be revised if the work of the partner organization is not clearly outlined in the work plan and budget submitted. The State may request confirmation that partner organizations are willing partners in the proposed activities. However, the State does not review copies of memoranda of understanding or other contracts between organizations. Applicants are strongly encouraged to ensure all proposed partners are supportive of their proposal and to demonstrate that support in their proposal.
Question: If you partner with other media companies will that increase the ceiling of $100,000 for the contract amount?
Answer: No. The top funding amount is $100,000. Any partners would need to be part of the work plan/budget for the funding amount you request.
Question: Does a past media example of work have to be on COVID alone? Or could any health-related example be relevant?
Answer: Your examples of work do not have to be COVID-19 related. Please provide examples that showcase your media and cultural expertise.
Question: What important information will be shared during this upcoming campaign?
Answer: Key messages will include, but are not limited to, addressing ongoing vaccine hesitancy, booster doses, and vaccines for youth including ages 12 and younger.
Question: Is the importance of testing still on the radar?
Answer: Yes. Testing for COVID-19 is still an important subject. These contracts will be focused on vaccine-related topics.
Question: Will media outlets produce messages, or will there be content available?
Answer: Contractors may share content from MDH. They may also create their own content based on information from MDH or adapt MDH content so that it is linguistically appropriate and culturally relevant for their target audience.
Question: Do current contractors need to re-apply for this next round of funding?
Answer: Yes. This is a new competitive process for contracts in 2022, and anyone interested in this opportunity needs to apply according to the steps on the Request for Proposals webpage.
Question: As we finish the work plan/budget template spreadsheet for the diverse media RFP, as a media company, I want to confirm we would choose “dissemination” as the type of deliverable.
Answer: The three choices for the type of deliverable are: creation, adaptation, and dissemination. Dissemination should be chosen if the expenses are related to publishing or broadcasting the deliverable (e.g., an article, a radio PSA, etc.). Expenses that go into preparing that deliverable prior to dissemination would fall to creation or adaptation.
Question: For the section at the top of the work plan/budget template that is titled “Brief Project Summary,” is that something you’d like us to fill in, or is that a summary of the Minnesota Department of Health’s project that someone from MDH fills in?
Answer: This section should be completed by the applicant. They should briefly describe the overall scope and purpose of their specific project.
Question: How do we get feedback on prior proposals that were submitted but not accepted for funding?
Answer: 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. In your email, please indicate which Request for Services you applied for.
Question: Our organization is a small for-profit business that focuses on marketing and communications, in particular to BIPOC populations. We have done extensive work on media relations and community engagement. However, the RFP specifically calls for media vendors and community organizations. Please advise if we need a fiscal agent or whether we can apply on our own.
Answer: If your organization can fulfill the requirements of this Request for Proposal, you are eligible to apply. A fiscal agent is not required.
Question: Are current recipients of CCC funding from MDH eligible to apply for either of these opportunities? The way it was written in a message I received at the end of last month made it sound like CCC recipients were ineligible to apply for the COVID-19 Outreach RFP, but I was not clear whether that was also extended to the Diverse Media application.
Answer: Lead organizations currently funded by MDH through the COVID Community Coordinators (CCC) initiative are not eligible to respond to either the COVID-19 Diverse Media or Community Engagement Request for Proposals. However, subcontractors of CCC lead organizations are eligible to apply if they are a media vendor.
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