Moving Massachusetts Upstream (MassUP) Initiative:

The Health Policy Commission (HPC) has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking partnerships between provider and community-based organizations looking to address upstream social, economic, and environmental barriers to health as part of the “Moving Massachusetts Upstream” (MassUP) initiative.

The MassUP initiative is a collaboration among Massachusetts state agencies, including the HPC and MassHealth. The vision of the partnership is better health, lower costs, and reduced health inequities across communities and populations in Massachusetts through effective collaboration among government, health care systems, and local organizations.

Proposals for the MassUP investment program must (1) describe a social determinant of health (SDOH) that is related to poor health and health inequity for individuals in a geographic community; and (2) propose a program through which the eligible applicant and their partners will undertake activities to address the SDOH in that community. The MassUP investment program is making $2 million available through this RFP, funding three to four awards of up to $650,000 each. The RFP and its attachments are available on the state’s procurement website, COMMBUYS, located here. Please check COMMBUYS regularly for RFP amendments, FAQs, and other information that the HPC may issue during the procurement period. Responses to the RFP must be submitted to the HPC by 3:00 PM on Friday, February 21, 2020.

The HPC will host an information session for interested stakeholders via webinar on January 9, 2020, at 12:00 PM. Please register using this link. Please submit all questions about the MassUP RFP to HPC-Innovation@mass.gov by 3:00 PM on February 7, 2020.

Innovative Stable Housing Initiative: Upstream Fund Grant

The Upstream Fund is an opportunity to amplify collective action and reduce barriers to accessing safe, healthy and stable housing through policy, systems and environmental change. This fund aims to invest in organizing and coalition building efforts that are geared towards advancing policy and systems change, within and across four areas of focus: anti-displacement; tenant protections; community control of land; and asset building.

The primary goals of the fund are to support:

1. Organizing and capacity building to increase stability for housing insecure and homeless residents;

2. Efforts that are community driven and community-centered;

3. Collaboration among organizations or groups and across neighborhoods; that

4. Work towards advocacy for policy and systems change.

The 2019-2020 funding cycle will distribute up to four, one-year grant awards totaling $600,000. Eligible applicants can request between $75,000 and $150,000 in grant support for a one-year project period. Awarded applicants will have the opportunity to apply for renewal funding for two additional years as the fund seeks to provide longer-term support for promising efforts towards policy and systems change. Investments will be made for two types of efforts:

1. Planning Funding: For Emerging Efforts: Up to $75,000 will be available for partnerships to support activities such as initial coalition building or planning processes that contribute to housing-related policy or system changes or outcomes. Emerging efforts can include newly formed partnerships or those that have worked together previously but are beginning a new policy or systems change effort across at least one focus area of the fund (see pg. 2). Proposals should reflect collaborative partnerships involving a minimum of three community partners. Efforts involving 6 or more partners are eligible to request the maximum amount allowed in this category.

2. Implementation Funding: For Advanced Efforts: Up to $150,000 to support activities that demonstrate a feasible path for policy change relative to the specific focus areas of the fund (see pg. 2). Proposals submitted should include activities that support implementation of an existing plan that has strong potential to enact a housing-related policy or systems change within two years. Proposals should reflect collaborative partnerships involving a minimum of three community partners. Efforts involving 6 or more partners are eligible to request the maximum amount allowed in this category.