DHS is seeking to improve quality of services for People Receiving Customized Living Services Through Brain Injury, Community Alternatives for Disability Inclusion and Elderly Waivers.

Minnesota Department of Human Services
Aging and Adult Services Division
Request for Proposals for a Grantee to Improve
Quality of Services for People Receiving Customized
Living Services Through Brain Injury, Community
Alternatives for Disability Inclusion and Elderly
Waivers.
Date of Publication: Monday, February 23, 2026
Minnesota's Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion:
It is State of Minnesota policy to ensure equity, diversity and inclusion
in making competitive grant awards. See Executive Order 19.01.
The Policy on Rating Criteria for Competitive Grant Review establishes the expectation that
grant programs intentionally identify how the grant serves diverse populations, especially
populations experiencing inequities and/or disparities. See OGM Policy 08-02.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Statement:
This information is available in accessible formats for people with disabilities by
calling 651-431-4945 or by using your preferred relay service. For other
information on disability rights and protections, contact DHS's Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) office at 651-431-4945
.
Grant RFP Template (GK201) Rev. 3.31.2025

Introduction ................................................................................................................... 2
1.1 Objective of RFP .................................................................................................................................. 2
1.2 Proposal due date ............................................................................................................................... 2
1.3 Background ......................................................................................................................................... 2
1.4 Funding Availability ............................................................................................................................. 4
Scope of Work ................................................................................................................ 4
2.1 Overview ............................................................................................................................................. 4
2.2 Tasks and Deliverables ........................................................................................................................ 6
2.3 Collaboration ....................................................................................................................................... 7
Proposal Requirements ................................................................................................... 7
3.1 Proposal Contents ............................................................................................................................... 7
3.2 Detail of Proposal Components .......................................................................................................... 7
3.3 Required Statements and Forms ...................................................................................................... 14
RFP Process .................................................................................................................. 15
4.1 Responders' Questions ..................................................................................................................... 15
4.2 Proposal Submission ......................................................................................................................... 16
Proposal Evaluation and Selection ................................................................................ 16
5.1 Overview of Evaluation Methodology .............................................................................................. 16
5.2 Evaluation Team ................................................................................................................................ 16
5.3 Evaluation Phases ............................................................................................................................. 16
5.4 Contract Negotiations and Unsuccessful Responder Notice ............................................................ 18
Required Contract Terms and Conditions ...................................................................... 18
State's Authority .......................................................................................................... 19
Appendix A: Eligible Grantee Statement ............................................................................. 21
Appendix B: Project Activities and Work Plan ...................................................................... 21
Appendix C: Evaluation Plan ............................................................................................... 22
Appendix D: Budget Proposal ............................................................................................. 23
Appendix E: Development Cost Worksheet ......................................................................... 23
Appendix F: Sample State Grant Contract ............................................................................ 24
Appendix G: Sample Tribal Nation Grant Contract ..........................................................................46
Grant Requests for Proposals Page 1 rev. 3.31.2025

Introduction
1.1 Objective of RFP
The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS), through its Aging and Adult Services Division
(STATE), is seeking Proposals from qualified Responders to improve overall quality of services for
persons receiving customized living services. Under Minnesota. Statutes, section 256.479(b), at a
minimum, to be eligible for a Customized Living Quality Improvement Grant, at least seventy-five (75)
percent of the clients served by Responders must be waiver participants. For providers of customized
living services under the Brain Injury or Community Access for Disability Inclusion, the waiver
participants must reside at multiple locations each with six or more residents. STATE must give greater
preference to Responders serving a higher percentage of waiver participants. Qualified responders must
have provided customized living services to Brain Injury (BI), Community Alternatives for Disability
Inclusion (CADI) or Elderly Waiver (EW) program participants within the past two calendar years
(example between January 1, 2024 and February 23, 2026). The term of any resulting contract is
anticipated to be for two years, from July 1, 2026 until June 30, 2028.
1.2 Proposal due date
Proposals must be submitted on Friday, April 17, 2026 by 4:00 p.m. Central Time. This Request for
Proposal (RFP) does not obligate the STATE to award a contract or complete the project, and the STATE
reserves the right to cancel the solicitation if it is considered to be in its best interest. All costs incurred
in responding to this RFP will be borne by Responder.
1.3 Background
The 2019 Minnesota Legislature established a Customized Living Quality Improvement (CLQI) grant
program for providers of publicly funded customized living services, which was further modified by the
legislature in 2020 and 2021 (Minnesota Statues, section 256.479). The CLQI grant program supports
provider-initiated projects to improve quality of services for people who are receiving customized living
services.
The CLQI grant program will consider the following policy objectives:
* Provide more efficient, higher quality services
* Encourage home and community-based services providers to innovate
* Equip home and community-based services providers with organizational tools and expertise to
improve their quality
* Incentivize home and community-based services providers to invest in better services
* Disseminate successful performance improvement strategies statewide.
Grant Requests for Proposals Page 2 rev. 3.31.2025

