The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), Office of Rural Health and Primary Care, has announced its 2027 Rural Hospital Planning and Transition Grant round. Applications opened October 19, 2026 and must be submitted by December 11, 2026, at 4:30 p.m. Central Time through the ORHPC Online Grants Portal. This is an applicant-facing hospital financial-assistance program.
Applicant awards
The official program page anticipates ten awards ranging from $25,000 to $49,000 each, from approximately $300,000 in total program funds. The $300,000 pool must not be treated as an individual hospital award.
Eligibility
Eligible applicants are Minnesota non-federal, not-for-profit general acute-care hospitals with 50 or fewer beds, located in a qualifying rural area or a community with fewer than 15,000 people outside the seven-county Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area. Final definitions and documentation are controlled by the official funding instructions.
Project purpose and application
The program supports planning or implementation projects by eligible small hospitals to preserve or enhance access to health services. Applicants should review the MDH funding page, the RFP, governing-board resolution and consortium requirements where applicable, due-diligence documents, sample budget, and the ORHPC application portal. The exact 2027 RFP requirements, allowable-cost restrictions, cost-sharing, and reimbursement conditions need further independent confirmation.
Official source: Minnesota Department of Health — ORHPC Grants and Funding (Rural Hospital Planning and Transition Grant section). Verification note: Applications for the FY2027 round are open. The linked RFP still carries a 2026 label; confirm the controlling 2027 instructions, including all application requirements, directly with MDH before submitting.