Advisory Council on Traffic Safety Project Solicitation
The Advisory Council on Traffic Safety (ACTS) was established in 2023 to improve traffic safety for all users on Minnesota roads. Under Minnesota Statutes, section 4.076, funding is available to support stakeholders throughout the state in their efforts to reduce serious and fatal injury crashes in Minnesota.
Applications for these pilot funds are due by 8:00 a.m. on Monday, June 17, 2024.
Solicitation Information
Click to expand the sections below for information on project eligibility, timeline, selection criteria, how to apply, and more.
Eligibility
- ACTS member organizations, traffic safety coalitions, and Toward Zero Deaths (TZD) affiliated staff (regional coordinators, Law Enforcement Liaisons, Child Passenger Safety liaisons, etc.) are eligible to apply for funding.
- Partnerships are encouraged but not required.
- Projects can focus on local, regional, and/or state issues.
- Work must be done within the state of Minnesota and can focus on any traffic safety topic(s).
- Projects may not exceed $250,000 and must be completed in two years or less.
- Matching funds and/or in-kind contributions are encouraged but not required.
Timeline
- Applications are due by 8:00 a.m. on Monday, June 17, 2024. Late application forms will not be accepted.
- Decisions will be communicated approximately July 1, 2024.
- All project funds must be spent by June 30, 2025.
Selection Criteria
- Applications will be scored using the criteria in the table below.
- Up to $1.2 million is available for projects.
- Projects should focus on one or more of the top four contributing factors to fatal and serious injury crashes in Minnesota: distraction, impairment, speed, and lack of seat belt use.
- Consideration will be given to unique and innovative projects that align with themes in the 2020-2024 Minnesota Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP) and the Minnesota Triennial Highway Safety Plan (HSP) FFY24–FFY26 (PDF), including the FFY24 Annual Grant Application (PDF), which describes approved programming and funding levels for the Office of Traffic Safety in Federal Fiscal Year 2024.
- The State of Minnesota values diversity and inclusion. Consideration will be given to projects that address traffic safety issues within underrepresented populations in the state.
| Maximum Points | Scoring Criteria Description |
|---|---|
25 | Description of project and importance of problem it addresses |
25 | Project goals/outcomes address the problem |
20 | Connection to contributing factors, SHSP, and HSP/Annual Grant Application |
10 | Integration of diversity, equity, and inclusion |
10 | Experience and qualification of project team, including connections with new traffic safety partners |
10 | Benefit/cost, including any match contributions |
100 | Total points |
Review and Selection Process
A subcommittee of ACTS members will review proposals. The subcommittee will submit a ranked list of proposals to the ACTS Executive Committee, which will make all final decisions. Final decisions will be shared with the Advisory Council.
If application scores are similar, funding decisions may be made to distribute projects between the Twin Cities metro area and Greater Minnesota in alignment with the geographic distribution of fatal and serious injury crashes in the state.
Application Instructions
Applications must be emailed to Stephanie Malinoff at malinoff@umn.edu by 8:00 a.m. Central Time on Monday, June 17, 2024. Late application forms will not be accepted.
Proposers must submit one PDF containing the following items, in this order, for the application to be considered complete:
- Contact information for lead and partner organizations
- Application
- Budget summary
- Letter(s) of support, if applicable
No additional attachments or materials will be accepted.
Contact Information
Include the name of the lead organization, as well as any partnering organizations. For each organization, include the name and contact information (email address and phone number) for all team members.
Application
This section is limited to four pages, single sided, with font size no smaller than 11.
It should include descriptions of:
- The requested project or activity, including goals, outcomes, and the traffic safety problem the project will address.
- The local, regional, and/or statewide impacts of this work.
- How this project will address traffic safety concerns, including any connection to the top four contributing factors in Minnesota crashes (seat belt use, distraction, impairment, speed) and connections between this work and the Minnesota Strategic Highway Safety Plan and/or Highway Safety Plan/Annual Grant Application.
- The experience and qualifications of the project team. Please include relevant traffic safety experience, and note if any team members are new to traffic safety.
- How equity has been considered in the project, and if/how the proposed project addresses traffic safety issues within underrepresented populations in Minnesota. Note the review committee may use the SPACE tool and Attachment A: Equity Scores by County (PDF) as resources when scoring applications.
Budget
Attachment B: Budget Template (XLSX) is provided as an Excel Workbook that should be used to complete a budget summary for the project. Please describe any matching funds in the budget.
The budget should not be submitted as an Excel file; it must be included in the single PDF file for the application.
Letters of Support
A letter of support is required from any organization providing match funds or resources.
Project Reporting
Applicants selected for project funding will be required to provide monthly progress reports and invoices throughout the life of the project. Reports should not exceed one page and should highlight successes, challenges, and any changes to the project scope or timeline.
Upon completion of the project, the team will be asked to attend one meeting of the Advisory Council on Traffic Safety, either in person or virtually, to provide a short presentation on their project. The Council meets every other month in the Twin Cities metro area.
Questions
Questions regarding the application and evaluation process must be directed to Stephanie Malinoff at malinoff@umn.edu by 8:00 a.m. Tuesday, June 11, 2024. Answers to questions that are not specific to an individual proposal will be posted on the project solicitation FAQs page within approximately three business days.