In July 2019, STATE Aging and Adult Services Division (AASD) released a report1 of a national review of
quality measurement in assisted living produced under contract with the University of Minnesota. This
report is part of AASD's effort to develop the Assisted Living Report Card. The report identified nine (9)
domains of quality (examples: aspects of assisted living that have an impact on quality). Table 1 provides
a list of the nine (9) domains and descriptors of each domain. While responders are not required to use
the Assisted Living Report Card measures to evaluate their projects, Responders should work from these
domains of quality when writing their grant proposal. To review the complete report on assisted living
quality measure visit the Assisted Living Report Card page on the DHS website.
Table 1: Quality domains and indicators
Quality Domain Indicators
* Choice
Resident quality of life
* Connectedness
* Meaningful life/activities/engagement
* Social relationship
* Social activities
* Physical activity
* Personal care needs met
Resident and family satisfaction
* Respect from staff
* Meal choice satisfaction
* Quality of staff care
* Resident empowerment opportunities/perceived safety
Safety
* Accountability and continuous quality improvement
* Policies around resident safety
* Elder abuse
* Physical function
Resident health outcomes
* Psychosocial well-being
* Adverse/avoidable critical incidents
* Medication errors
* Nursing home admissions
* Mental health/Behavioral health
* Staff empowerment
Staff
* Collaboration among staff
* Communication (among providers/direct care workers)
* Supports (institutional, supervisor, emotional, coworker)
* Job satisfaction
* Resident-centered job satisfaction
* Consistent assignment
* Employee qualifications
1 Tetyana P. Shippee et al., Literature Review and Environmental Scan: Identifying Quality Measures in
Assisted Living, (2019).
Grant RFP (GK201) Page 3 rev. 3.31.2025

Quality Domain Indicators
* Safety/Security
Physical and social environment
* Dining room environment
* Social climate
* Ability to get outside
* Meal service
Service availability
* Medication assistance/management/quality
* Wellness
* Nutrition services
* Personal and emotional care
* Transportation
* Rules/Resident Rights
Core values and philosophy
* Family and resident councils
* Workplace practices
* Scope of services
* Information transmission
Care services and integration
* Care quality
* Collaboration among providers, including waiver case
management
* Communication with family
* Service plan
Information about the past rounds of the Customized Living Quality Improvement Grant awards and
projects can be found on the Customized Living Quality Improvement grant program website.
1.4 Funding Availability
One million dollars ($1,000,000) will be available to successful Responders beginning in State Fiscal Year
(SFY) 2027 and continuing through June 30, 2028. SFY 2027 is July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027. One-
time grants will be available ranging from twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) to two hundred and
fifty thousand dollars ($250,000). In-kind, matching funds are optional but not required for this grant.
Funding will be allocated through a competitive process with review by a committee representing
content and, if applicable, community specialists with regional knowledge. If selected, Responders may
only incur eligible expenditures when the contract is fully executed and the grant has reached its
effective date.
Scope of Work
2.1 Overview
This RFP provides background information and describes the services desired by STATE. It describes the
requirements for this procurement and specifies the contractual conditions required by the STATE.
Although this RFP establishes the basis for Responder Proposals, the detailed obligations and additional
measures of performance will be defined in the final negotiated contract.
Grant RFP (GK201) Page 4 rev. 3.31.2025

