We are excited to share that the Best Starts for Kids Lead and Toxics: Reducing Toxics Exposures in our Communities Request for Proposals (RFP) is now open! This funding opportunity closes on Wednesday, April 17 at 2PM, please submit your application by then.
Click here to view the full funding opportunity details and apply.
About this opportunity:
Environmental racism and other injustices have resulted in toxics waste and polluting industries being concentrated in areas where communities of color and low-income families work, live, and play. This has resulted in those communities experiencing higher exposure to toxics and higher rates of health problems from those exposures.
This RFP seeks to fund pilot projects to support the work of communities most impacted by toxics to address exposure sources harming families, young children, and pregnant people in King County. Pilot projects may do one or more of the following:
- Create opportunities for community organization coalition-building, skill-building, and cross-sector partnerships with the aim of informing systems-level policies and programs to reduce toxics exposures in children, pregnant people, and their families
- Support community-based participatory research or citizen science projects that create opportunities to better understand and address toxics exposures in priority communities
- Create workforce development opportunities in healthcare to increase medical professionals’ ability to prevent and equitably address toxics exposures amongst children, pregnant people, and their families
- Create workforce development opportunities or focused programs in industries that put children and families at risk for take-home exposures
Small non-profits and community-based organizations are encouraged to submit proposals. Organizations can and are encouraged to submit a joint application.
Eligibility:
This funding opportunity is open to nonprofit organizations, community-based organizations, tribes and tribal organizations, for-profit entities and public or governmental agencies serving communities in King County. Small non-profits and community-based organizations are encouraged to submit proposals. Organizations are encouraged to partner on applications when applicable.
Selected applicants must provide staff equitable compensation and will be asked to cultivate comprehensive plans. Review the complete eligibility criteria in the full RFP document.
Attend our information session:
We strongly encourage anyone interested in applying to attend our information session to learn more:
- Tuesday, March 5, 2024, 11:00 a.m. -12:00 p.m., Pacific Time
- Monday, March 18, 2024, 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m., Pacific Time
Please note both sessions will have the same content. Learn more about this funding opportunity and access meeting details for the information session within the full RFP document.
Funding available:
We have budgeted approximately $750,000 for this project. The contract expected start date is July 1, 2024 with an end date no later than June 30, 2027. One to three applicants will be selected to receive funding. The maximum award amount applicants may request is $250,000 per year or $750,00 total for three years.
Timeline:
| RFP Issued | February 23, 2024 |
| Information Session | March 5, 2024, 11:00 am – 12:00 pm March 18, 2024, 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm |
| Final day to request for Technical Assistance | April 9, 2024 |
| Final day to Submit Questions | April 9, 2024 |
| RFP Application Due | April 17, 2024 by 2:00 p.m. |
| Applications Reviewed | April 18, 2024 – May 16, 2024 |
| Interviews with Applicants (if applicable) | May 2024 |
| Notification of Selected and Non-Selected Applicants | June 2024 |
| Contract Anticipated Start Date | July 2024 |
Do you have any questions?
If you have any questions about this funding opportunity, you can submit a question before Tuesday, April 9, 2024 to Phillip Thompson at phithompson@kingcounty.gov.
Would you like support? Access Best Starts technical assistance!
Free application support is available for organizations interested in applying for this Best Starts funding opportunity! Best Starts partnered consultants can support by: helping to determine appropriate fit between your work and this funding opportunity, providing guidance on how best to answer application questions, supporting your application development (including editing and reviewing), and supporting you in explaining your qualifications in the most clear and concise way.
If you are interested in partnering with a technical assistance consultant, learn more here.
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