Social Media RFP Issued By Minnesota Department of Health

1. Scope: Procurement Overview and Goals.

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) intends to implement an initiative aimed at encouraging and supporting youth to create content about COVID-19 and other public healthtopics for social media and other digital mediums (e.g., vertical videos and other sharable content). Promoting content developed by youth (persons aged 13 – 18 years old) to engage and resonate with their peers will allow MDH to spread important prevention and response messages to a normally hard to reach audience. In addition, the initiative will promote awareness of the importance of laboratory, surveillance, and other public health work and career pathways. 

MDH is requesting proposals to develop a youth social media engagement program. The goal is to encourage and compensate youth to create and share content about COVID-19 and other public health topics on their personal social media channels. Content should be presented in creative and authentic ways that are likely to resonate with their peers. This opportunity will prioritize youth who already have an existing relationship with MDH programs. MDH may amplify youth-created content through official department social mediachannels and other paid promotions. The total project budget must not exceed $1,071,500 for the initial term of the contract, and all proposals must include a detailed cost breakdown demonstrating compliance with this funding limit. This is a mandatory requirement. 

2. Tasks and Deliverables.
3. The contracted agency, in close collaboration with MDH Communications personnel and MDH youth engagement programs, will: 

1. Design the structure and implementation processes of a youth engagement program, using data, best practices, and experience in socialmedia outreach and youth participation. 
2. Collaborate with youth content creators recruited and recommended byexisting MDH youth engagement programs.  
3. Develop training, materials, and prompts around communicating about public health topics, including current and ongoing high-profile healthtopics and themes. 
4. Develop a fair compensation model for youth creating content and make payments.   
5. Recommend a model for paid promotion of youth-created content and place paid promotion via MDH social media channels and other digital advertising.
6. Recommend a plan to amplify youth-created content on MDH’s socialmedia channels. Implement the plan in partnership with MDH personnel.
7. Monitor and evaluate the program, make adjustments, and compile key metrics and information on an ongoing basis. Conduct a final evaluation ofhow the program performed by providing a report that tracks metrics, such as click through rates, reach, impressions, social media engagement, and other relevant measures.  
8. Propose other solutions or tasks to be performed by Responder to deliver their program and enhance the initiative.
9. Conduct or attend regular check-in meetings with MDH Communications personnel.
10. Comply with State accessibly standards, as applicable. State accessibility information can be viewed at:

Minnesota Accessibility Policies & Standards(https://mn.gov/mnit/government/policies/accessibility/) and Accessibility Information for Vendors (https://www.health.state.mn.us/about/tools/accessibility.html).

2. The contracted agency will deliver to MDH:

1. A written plan detailing program structure, elements, and compensation for participants.
2. Training, materials, and prompts for youth about communicating about public health topics, including current and ongoing high-profile topics and themes. Training, materials, and prompts must meet the State’s accessibility standards(https://www.health.state.mn.us/about/tools/accessibility.html). Note: The contract will require language stating that all training materials created byContractor will be the property of the State.
3. A written plan to amplify youth-created content on MDH’s social mediachannels. The plan is to be implemented in partnership with MDH personnel.
4. Place paid promotion via MDH social media channels and other digital advertising. 
5. A comprehensive written final evaluation of how the program performed, citing tracked metrics.
6. Other deliverable(s) proposed by Responder.
7. The MDH youth engagement programs will: 

1. Provide information to youth in their network(s) about the Youth SocialMedia Engagement Initiative and encourage participation. 
2. Offer content ideas and program feedback as requested. 

The contractor will work closely with department personnel. It is possible that the contractor will prepare outlines or rough drafts of certain products, which will be completed by task force or department staff.

Due Date: 4:30 p.m. Central Time, September 29, 2025

Contact: Allison Thrash Allison.Thrash@state.mn.us Sam McCullough Sam.McCullough@state.mn.us