The goal of this RFP is to support existing and new quality improvement efforts in the delivery of publicly
funded customized living services. The legislation directs STATE to solicit proposals that meet the
STATE's policy objectives listed in the above Section 1.3 "Background."
The target areas for quality improvement and grant funding in SFY 2027-2028 are based on research the
STATE conducted in partnership with the University of Minnesota in 2019. The STATE is seeking
proposals for quality improvement projects related to the quality domains and indicators in Table 1
above. The quality domains in Table 1 are aspects of quality in assisted living identified through the
study2. While Responders are not required to use the Assisted Living Report Card measures to evaluate
their projects, Responders should use this table to guide their work to develop or implement project
improvements to enhance any of these quality domains and indicators.
Quality improvement projects may include, but are not limited to, the types of projects outlined below:
Program development
Grant funds may be used to develop a new service or improve an existing service aimed at
improving quality in one or more of the domains in Table 1 above. Program development projects
may include, but are not limited to:
* staff hiring, training and support
* enhanced meal programs
* social engagement and community integration activities
* mental health and dementia care
Capital improvement and renovations
Grant funds may be used for capital improvement and renovations aimed at improving quality in
one or more of the domains in Table 1 above. Capital improvement and renovations include:
* new construction
* renovation
* retrofitting
* facility modification.
If proposing a capital improvement or renovation project, the following additional information will
be requested as part of the agency's proposal:
* Development Cost Worksheet (appendix E, provided on the grant application website)
* One page summary of bid information or cost estimate (including source)
2 Tetyana P. Shippee et al., Literature Review and Environmental Scan: Identifying Quality Measures in
Assisted Living, (2019).
Grant RFP (GK201) Page 5 rev. 3.31.2025

* 8 12" X 11" reduced scale layout drawing (show basic site elements of existing structures and
any new construction)
For selected Responders licensed to provide assisted living, the following conditions must be
satisfied prior to execution of contract with STATE to carry out capital improvement and
renovations:
* Proof of Engagement with Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) Engineering: The
responder licensed to provide assisted living must provide written evidence that submission
for approval of the capital improvement or renovation project has been initiated with MDH
Engineering, including any available status updates regarding such engagement.
Quality measurement and analysis
Grant funds may be used to develop and implement new quality measurements and analysis tools
to support the agency's continuous quality improvement in one or more of the domains in Table 1
above. Quality measurement and analysis projects may include, but are not limited to:
* technology upgrades
* staff training and support
* program evaluation and consultation services.
2.2 Tasks and Deliverables
The following lists contain tasks and deliverables that will be required in grant contracts resulting from
this RFP. These lists are not necessarily comprehensive and other tasks and deliverables may be added
during contract negotiations.
Tasks
* Develop and implement quality improvement initiatives
* Evaluate outcomes of quality improvement initiatives and provide evaluation data to the STATE
* Provide status reports as designated by the STATE
* Share lessons learned, best practices, and challenges with other selected providers
* Submit data as needed to help the STATE better understand the financial implications of a
specified strategy
* Meet timelines specified in the Proposal
* Provide a final project summary in a format determined by the STATE
* Comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws
Deliverables
* Provide evaluation outcomes to serve as evidence of quality improvement as a result of project
activities. Quality improvement may be defined as improvement in any of the areas outlined in
Table 1: Quality domains and indicators, in Section 1.3 Background, of this RFP. We recommend
using established public measures conducted by the STATE, such as the measures found on the
Assisted Living Report Card, or using standardized measures developed by an organization with
Grant RFP (GK201) Page 6 rev. 3.31.2025

expertise in quality measurement and quality improvement. Outcome measures and evaluation
methods must be approved by grant program staff before project work begins.
2.3 Collaboration
Multi-organization collaboration is not allowed.
Proposal Requirements
Proposals must conform to all instructions, conditions, and requirements included in this RFP.
Responders are expected to examine all documentation and other requirements. Failure to observe the
terms and conditions in completion of the Proposal is at the Responder's risk and may, at the discretion
of the STATE, result in disqualification of the Proposal for nonresponsiveness. Acceptable Proposals
must offer all services identified in Section 2, "Scope of Work," agree to the contract conditions
specified throughout the RFP, and include all of the items referenced in the Required Statements and
Forms sections. Responder must also agree to the terms and conditions in the attached sample contract
unless specifically making an exception pursuant to Section 3.3 b. "Exception to Terms and Conditions
Form-Grant RFP."
3.1 Proposal Contents
Responses to this RFP must consist of all of the following components. Each of these components must
be separated from the others and identified with labeled tabs.
Proposal Components RFP Section
1. Eligible Grantee Statement (Appendix A) 3.2(1)
2. Description of the Applicant Organization 3.2(2)
3. Problem Statement and Project Description 3.2(3)
4. Quality Improvement Goals 3.2(4)
5. Project Activities and Work Plan (Appendix B) 3.2(5)
6. Evaluation Plan (Appendix C) 3.2(6)
7. Budget Proposal (Appendix D) 3.2(7)
8. Professional Responsibility and Data Privacy 3.2(8)
9. Required Statements and Forms (Pass/Fail) 3.4
3.2 Detail of Proposal Components
The following will be considered minimum requirements of the Proposal. The emphasis should be on
completeness and clarity of content.
1. Eligible Grantee Statement (Appendix A) (20 points): Report the number of waiver (BI, CADI,
EW) participants served in the setting(s) and the proportion of waiver participants as a
percentage of the overall census. Only include settings where grant activities will take place.
Responders should complete and upload the Appendix A, provided in the grant application
website, to provide the information required for this component.
Under Minnesota Statutes, section 256.479 (b), at a minimum, to be eligible for a CLQI Grant, at
least seventy-five (75) percent of the clients served by Responders must be waiver participants.
Grant RFP (GK201) Page 7 rev. 3.31.2025

