The purpose of this bid is to select an organization to support actions to improve participation in the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey by gathering information about beliefs about government health surveys within African American/Black communities in New York State.
The organization will be responsible for completing focus groups with African American/Black adults. Applicants will choose the county, either Erie or Monroe, in which they will conduct the focus groups. There must be a minimum of two (2) focus groups conducted per county. The focus group sessions can be in person or online, but each session must include at least eight (8) participants. The organization will be responsible for conducting activities to plan for the focus groups, including collaborating with the New York State Department of Health on the development of the questions and materials used during the focus group sessions and recruitment materials, and developing and holding training for focus group facilitators. The organization will also be responsible for activities related to the implementation of the focus group sessions, including scheduling sessions, recruiting focus group participants, facilitating the focus group sessions, recording notes based on the session and compensating focus group participants. Finally, the organization will participate in activities to summarize and evaluate the focus groups. Up to two (2) organizations will be awarded up to $25,000 each with a contract period of 03/01/2026 – 07/31/2026. This project is supported by funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System cooperative agreement.
Key Dates
Release Date: January 14, 2026
Questions Due: January 23, 2026
Questions, Answers, and
Updates Posted: (on or about) January 30, 2026
Applications Due: February 9, 2026
DOH Contact Name & Address:
Ken Juhas
Bureau of Chronic Disease Evaluation and Research
New York State Department of Health
ESP Corning Tower, Rm 1084
Albany, NY 12237
Telephone: 518-473-7817
Email: BCDER@health.ny.gov
Attachment 1 – Budget Instructions (DOCX)
