Health Equity Zones Grant Frequently Asked Questions

This grant is competitive, so it is not permissible for IDPH staff to meet with perspective applicants regarding this opportunity. Review the technical assistance call that was provided on November 19, 2024, as this session will answer most questions. All questions from emails, phone calls and the technical assistance sessions have been included in the FAQ.

The technical assistance sessions that were scheduled were optional for applicants.

Please review the technical assistance webinar that was provided on November 19, 2024 for the most up-to-date information. Phase I: January 1, 2025-June 30, 2025, and Phase II: July 1, 2025-June 30, 2026, pending availability of funding

No, you can create a smaller health equity zone within one of the existing IDPH Health Regions.

The lead organization will establish or expand a multi-sectoral collaborative of at least 3 partner organizations who work in a common geographical area (e.g., defined by zip codes, counties, cities, etc., and conceived of by the applicant). Together, the lead organization, its partner organizations, and the geographic area identified make up a health equity zone.

Local health departments (LHDs) or other organizations are eligible to be a lead organization. Other eligible organizations (i.e., entity types) include, but are not limited to:

• Corporation – Not for Profit
• Government Entity
• University/Community College

If a LHD is not the lead organization, there must be at least one LHD among the partner organizations within a proposed collaborative.

NOTE: Partner organizations may be of any entity type, so long as their contribution to the collaborative is clearly defined.

A hyper-local geographic area within existing IDPH regions where opportunities to address health inequities emerge and investments towards this goal are made. The geographic area covered by your HEZ depends on you and your collaborative. One requirement for your HEZ is that the lead and partner organizations must be physically located within the geographic area that you've chosen. In your application you need to explain why you chose the area as your HEZ (i.e., you are making a case for the area itself). One of the questions on the scope of work will ask for this explanation. You will describe the geographic area that covers your health equity zone, the demographics and strengths and challenges that the population of interest is facing within this zone, and why it may make sense for you to focus on this geographic space. We aren't creating boundaries for applicants. You are explaining to us why you have created those boundaries.

The short answer is no, both the lead organization and partner organizations are expected to be in the HEZ region.

Yes, applicants must have a local health department as either the lead agency or as an active participant of the HEZ. Other partners could be other government or city, or county government entities like the Office of Housing.

The Health Equity Zone can be as small or large as the grantee chooses. The definition of a Health Equity Zone for this funding opportunity is a collaborative of multi-sectoral partnerships existing in a contiguous geographic area that demonstrates measurable and documented health disparities and poor health outcomes, contains populations that experience health disparities, and is small enough for targeted interventions to have a significant impact on health outcomes and health disparities.

No, that will not work because the lead and partner organizations must be located in the HEZ. This way the lead and partnering organizations will know the community and be able to engage the community. Also, they will know the needs and assets of the community.

It will be based on the SVI of the county not the zip codes.

In Show Documents – the document labeled ‘Work Plan Guidance’ has the appendices that the NOFO is referencing.

Yes, you should absolutely still apply. The Prioritized Applicant points are to give a boost to applicants who are in underserved areas. We encourage everyone to apply because there is still 91 points you could receive.

Criteria - Applications will be reviewed for:

1. Scope of Work Section – see Appendix 1 (31 pts)
2. Work Plan Section – see Appendix 2 (10 pts)
3. Budget Section (15 pts)
4. Healthy Equity (35 pts)
5. Prioritized Applicant – see Section C.1. (9 pts)

If you do not have a 501(c)3 letter, then please upload a letter explaining why you do not have this. If nothing is uploaded in the space under the Miscellaneous tab you will receive an error and will not be able to submit your grant application.

Yes, the slides will be posted to the website Health Equity Zones Grant

We hope that there will be additional funding to continue the work but, at this time, we cannot guarantee this.

Yes, one letter of support may be provided from multiple partners. In that letter of support each partner should state how they are assisting the lead agency.

Per the NOFO page 14: Applications must include letters of support from all partner organizations. Additional letters of support from other organization and/or community members are encouraged but not required.

Applicants do not need to have selected all the partner organizations, but applications will be scored upon the requirements being met.

In EGrAMS there is a Work Plan tab. Under ‘Show Documents’ review the Work Plan Guidance document. Objectives are given. Applicants need to input Activities, Responsible Staff, and From/To Dates; for Timeline Indicator select Date Range, then check mark Outcome Applicability and input Expected Outcome and Measurement.

EGrAMS will have a character count for the various components of the application, and it will be mentioned at each section of the grant application.

