Empowering Small Minnesota Communities

Specific Projects

A request for proposals for the Specific Projects and Community Strategies pathways will open on March 27, 2026. Applications are due on April 30, 2026. Selected proposals will be notified no later than July 31, 2026.

Empowering Small Minnesota Communities’ Specific Projects pathway fosters community partnerships with the University of Minnesota to address defined community infrastructure needs. This pathway is intended for communities with a general idea or specific project that they would like to further develop with University assistance. For example, applicants might come to the ESMC program with the seed of an idea and hoped-for outcomes, such as creating a new trail that would connect key destinations in the community. Or applicants may have a more developed project that needs further elaboration and refinement, such as designing a bioswale or vegetative filter strip to better filter stormwater runoff in the community. 

Applicants selected for participation in a Specific Projects partnership will be paired with faculty, staff, or other University of Minnesota community members who can support their specific project needs. Projects may also be supplemented by other University personnel with specialized training and expertise. Specific Projects typically involve collaborating with University of Minnesota teams for approximately two to nine months, depending on project scope. 

Proposals for the Specific Projects pathway should enhance or develop resilient, sustainable and adaptable infrastructure. As with the other ESMC pathways, the goal for Specific Projects is to help communities position themselves to pursue federal and state funding to address infrastructure needs, climate change, and other community priorities to strengthen long-term resilience.

The following are some examples of Specific Projects supported during ESMC’s first round of partnerships. See the full list of Phase 1 support.

  • Bridgewater Township: Strategies for mitigating, removing, and neutralizing PFAS ("forever chemicals”) from landfill leachate
  • Center City: Trailhead design concepts for a regional trail
  • Currie: Community engagement to identify and prioritize ways to increase commerce and tourism, revitalize infrastructure, and create recreational opportunities
  • Lindstrom: Redesign concepts for a beachfront park to improve stormwater management, shoreline restoration, recreational amenities, and connections to a commercial district
  • Mahnomen: Improving broadband connectivity
  • Morton: Analyzing existing stormwater and flood prevention initiatives, and developing options to engage the public to address long-term flooding challenges
  • Two Harbors: Supporting the implementation of a waterfront development plan
  • Vergas: Further developing the City’s climate and energy action plan, with a focus on converting municipal-owned buildings into more energy-efficient facilities