Knoxville seeks groups for violence-intervention work

The City of Knoxville is looking for community organizations to run violence-reduction services for people and families at high risk of being involved in, or hurt by, violence in their neighborhoods.

The city announced the request for proposals on Thursday, Oct. 15. Proposals are due by 11 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11. The work will be paid for with federal dollars, the city said.

The five kinds of work

The city is seeking services in five categories:

• hospital-linked intervention
• life coaching
• violence interruption
• emergency housing or relocation
• victim support and stabilization

Groups may bid for more than one. The city asked them to apply only in areas where they already have extensive experience, staff, partners and the capacity to do the work.

“Investing in violence-reduction services helps create pathways to opportunity for Knoxville residents and supports safer, healthier neighborhoods,” said LaKenya Middlebrook, director of the city’s Office of Community Safety and Empowerment.

“These services play an important role in reaching the hardest-to-reach, high-risk individuals and address their immediate and long-term needs while strengthening our whole community,” she said.

Key dates

The conference is not mandatory. The city said potential applicants are strongly encouraged to attend, to learn the scope of the work and the rules that come with federal funding.

Proposals can be filed online or delivered on paper to the Purchasing Division by the deadline.

How the program has run so far

The Office of Community Safety and Empowerment has overseen the city’s violence-intervention work since 2021, the city said. Two national partners have trained and supported the local groups doing it:

• the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform
• the University of Maryland’s Center for the Study and Practice of Violence Reduction

The full request includes the city’s Community Based Violence Reduction Plan and its Gun Violence Problem Analysis. Both are posted with the bid on the city’s BidNet Direct page.

What it means for you

• If you run a nonprofit or community group doing this work, the full request, the questionnaire and the scoring criteria are on the city’s BidNet Direct page. Send questions to the Purchasing Division before Nov. 4.
• If you want to know more about the program, the office’s plans, reports and grant information are on the Community Safety and Empowerment page. The office is in Room 691 of the City County Building, 400 Main St., and its phone number is 865-215-3155.
• Not sure which city office handles what? See our guide to who to call at City Hall.