For providers of customized living services under the BI or CADI waivers, the waiver participants
must reside at multiple locations each with six (6) or more residents. STATE must give greater
preference to Responders serving a higher percentage of waiver participants.
To be eligible for this grant, the completed Eligible Grantee Statement must demonstrate that
the setting(s) meets the following requirements. Applicants who do not meet these
requirements will be automatically disqualified:
* The Responder must be an enrolled provider with DHS to provide customized living
services under BI, CADI or EW.
* At least 75 percent of the residents served by the provider must be waiver participants.
* For providers of customized living services under the BI or CADI waivers, the waiver
participants must reside at multiple locations each with six or more residents.
Applicants must meet the requirements above to be considered for this grant. Eligible applicants
will be awarded points in this section according to the formula below:
* 75-79.9% waiver participants = 0 points
* 80-84.9% waiver participants = 5 points
* 85-89.9% waiver participants = 10 points
* 90-94.9% waiver participants = 15 points
* 95-100% waiver participants = 20 points
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.
Minnesota Department of Administration's Office of Grants Management Policy 08-02
establishes the expectation that grant programs intentionally identify how the grant serves
diverse populations, especially populations experiencing inequities and/or disparities. This grant
will serve diverse populations listed in Policy 08-02. Selected grantees will measure performance
in serving diverse populations as required per their work plan objectives. Please identify
populations in the program that serves on the 'diversity' tab on the Eligible Grantee Statement.
The Minnesota DHS Aging and Adult Services Division encourages Tribal Nations to respond, to
the extent they meet the legislatively defined eligibility for this grant, to provide their
governments with the resources to better serve their federally recognized membership.
2. Description of Applicant Organization (information only): Provide a brief overview of the
facility or organization. Include the following:
* Name of applicant organization and project title
* A brief history of the organization
* Organization's license type(s) (example- assisted living, assisted living with dementia care,
customized living exempt from assisted living licensure, etc.)
* The current programs and activities of the organization
* Organization's accomplishments and challenges
* Resident, staff, and leadership demographics
Grant RFP (GK201) Page 8 rev. 3.31.2025

* List any relevant grants the applicant has been awarded in the past five years. Include the
total award amount, granting organization, award timeline, and outcome of grant activities.
* Any other information about the organization that is relevant to the proposed grant project
The information applicants provide in this section is for informational purposes only.
3. Problem Statement and Description of Proposed Project (25 points): Provide a detailed
description of the problem you want to solve or improve and the proposed grant project to
address this problem. Your description should include the following:
* Examine the customized living provider's performance using quality data available to the
organization. Identify the areas of quality where the customized living provider needs to
improve.
* Provide baseline data to demonstrate the scale of the problem.
* Summarize the causes of the problem and the evidence that supports the conclusion.
* What strategies will be used to address the problem? How are these strategies innovative?
* What evidence suggests the proposed strategies will work to address the problem? Cite
resident and staff feedback the agency has received and evidence-based practice and
publications. Provide websites for sources where applicable.
*Note: Completing a root cause analysis (RCA) with the organization's team before submitting
the application may help the process to determine the causes of the problem. Extra points will
not be automatically awarded for completing an RCA. The MDH's Root Cause Analysis Toolkit
provides a list of RCA trainings and resources if needed.
Applicants will get more points in this section to provide compelling evidence of a problem the
organization is facing and its causes.
Applicants will get more points in this section for providing compelling evidence that the
proposed project will address the identified problem and improve the identified quality domains
and indicators.
Applicants will get more points in this section for selecting quality domains from the list in Table
1 of this RFP.
Applicants will get more points in this section for strategies that are innovative and go above
and beyond meeting the requirements for Assisted Living Licensure or Customized Living
standards.
We encourage applicants to plan for how the improvement will be sustained after grant funding
ends. Applicants will get more points in this section for proposing to implement a quality
improvement strategy that is new to their agency as opposed to maintaining an ongoing
strategy.
4. Quality Improvement Goals (15 points): Describe the organization's quality improvement
goal(s) for this project.
Grant RFP (GK201) Page 9 rev. 3.31.2025