You will be developing a work plan, and that work plan is asking you for your activities as they pertain to each of the five objectives. There are three objectives for phase one, which is our planning phase, and two program objectives for phase two, which is the implementation. We expect that you'll have at least some idea of what you might do in your phase two activities. However, we are hoping and even expecting that through the development of your multi-sectoral partnership in phase one, some of those ideas will expand or change, to better fit the needs that the collaborative learns about in phase one. So you may have some initial ideas, but we do expect that you will leverage the partnerships that you are creating or enhancing to come up with even more nuanced or comprehensive interventions for phase two.

We don't have examples per se beyond some of the work that other health equity zones have done. Chicago is one example, but Rhode Island is one of the key places that started this approach. We don't provide examples because the program is very flexible and we're hoping that you'll use the time in phase one to really think about the needs of your community of geographic area and then think creatively among your collaborative about how to address the root causes or social determinants of the identified priority issues.

We do not consider this a planning grant, per se, but awardees are expected to develop a sustainability plan for continuing the work they’ve started. Sustainability planning involves applying for subsequent grants and identifying additional resources to support the activities and staff relevant for the program. For this reason, this program could be a foundation for future health equity-related work and funding.

Yes, lead organizations may request Indirect Costs; follow the guidelines under the NOFO and ‘Budget Glossary’.

IDPH staff.

This is a pilot and we're hoping it's successful and more funds will be available to do this work.

Even if a collaborative has two or three counties coming together, when assessing those extra points, it is the county of the lead organization that counts.

IDPH fiscal staff will make this determination.

All budget spending must be linked to an activity and outcomes in the work plan and stated in the notes of each line item in the budget. Use the ‘Budget Category Glossary 2024’ that is found under Show Documents in EGrAMS.

Personal Services budget category is for the staff who will be implementing the grant. Please select ‘Other’ so you may include the title and name of staff person.

Allowable (2 CFR 200.403) - All grant funds must be used for items that are necessary and reasonable for the proper and efficient performance of the grant and may only be used for the purposes stated in your grant agreement, work plan, and budget. Items must not be restricted by, and must comply with, all applicable state and federal regulations.

Allocated (2 CFR 200.405) – Items charged to this grant must be appropriately allocated. A cost is allocable if the goods or services involved are chargeable or assignable, or in accordance with relative benefits received. This standard is met if the cost is: Incurred specifically for the award, benefits both the awarding agency and other work of the grant recipient and is necessary to the overall operation of the grant.

Reasonable (2 CFR 200.404) – The amounts charged for any item must be reasonable. That means the nature and amount of the expense does not exceed what a prudent person under the same circumstances would expend; and that the items are generally recognized as ordinary and necessary for the performance of the grant.

Per the Budget Category Definition: The cost of training and education provided for employee development is allowable. Include rental space for training (if required), training materials, speaker fees, substitute teacher fees, and any other applicable expenses related to the training. When training materials (pamphlets, notebooks, videos, and other various handouts) are ordered for specific training activities, they should be itemized.

Budget up to $500,000. For each line item of your detailed budget, the description provided in the budget narrative should identify and explain how much of the cost is for Phase I and Phase II activities.

Gift Cards may be put in the budget but must go through an approval process by Senior Management at IDPH.

“Participant Incentives” would be listed in the budget category Supplies. Applicants will need to check mark ‘Others’ and then put the specific incentive including the quantity and cost per unit of each incentive. Under Notes applicants would explain the details of what these incentives would be for including how the “Participant Incentive” relates to an activity in the applicant’s work plan.

Applicants should only be providing food/drink for trainings/education meetings that would be activities that are listed in the grantee’s work plan. This item would then be listed in the budget category Training/Education.

If staff are using the transportation passes to get to the meetings, then it would go under budget category Travel.

If this is a “Participant Incentive” then it would go under the budget category Supplies. Grantee will need to check mark ‘Others’ and then list ‘transit pass’ or ‘bus pass’ including the quantity and cost per unit of each bus pass. Under Notes grantee would explain the details of what the bus passes are used for and how it relates to an activity in grantee’s work plan.

If it is to help pay part of the rent and utilities, then it would go in the budget category Occupancy.

If the applicant is renting a space for different meeting locations, then it would be under the budget category Contractual Services. Follow the directions in the Budget Category Glossary by inputting information in the Notes and Info for each line (subcontractor). Also, the applicant will need to upload a subcontractor disclosure form under the Miscellaneous tab.