Funding and Deadline
Berrien County is accepting proposals for opioid remediation initiatives for a three-year grant period running January 1, 2027 through December 31, 2029. Approximately $1.5 million is available over the three-year period, or about $500,000 per year. Applicants may request up to $500,000 per year. The County may make one or more awards and may make partial awards.
Application deadline: October 4, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. EST, using the time-zone label published by Berrien County. Questions are due September 29, 2026. The County has also posted its September 16, 2026 applicant Q&A notes, which clarify that a corrected Narrative Template was uploaded on September 16 to remove the “draft” watermark with no other template changes, and that housing-related expenses may be allowable under certain Exhibit E strategies. The current opportunity page still lists October 1, 2026 for additional public Questions & Answers, so applicants should continue checking the official page for later answers or amendments.
Who May Apply
Eligible applicants include organizations capable of delivering qualifying opioid-remediation work in Berrien County, including nonprofit organizations, healthcare providers, behavioral health organizations, educational institutions, local governments, tribal organizations, and other qualified entities with relevant opioid-remediation experience and capacity. Applicants must also satisfy Berrien County’s Approved Responsible Vendor requirements and applicable legal, financial, licensing, insurance, tax, and good-standing requirements.
Program Priorities
Projects must serve Berrien County and address opioid prevention, harm reduction, treatment, recovery, or related substance-use and co-occurring mental-health needs. The County emphasizes evidence-based or promising practices, populations and communities most affected by opioid use disorder, measurable outcomes, sustainability, and alignment with allowable opioid-remediation uses.
Examples of allowable work include overdose reversal and naloxone access, medication-assisted treatment and other treatment services, support for pregnant and postpartum people and neonatal abstinence syndrome, recovery supports and warm handoffs, treatment for incarcerated populations, prevention, syringe-service and harm-reduction strategies, data and research, first-responder support, planning and coordination, and training. Indirect and administrative costs are limited to 10% of direct program costs.
The County’s September 16 Q&A also clarifies that settlement funding is intended to supplement rather than supplant existing resources: applicants should use these dollars to expand, enhance, or improve opioid-remediation services rather than replace funding already supporting the same program, service, or activity. The County also reported that the prior grant cycle received six applications and made three awards, providing useful competition context but not a guarantee of future award rates.
Required Application Package
Applicants must use the County’s official application materials. The required package includes the Narrative Template, Budget Template, and Timeline Template. Supporting materials include a valid Tax ID and matching W-9, a recent audited financial statement or an unaudited statement if an audit is unavailable, fiscal policies and procedures, the Project Director’s resume, letters of intent from active partner organizations, and any relevant optional evidence of experience, impact, or commitment.
Submission and Review
Applications are submitted through Berrien County’s online application link. A technical email fallback is identified by the County for submission problems. The Opioid Review Committee scores proposals, the Finance Committee reviews recommendations, and the Berrien County Board of Commissioners makes final award decisions. Award notices are expected in November, contracts are targeted for completion by December 1, 2026, and funded work begins January 1, 2027.
Atlas Assessment
This is a strong Michigan behavioral-health and opioid-remediation funding opportunity for established Berrien County organizations with demonstrated program capacity, compliant financial controls, and an evidence-based project. Technology or clinical equipment should be treated as conditional and applicant-led: the current materials do not establish that any specific device or hardware purchase is automatically allowable. No mandatory applicant match or cost-share requirement was identified in the current RFP materials reviewed by Atlas.