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2022 Proposal & Funding Process - Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund

2022 Proposal & Funding Process

M.L. 2022 Project Appropriations

On May 22, 2022, the Legislature approved 80 projects for funding from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund. Twelve of the approved projects did not go through the LCCMR proposal review process, and the scope of two projects that did go through the process was modified by the Legislature. Twenty-five LCCMR-reviewed projects that were originally included in the House or Senate version of the bill were not included in the final bill. On June 3, 2022, the 80 appropriations were signed into law by the Governor as M.L. 2022, Chapter 94, with $70,881,000 FY23 and $2,463,000 recaptured from prior fiscal years, for $73,344,000 in total appropriations.

2022 ENRTF Appropriations

2022 Project Recommendations

As of December 15, 2021, the Legislative‐Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR) has not made an official recommendation to the 2022 Legislature for funding from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENRTF). In response to LCCMR's 2022 Request for Proposal (RFP), 220 proposals requesting a total of approximately $178 million were received and considered through a competitive, multi‐stage evaluation. The House and Senate introduced and heard bills that included projects that went through the LCCMR process. The House bill contained 74 projects and the Senate bill contained 96 projects.

2022 Proposals Selected for Presentations

For the FY 2022 and FY 2023 biennium (July 1, 2021 ‐June 30, 2023), approximately $70 million is available each year for funding from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund. As of April 2, 2021, the Legislative‐Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR) received 220 proposals requesting a total of approximately $178 million. 31 proposals withdrew after the passage of the 2020 and 2021 ENRTF appropriations, resulting in a revised total of 189 proposals requesting a total of approximately $142 million. This RFP process is for funding beginning July 1, 2021.

LCCMR reviews and evaluates all proposals against their 10 adopted evaluation criteria. On July 6, members selected 99 proposals requesting a total of approximately $106 million to invite in for a presentation before the LCCMR on July 13, 15, 20, and 27-29 in order to receive further consideration. On August 26, the LCCMR will make final selection and funding allocation decisions. These selected projects will be presented to the 2022 Minnesota Legislature as the official LCCMR recommendations for spending from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund.

Proposals Selected for Presentations Summary and Process

2022 Proposals Received

For the FY 2022 and FY 2023 biennium (July 1, 2021 ‐June 30, 2023), approximately $70 million is available each year for funding from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund. As of April 2, 2021, the Legislative‐Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR) received 220 proposals requesting a total of approximately $178 million. 31 proposals withdrew after the passage of the 2020 and 2021 ENRTF appropriations, resulting in a revised total of 189 proposals requesting a total of approximately $142 million. This RFP process is for funding beginning July 1, 2022.

Proposals Received Summary and Process

2022 Request for Proposal (RFP)

DEADLINE: Friday, April 2, 2021 at 4:30PM

The LCCMR's 2022 Request for Proposal (RFP) for funding from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund was issued on January 11, 2021. Approximately $70 million is anticipated to be available from the lottery-generated fund through this RFP for projects beginning July 1, 2022.

LCCMR launched an online proposal submission system last year. All proposals must be submitted through the LCCMR Proposal and Grant Management System. No PDFs, Word, or Excel files will be accepted. If you need assistance, please contact staff immediately (during COVID: email lccmr@lccmr.mn.gov).

Please register for an account early to avoid any last minute issues.

2022 RFP

We will update this page if any changes are made to our proposal or process. Subscribe to our Listserv to have updates about any changes delivered to your inbox.

For your planning purposes only, we are providing PDFs of the online system fields below. Please do not use these forms for your submission. We will only accept proposals that have been entered into the system.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the new proposal submission system work? How will I know what to do?

We strongly encourage proposers get registered in our proposal submission system as soon as possible. Please take some time to review the proposal screens. You’ll notice that there are help bubbles in many places that may answer many of your questions.

Can I fill out a Word document and Excel file like in previous years? Can I fill out the PDF provided on your website?

The LCCMR will only be accepting proposals submitted through our online system. No PDFs, Word, or Excel files will be accepted. The PDF on the website is for reference purposes only. If you need assistance, please contact staff immediately.

Can I print my proposal?

You can print out your draft proposal at any time from within the system. You can also print the final version that you submit.

Can I work with other people on my proposal?

Yes, you can collaborate with others on your proposal by clicking the “Select Action” pulldown menu and choosing the “Delegate Access” function. Collaborators must register within the system first. Collaborators may edit the proposal but do not have the ability to submit the proposal. Therefore, please make sure whomever starts the proposal is the project manager and is authorized to submit the proposal.

Have the proposal requirements changed this year?

No, none of the requirements have changed. However, we have built our online system to display a different set of fields depending on what type of organization you represent and what type of project you are proposing. Not all requirements are applicable to all organizations and project types. Required fields will be indicated within the system.

Is there a draft proposal review process this year?

We have done draft proposal review in the past. For various reasons, including staff needing to work on building the rest of our new online system, we do not have a draft review process this year. If you have specific questions about the system or RFP, please check out the system help bubbles and then contact lccmr@lccmr.mn.gov if you are still having trouble.

2022 Proposal and Appropriation Timeline

Note: dates revised June 17, 2021

The expected proposal and funding process timeline for the 2022 RFP is detailed below. Check the LCCMR schedule for the most up-to-date information on important process dates.

DATE RANGE ACTIVITY or EVENT
December 17, 2020 Funding priorities determined and 2022 RFP adopted
January 11, 2021 2022 RFP issued
April 2, 2021 Final submission deadline for proposals responding to 2022 RFP
May 2021 All submitted proposals distributed to LCCMR members for review, evaluation, and ranking
July 6, 2021 A subset of high-ranking proposals selected for further consideration and invited to give presentations before the LCCMR
July 13, 15, 20, 27, 28 and 29, 2021 Selected proposals present before the LCCMR
August 26, 2021
Subset of proposals selected for recommendation to the Legislature for funding
August - October 2021 Projects recommended for funding begin submitting work plans for LCCMR staff review and research projects recommended for funding undergo peer review
November - December 2021 Funding recommendations are adopted by the LCCMR in legislative bill format, as they will be presented to the Legislature
January - May 2022

LCCMR recommendations presented to the Legislature for consideration via introduction as an appropriations bill

Bill is considered and acted upon by the Minnesota House and Senate

Upon passage, the bill goes before the governor to be signed into law

June 2022 LCCMR approves work plans for projects funded
July 2022 Minnesota DNR sends grant agreements to non-state agencies receiving ENRTF funds
July 1, 2022 Money from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund becomes available for expenditure and approved projects can begin