The Minnesota Department of Human Services, through its Deaf, Deafblind and Hard of Hearing State Services Division (STATE), is seeking proposals from qualified Responders to provide real-time captioning of live local news programming in order to make this programming accessible to people in Minnesota who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing.
Donor Name: Minnesota Department of Human Services
State: Minnesota
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 03/09/2026
Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000
Grant Duration: 2 Years
Details:
The goal of this RFP is provide real-time captioning for live local news programing for people in Minnesota who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing.
Tasks
- Provide real-time closed captioning of live local news programming.
- Promote availability of real-time closed captioned news broadcasts.
- Solicit feedback from viewers who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing for improvement of captioning services.
- Maintain quality real-time closed captioning services.
Funding Information
A total of $263,000 in funding available.
Project Period
The term of any resulting contract is anticipated to be for two (2) years, from July 1, 2026 until June 30, 2028, with the option for extensions up to three (3) additional years, pending satisfactory performance and funding from the legislature. STATE may extend the contract up to a total of five (5) years.
Criteria
Real-time captioning services for emergency broadcasting are not included in this RFP. Qualified television stations must make their own arrangements to caption emergency broadcasting subject to Code of Federal Regulations.
Qualified television stations must be:
- Commercial broadcasters in areas of Minnesota where commercial broadcasters are not subject to the live programming closed-captioning requirements of Code of Federal Regulations, title 47, section 79.1(d); or
- Large-market noncommercial broadcasters who produce live news programming. For the purpose of this RFP, a large-market noncommercial broadcaster means a noncommercial broadcaster that reaches a population of more than 500,000 people in Minnesota (which represents approximately 10% of Minnesota’s population).
For more information, visit DHS.
