2026.04.HIV.03.01 - Request for Proposals: Rise Up: Building Capacity for HIV Prevention in Faith-Based Settings

In 2024, 1,791 people were newly diagnosed with HIV in NYC. From 2023 to 2024, new diagnoses increased by 5%, with stark inequities observed by race and ethnicity. In NYC, 86% of all people newly diagnosed with HIV in 2024 were Latino or Black , despite only representing 50% of the NYC population. High Priority ZIP codes (HP-ZIPs) are NYC geographic areas identified for 2020-2024 that either accounted for the top 15% of new HIV diagnoses within a borough (based on the ZIP codes where people newly diagnosed with HIV were living at the time of diagnosis), or were located in parts of the city with high all-cause morbidity and mortality. Notably, according to NYC Health Department unpublished HIV surveillance data, during the same time period, the proportion of new HIV diagnoses among Latino and Black people (89%) living in HP-ZIPs was higher than their representation in the NYC population (72%) in these ZIP codes.Both NYC and national strategies to end the HIV epidemic have highlighted FBOs as integral partners for intervention. Among FBOs, houses of worship have an established history in the United States as places with broad influence due to sociocultural factors, their embeddedness in local communities, and how they establish trust and credibility within their communities. These institutions also have a history of engaging their communities in broad health topics such as HIV or STIs, COVID-19, cancer, diabetes, and physical activity. FBOs’ participation in HIV prevention efforts has shown to increase HIV testing, reduce stigma, promote condom use, and strengthen their capacity to provide HIV prevention. Notably, these faith-based efforts have occurred in predominantly Latino and Black faith communities. Nationally, in a study conducted between 2023 and 2024, 57% of Black people reported participation in monthly religious services, and 41% of Hispanic people reported the same. In NYC, in the same time period, approximately only 26% of adults identified as religiously unaffiliated, and 50% of adults reported attending services at least a few times a year. These data highlight the significant role faith-based engagement may have within NYC adult communities, including among Latino and Black community members. Engaging with and supporting houses of worship in HIV prevention activities may be an effective strategy to reach more Latino and Black community members in NYC that may not have been reached by current or past HIV prevention efforts.However, FBOs face challenges when implementing HIV prevention such as stigmatizing attitudes about HIV and people with HIV, misperceptions about HIV by members of the faith community, and insufficient resources to carry out HIV prevention activities. Recently, the NYC Health Department conducted key informant interviews and focus groups to identify local barriers for FBOs. Commonly identified barriers included competing priorities, lack of knowledge in delivering HIV prevention education, and a lack of necessary infrastructure and expertise to provide HIV testing. Research suggests that helping FBOs to identify and train HIV prevention champions and providing tailored capacity building assistance may increase an FBO’s ability to provide HIV prevention interventions to their community.The Rise Up Program will leverage the expertise of CBOs in capacity building, outreach to Latino and Black faith-based communities and understanding the HIV prevention needs in NYC to strengthen FBOs’ ability to engage their faith communities in meaningful HIV prevention efforts.The purpose of this RFP is to increase access to HIV prevention for Latino and Black faith communities by increasing the capacity of FBOs to effectively engage these communities in HIV prevention.This RFP is soliciting proposals from eligible applicants for the following service categories: • Service Category 1: Rise Up: Building Capacity for HIV Prevention in Faith-Based Settings, with a Focus on Latino Faith Communities • Service Category 2: Rise Up: Building Capacity for HIV Prevention in Faith-Based Settings, with a Focus on Black Faith Communities

Events & Timeline

Requested Information

Note: Template files for the items below (BidTables, Questionnaires) are available in the Attachments section of this opportunity.

Attachments

• 4._Attachment_C-_Organization_and_Program_Information_Summary_4.24.2026.xlsx
• 7._Attachment_J_-_PHS_Subcontractor_Risk_Questionnaire_4.24.26.xlsx
• 8._Attachment_L_-_Minimum_Eligibility_Requirements_Attestation_Statement_4.24.2026.docx
• 3._Attachment_B_-_Budget_Form_4.24.2026.xlsx
• 1a._Request_for_Proposals_-_Rise_Up_-_Building_Capacity_for_HIV_Prevention_in_Faith-Based_Settings_4.24.2026.pdf
• 5._Attachment_E_-_Acknowledgement_of_Rise_Up_Training_Curriculum_4.24.2026.docx
• 9a._Attachment_O_-_PHS_Procurement_Portal_-_Asking_a_Question_Instructions.pdf
• 9._Attachment_N_-_Proposal_Scoring_Criteria_4.24.2026.pdf
• 2._Attachment_A_-_Structured_Proposal_Form_4.24.2026.docx