TDH Announces Funding Opportunities for Built Environment Grants

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Department of Health is currently accepting applications for funding opportunities to help build and support healthy communities. TDH Healthy Active Built Environments grants serve as a catalyst for publicly accessible physical activity and healthy eating opportunities. These are competitive funding opportunities.

“Prevention of health problems is a top priority in our strategic plan to improve health outcomes and lower costs of health care in Tennessee,” said Tennessee Health Commissioner Lisa Piercey, MD, MBA, FAAP. “These grants allow us to support Tennessee communities in building a culture of health by providing livable, nurturing places and spaces for their residents and visitors.”

The TDH Office of Primary Prevention is offering funding for projects that create or support healthy built environments in communities. The built environment includes physical structures around community members in the places where people live, learn, work, play and worship. Research increasingly demonstrates the design of built environments impacts human health. Improvements to the built environment can reduce rates of obesity, heart disease and diabetes while increasing physical, mental and social health.

TDH launched this competitive built environment grant program in 2018, and since that time has awarded more than $1.8 million in grants to 34 recipients across Tennessee including both government and non-government entities. The program grew from an internal effort launched in 2017, through which TDH offered $10,000 to each of Tennessee’s rural county health departments to promote active living in their communities. These grants have funded diverse projects including playgrounds, walking tracks, greenways and other publicly accessible spaces that promote physical activity and social interaction. Learn more in the report available online at www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/health/program-areas/primary-prevention/Built%20Environment%20Grants%20Report%202020.pdf.

Letters of Intent for this opportunity must be filed by Oct. 29, 2020 to be considered. Learn more and apply for this funding opportunity at www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/health/funding-opportunities/RFA_HealthyBuiltEnvironment_34301-17620FinalPosting.pdf.

Questions about these funding opportunities or requests for assistance with online submissions may be directed to TDH Competitive Procurement Coordinator Melissa Painter at Competitive.Health@tn.gov.

Learn more about the TDH Office of Primary Prevention at www.tn.gov/health/health-program-areas/office-of-primary-prevention.html.

The mission of the Tennessee Department of Health is to protect, promote and improve the health and prosperity of people in Tennessee. Learn more about TDH services and programs at www.tn.gov/health.