This FAQ section assists applicants in understanding the key elements of the Bridging Conservation Grant Program (RFP). BWSR staff will update the list weekly as new questions are received. You may submit questions to mandy.duong@state.mn.us.
Last updated: 1/26/2026
Bridging Conservation Grant Program RFP
#1. Q: Who is eligible for this funding?
A: Non-governmental organizations, political subdivisions/local units of government, Tribal governments and Commissions or Consortiums representing Tribal governments, and public/charter schools (K-12) are eligible for this funding.
#2. Q: What does the term “non-native English-speaking communities” mean?
A: The term “non-native English-speaking communities” refers to communities whose first and/or primary language is not English.
#3. Q: How much are grant requests?
A: Grant requests must be between a $10,000 (minimum) and $45,000 (maximum).
#4. Q: What activities can the grant funds be used for?
A: Eligible activities may include administration/coordination, education/information, project development, and supplies and equipment (i.e. with a primary purpose of outreach and/or education).
Examples of eligible activities include but are not limited to outreach, education through workshops and demos, and developing documents and coordinating translation.
Eligible activities can also include local grant administration, management, and reporting that are directly related to and necessary for implementing the project or activity associated with the grant.
#5. Q: Can organizations submit more than one application for the maximum amount?
A: Yes.
eLINK
#1. Q: What are the character limits for application questions?
A: Most of the questions within the application have a 2,000-character limit (approximately 300 words), including spaces. If you choose to develop your responses outside of eLINK, e.g. in Word, note that programs may count the characters differently due to differences in how the characters are encoded. Note that a space is considered a character in eLINK.
#2. Q: Why did I get an error message saying one of the application fields was empty after I entered the required data and then tried to submit the application?
A: You must save the information to the application before submitting. It may be necessary to scroll to the top or bottom of the page to bring the “Save” button into view. If you save while one of narrative questions is blank, the placeholder text “Not Entered” will be inserted; this will need to be replaced prior to submitting the application.
#3. Q: Is an attachment required?
A: This RFP does not require an attachment.
#4. Q: Help! I lost some of the narrative portion of my application after I saved the information!
A: Each of the narrative questions within the application has a 2,000-character limit. The user interface will not allow you to enter more than 2,000 characters, and it will trim any pasted content to 2,000 characters. If you plan to develop narrative responses to the application questions in Word as a backup, be aware the character count in eLINK may be different, and your narrative may be automatically trimmed to fit the eLINK character limit. The application must be submitted through eLINK.
#5. Q: Can I make changes to a submitted application during the RFP open period?
A: Yes. You will need to click Withdraw Request, make your updates and then “Submit” the funding request. Please note that failure to change the status back to “Submitted” will not capture any changes for review team, and applications not in “Submitted” status at the time the RFP closes will not be considered for funding.
#6. Q: When attempting to submit my application, I get a message stating, “For each activity, you must either check the box verifying that there are no pollution reduction estimates associated with the Activity or enter proposed indicators.” What do I need to do?
A: Within the Application Budget tab, you will either need to ensure that the “Check here if this activity does not include proposed pollution reduction estimates” is checked on the Add New Proposed Activity screen or within the Edit Proposed Activity” screen (pencil icon) or enter proposed indicators within the “Edit Indicators” screen (blue diamond icon).
#7. Q: The RFP states that prevailing wages apply. What are the grant applicant’s responsibilities for compliance?
A: Prevailing wage rules may apply when state funds are used for “projects” that meet the definition identified in M.S 177.42-177.44. As the RFP states, your first source of information for questions about the application of prevailing wage rates should be directed to the Department of Labor and Industry at 651-284-5091, or the Prevailing Wage webpage. However, the following information may help you better understand these requirements.
The responsibilities of a grant recipient are to: (1) be aware of prevailing wage, when it applies, and to ensure their project’s cost proposals address this requirement; (2) include prevailing wage information in their bid and contract documents; and (3) receive and maintain the payroll reports that contractors will furnish every two weeks. Prevailing wage does not apply to administrative activities of the grantee or construction activities directly conducted by the grantee, i.e. if a grantee uses its own staff to plant trees, prevailing wage will not apply, but if they contracted with Joe’s Planting Service it would.
#8. Q: Are there resources I can use to learn about the RFP and eLINK?
A: Resources about the RFP and eLINK can be found on BWSR's website.
Contact
To submit questions, please email us at mandy.duong@state.mn.us.