Now Accepting Requests for Proposals for Opioid Settlement Funds
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RFP Description
Overview
Chippewa County invites organizations or groups addressing opioid substance use and overdose prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery to apply for funding to support development, implementation, enhancement, or expansion of programs. This includes programs addressing polysubstance use and co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. While the selection process will utilize a competitive Request for Proposals (RFP) process, the number of awards will be dependent on the amount of funds available for annual allocation. The amount of funds available will differ annually and proposals will be accepted annually beginning in October.
Background
The total estimated funds to be received across Michigan are approximately $1.6 billion with an estimated state share of $908 million and an estimated local government share of $745 million. These totals are estimated based on the following settlements: Distributors, J&J, Walgreens, Walmart, CVS, Allergan, Teva, McKinsey & Co., Mallinckrodt, Meijer, Publicis Health, and Kroger.
In 2021, a nationwide settlement was reached to resolve all Opioids litigation brought by states and local political subdivisions against the three largest pharmaceutical distributors: McKesson, Cardinal Health and AmerisourceBergen (“Distributors”), and manufacturer Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and its parent company Johnson & Johnson (collectively, “J&J”).
In 2022, additional settlements with pharmacies and manufacturers were announced, including CVS, Walmart, Walgreens, Allergan and Teva. In 2023, a settlement with Kroger was also reached.
Approximately fifty percent (50%) of the settlement amounts will be sent directly to county and local governments for opioid remediation efforts. The national agreement also requires significant industry changes that will help prevent this type of crisis from ever happening again.
Additional funds have come into Michigan from Meijer, Mallinckrodt PLC, Masters Pharmaceuticals, McKinsey and Co., and Publicis Health.
Opioid Settlement Funds
Request for Funding Proposals 2027
Chippewa County
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Michigan may also receive additional funds received through companies Purdue Pharma and Endo, which are pursuing bankruptcy plans that include funding opioid abatement trusts.
Currently, Chippewa County has received multiple payments. Due to funding amounts changing annually, Chippewa County will, on average, have $90,000.00 dollars available each year for opioid remediation activities. The number of payments/lengths of time for each settlement will also differ. Chippewa County is partnering with the City of Sault Ste. Marie to increase the amount of funds to be distributed; available funds from the City will be $30,000 per year on average.
Goal
The goal of this opportunity is to serve Chippewa County through development, implementation, enhancement or expansion of evidence-based strategies or promising practices to prevent and address the adverse impacts of the drug overdose epidemic.
Eligibility
Eligible applicants must serve residents of Chippewa County. Organizations, agencies, coalitions, and community groups working to address substance use and related challenges are eligible to apply. Funding may support the development, implementation, enhancement, or expansion of programs that focus on prevention, harm reduction, treatment, recovery, or community wellness. Eligible activities may also include efforts that address polysubstance use, co-occurring mental health concerns, family and youth supports, and social determinants of health that contribute to substance use and overdose risk.
The number of awards will be dependent on the amount of funds available for annual allocation. The amount of funds available will differ annually. Proposals will be accepted annually beginning in October. The period of funding will be from January 1, 2027, through December 31, 2027. The Opioid Steering Committee reserves the right to accept, reject and/or negotiate any and all projects submitted for funding consideration.
Requirements
Proposal Priorities
Utilize funds to serve those in Chippewa County
Focus on individuals and communities most profoundly impacted by opioid use disorder (OUD) and co-occurring substance use disorder/mental health conditions (SUD/MH)
Organizations awarded funded are required to:
Ensure utilization of funds supplements, rather than supplants, existing funding
Ensure all funds are used in alignment with Exhibit E and the definition of opioid remediation
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Ensure indirect costs do not exceed ten percent (10%)
Provide data on program outputs, outcomes, impact, and effectiveness, following agreed upon metrics with Steering Committee
Complete required quarterly and annual reports, as specified in the agreement award (if awarded).
Reporting Requirements
Four (4) quarterly reports and one (1) annual report are due to the Chippewa County Health Officer by the 30th of the following month after the close of the quarter (i.e., quarter ends on June 30, the report is due on July 30). Quarterly reports must include the following:
Staff working on the project
Community partners involved with the project
Challenges and barriers experienced within the reporting period Successes experienced within the reporting period
Anticipated next steps
The annual report must include Metrics to gauge outputs, outcomes, impact and effectiveness as determined through scope of work and agreed upon with Steering Committee
Allowable Uses of Funds & Funding Restrictions
Specific to J&J, Distributor, CVS, Teva, Allergan and Walmart settlements, funds must be spent on opioid remediation. Opioid Remediation is defined as,1
Care, treatment, and other programs and expenditures (including reimbursement for past such programs or expenditures except where this Agreement restricts the use of funds solely to future Opioid Remediation) designed to (1) address the misuse and abuse of opioid products, (2) treat or mitigate opioid use or related disorders, or (3) mitigate other alleged effects of, including on those injured as a result of, the opioid epidemic.
