Minnesota Legislature
2021 Proposal & Funding Process
M.L. 2021 Project Appropriations
On June 25, 2021, the Legislature adopted 88 LCCMR recommendations as recommended. They also added one additional appropriation, primarily using unspent funds from previous projects for $840,000. On June 29, 2021, 89 appropriations were signed into law by the Governor as M.L. 2021, First Special Session, Chapter 6, Article 6, with $70,881,000 FY22 and $840,000 recaptured from prior fiscal years, for $71,721,000 total appropriations.
2021 ENRTF Appropriations (2021)2021 Project Recommendations
As of November 18, 2020, the Legislative‐Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR) has selected 88 projects totaling $70,881,000 to recommend to the 2021 Minnesota Legislature for funding from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENRTF). In response to LCCMR's 2021 Request for Proposal (RFP), 329 proposals requesting a total of approximately $240 million were received and considered through a competitive, multi‐stage evaluation. The following recommendations range from funding the full proposal and dollar amount requested to partial funding for specific proposal elements.
2021 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 May 22, 2020, the Legislative‐Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR) received 329 proposals requesting a total of approximately $240 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 1, members selected 101 proposals requesting a total of approximately $98 million to invite in for a presentation before the LCCMR on July 27-30 & August 3 in order to receive further consideration. On August 13, the LCCMR will make final selection and funding allocation decisions. These selected projects will be presented to the 2021 Minnesota Legislature as the official LCCMR recommendations for spending from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund.
Proposals Selected for Presentations2021 Proposals Received
The amount available for appropriation from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENRTF) for the FY 2022 and FY 2023 biennium (July 1, 2021 ‐June 30, 2023) will be determined after June 30, 2020. As of May 22, 2020, the Legislative‐Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR) received 329 proposals requesting a total of approximately $240 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 1-2, members will select a subset of high‐ranking proposals to invite for presentation before the LCCMR on July 20-24 and 27-31 [specific days TBD] in order to receive further consideration. On August 11-14 [specific days TBD], LCCMR will make final selection and funding allocation decisions. These selected projects will be presented to the 2021 Minnesota Legislature as the official LCCMR recommendations for spending from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund.
Proposals Received2021 Request for Proposal (RFP)
DEADLINE: Wednesday, April 15, 2020 at 4:30PM Thursday, April 30, 2020 at 4:30 PM*
The LCCMR's 2021 Request for Proposal (RFP) for funding from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund was issued on February 12, 2020. Approximately $70 million is anticipated to be available from the lottery-generated fund through this RFP for projects beginning July 1, 2021.
LCCMR has an entirely new proposal system this year. You must click on the link below to complete your proposal via our online system. No PDFs, Word, or Excel files will be accepted. If you need assistance, please contact staff immediately.
Please register for an account early to avoid any last minute issues.
2021 RFP
*While proposals are currently due April 15 (extended) April 30, we are monitoring the COVID-19 situation and will update this page with any changes. 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
Is the deadline changing in response to COVID-19?While proposals are currently due April 15 (extended) April 30, we are monitoring the COVID-19 situation and will update this page with any changes. Subscribe to our Listserv to have updates about any changes delivered to your inbox.
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.
2021 Proposal and Appropriation Timeline
The expected proposal and funding process timeline for the 2021 RFP is detailed below. Check the LCCMR schedule for the most up-to-date information on important process dates.
| DATE RANGE | ACTIVITY or EVENT |
|---|---|
| January 16, 2020 | Funding priorities determined and 2021 RFP adopted |
| February 12, 2020 | 2021 RFP issued |
| Final submission deadline for proposals responding to 2021 RFP | |
| May 2020 | All submitted proposals distributed to LCCMR members for review, evaluation, and ranking |
| July 1-2, 2020 | A subset of high-ranking proposals selected for further consideration and invited to give presentations before the LCCMR |
| July 20-24 & 27-31, 2020 [specific days TBD] |
Selected proposals present before the LCCMR |
| August 11-14, 2020 [specific days TBD] |
Subset of proposals selected for recommendation to the Legislature for funding |
| August - October 2020 | Projects recommended for funding begin submitting work plans for LCCMR staff review and research projects recommended for funding undergo peer review |
| November - December 2020 | Funding recommendations are adopted by the LCCMR in legislative bill format, as they will be presented to the Legislature |
| January - May 2021 |
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 2021 | LCCMR approves work plans for projects funded |
| July 2021 | Minnesota DNR sends grant agreements to non-state agencies receiving ENRTF funds |
| July 1, 2021 | Money from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund becomes available for expenditure and projects can begin |