Healthy Built Environment Grant applications posted in Tennessee

The Tennessee Department of Health, Office of Primary Prevention is pleased to announce that the Request for Applications has been posted for Healthy Built Environment Grants. These funds aim to create public spaces to increase physical activity and access to healthy food to provide opportunities for all Tennesseans to live their healthiest lives. Local and state government entities and non-profit organizations are invited to apply. This year, $800,000 of funding is available to award. With an average requested amount of $50,000 in the past, applicants can request anywhere from $10,000 to $85,000
These grants can fund a variety of projects to create or utilize public spaces to increase opportunities for healthy, active lifestyles. These grants are designed to meet communities where they are at in their journey to create public spaces for a thriving, healthy community, whether they are ready to put construction in the ground or simply need to organize some local meetings to brainstorm ideas. These no-match grants can fund convening, planning, programming and infrastructure related to healthy built environments. Added to eligible costs for convening this year is money for childcare, food and compensation to remove any barriers residents may have in becoming involved in creating healthy communities.
These grants highly emphasize promoting health equity. Applicants must clearly define a target population that has a built environment need. They must demonstrate that their project is something that the community not only needs but wants and supports.
Applicants must also demonstrate how they are going to involve the community throughout the process and ensure they remove any barriers that prevent under-served populations from driving projects in their communities.
Here are some important dates to keep in mind:
Letters of Intent due by 2 p.m. CST on Thursday, Oct. 29.
State will select top Letters of Intent and issue invitations to apply on Wednesday, Dec. 2.
Applications will be due by 2 p.m. CST on Friday, Jan. 29, 2021.
Projects will begin on Thursday, July 1, 2021. Projects can run anywhere from 12 months to 24 months depending on the type of project.