1 https://nationalopioidsettlement.com/
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Activities must meet the definition of opioid remediation, be evidence-based strategies23 or promising practices and align with allowable uses outlined by Exhibit E.4
Link to Exhibit E:
These strategies include:
Core Strategies
Naloxone or other FDA-approved drug to reverse opioid overdoses
Medication-assisted Treatment (MAT) distribution and other opioid-related treatment
Address the needs of pregnant and postpartum women
Expanding treatment for Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS)
Expansion of warm hand-off programs and recovery services
Treatment of incarcerated population
Prevention programs
Expanding syringe service programs
Evidence-based data collection and research analyzing the effectiveness of the abatement strategies within the state
Approved Uses - Prevention
Prevent over-prescribing and ensure appropriate prescribing and dispensing of opioids
Prevent misuse of opioids
Prevent overdose deaths and other harms (harm reduction)
2 https://www.lac.org/assets/files/TheOpioidEbatement-v3.pdf
3 https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/pdf/pubs/2018-evidence-based-strategies.pdf
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Approved Uses - Treatment
Treat Opioid Use Disorder (OUD)
Support people in treatment and recovery
Connect people who need help to the help they need (connections to care)
Address the needs of criminal justice-involved persons
Address the needs of pregnant or parenting women and their families, including babies with NAS
Approved Uses – Other Strategies
Supporting first responders
Leadership, planning and coordination
Training
Research
Strategies for how you will collaborate with other organizations, professionals, or community groups/members should be emphasized within the project description and scope of work.
Indirect costs may not exceed ten percent (10%) of funds.
Selection and Award Process
All proposals must include the following:
Completed Request for Proposals Application
Resume or biography of the project director
Information on agency/organization/coalition/community group to include: physical location, financial and legal status, type of service provided, and number of clients served annually
Budget template
Optional supporting documentation
Proposals must be made to the attention of Karen Senkus and may be emailed, mailed or
hand-delivered and must be received by November 13, 2026.
*Late applications will not be accepted.
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Email: [email protected]
Mail/Hand deliver: Chippewa County Health Department; 508 Ashmun Street, Suite 120, Sault Ste. Marie, MI 49783
All submissions will be reviewed and scored by the Opioid Steering Committee; final awards will be made by the Chippewa County Board of Commissioners.
Notice of Award is expected to occur by December 18, 2026. Following the notice of award, organizations will meet with Chippewa County Health Officer to discuss the contract process and specific metrics for the project identified.
The period of funding will be January 1, 2027, through December 31, 2027.
Please direct any questions regarding this submission process to:
Karen Senkus – (906) 253-3103/[email protected]
CRITERIA SCORES WEIGHT 1. Adherence to RFP Instructions 0.05 2. Organization Information & Description 0.05 3. Project Description 0.15 4. Population Served & Geographic Area 0.05 4. Collaboration/Community Partnership 0.20 5. Data to Support Need 0.05 6. Timeline 0.05 7. Scope of Work 0.20 8. Measures of Success 0.05 9. Sustainability 0.10 10. Budget 0.05 Total Score 1.00
Resources
Principles for Spending
Principles for the Use of Funds From the Opioid Litigation
Evidence-Based Strategies and Promising Practices
Evidence Based Strategies for Abatement of Harms from the Opioid Epidemic
Evidence-Based Strategies for Preventing Opioid Overdose: What's Working in the United States
Local data
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Michigan Overdose Data to Action Dashboard
Data on overdose deaths, emergency department visits and emergency medical services (EMS) calls and Substance Use Vulnerability Index
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Opioids Webpage - EMS Responses
“Public Use Dataset EMS Responses to Probable Opioid Overdose”, found under “Overdose Reports”
Michigan Substance Use Disorder Data Repository (SUDDR) and Data Visualizations
Suspected fatal overdoses and emergency medical services naloxone administration data
University of Michigan Injury Prevention Center System for Opioid Overdose Surveillance (SOS)
County-level data on overdose deaths, emergency department visits and emergency medical services (EMS) calls
Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program (ODMAP)
Near real-time tracking of fatal and non-fatal overdoses and naloxone administration by public health and public safety
Wayne State University’s School of Social Work Center for Behavioral Health and Justice Dashboard
Customizable dashboard that shows multiple topics including behavioral health, public health, criminal justice, housing, demographic and other data
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Data and information may also be accessed through local communities within health departments, prevention coalitions, harm reduction providers, behavioral health providers, recovery support providers and other groups.